European Parliament and European Commission push for closer police cooperation

On Tuesday, March 4, nearly 250 policymakers and police representatives from across the EU gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss enhanced European police cooperation in the fight against organized crime and drug-related violence. The conference was initiated by MEP Assita Kanko and is part of the European Police Intergroup, a newly established platform within the European Parliament. Key speakers included European Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Europol Chief Catherine De Bolle.

The need for a European platform

Organized crime knows no borders, but EU member states do. This reality has driven Assita Kanko’s longstanding efforts to strengthen cross-border police cooperation, ensuring a more decisive response to the growing threats to Europe’s security and democracy. “Effectively combating internationally organized crime requires enhanced collaboration at all levels—ranging from improved protocols and clearer jurisdictional structures to better intelligence sharing. We also need a European platform to discuss new legislative initiatives on policing and law enforcement cooperation. Only by doing so can we better equip our police forces to tackle increasingly sophisticated criminal networks and transnational crime.”

Internal security as a top priority

The European Commission is set to publish a new European Internal Security Strategy in the coming months. European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner attended the conference to preview key elements of the strategy. He announced a fundamental shift in approach, with internal security becoming a priority across all policy areas. Brunner also proposed doubling Europol’s budget and introducing new regulations to improve international cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

Strengthening Europol

One of the key objectives of the new Police Intergroup is to reinforce Europol’s mandate and promote EU-wide research into violence against police officers. Law enforcement agencies face increasingly complex challenges, from international organized crime and terrorism to hybrid threats and direct violence against police personnel. In the coming months, the Intergroup will focus specifically on tackling drug-related crime, which is becoming more violent and increasingly affecting innocent civilians.