List of third States and organisations with which Europol shall conclude agreements

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (Parliament’s consultation), the report by Philip CLAEYS (NI, BE) on the draft Council decision amending Decision 2009/935/JHA as regards the list of third States and organisations with which Europol shall conclude agreements.

It suggested that the European Parliament reject the draft Council decision. It called on the Council not to adopt the decision, as the Commission recently proposed a new regulation for Europol to be adopted according to the ordinary legislative procedure and under which the provisions and the procedure for concluding agreements with third States and organisations are to be modified.

Therefore, there should not be any amendments to the measures implementing Decision 2009/371/JHA.

Members also called on the Director and the Management Board of Europol to refrain, in the event of the draft Council decision being adopted, from starting any negotiations on operational agreements with any of the countries listed in it since the level of data protection is inadequate in some of the countries listed in the draft Council decision (the following third states should be added to the Annex to Decision 2009/935/JHA: Brazil, Georgia, Mexico, United Arab Emirates) and the basic right to protection of personal data cannot be ensured.

Lastly, Members stressed that robust safeguards to protect privacy and fundamental rights must be guaranteed where any personal data are exchanged with third States or international organisations.