Europol

This initial annual report on the activities of the EUROPOL Drug Unit (EDU/EUROPOL) for the period 1 January to 31 December 1994 basically provided an account of the setting up of the Drug Unit during this first year of activity. It was created under the Copenhagen ministerial agreement of 2 June 1993 and was mandated to monitor illegal drug trafficking, criminal organisations and activities linked to money laundering affecting two or more Member States. The main tasks of the Drug Unit during 1994 had been: - the exchange of information and intelligence (at individual and non-individual level) provided by EUROPOL liaison officers: this involved providing information on investigations in progress (checking names, telephone numbers, number plates) responding to requests concerning drugs themselves or legal issues and providing information in conjunction with law enforcement operations under way; - logistical support: the liaison officers had been invited to assist in transfrontier operations by contributing to coordination of operations in progress and coordinating international developments in these investigations with their colleagues from the other Member States; - criminological analysis: a system of strategic and operational analysis had been set up primarily to draw up comparative studies of the responsibilities of the prosecuting bodies in the Member States, collate statistics and give support to the liaison officers in their operational analysis work as well as to the national services. The report also provided information on the administrative activities of the Drug Unit, and stressed, among other things, that during this first year of its existence significant work had begun and many officials had been recruited. The report emphasised that problems had also arisen because the Drug Unit had no legal status. That was why, working with the competent authorities in the Netherlands, where the Drug Unit was based (The Hague), it had drafted proposals on appropriate diplomatic protection for its officials when they were on mission, the aim being to enable the staff to enjoy, strictly in relation to their professional activities, the immunity from criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction provided for by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. As regards funding, the report stated that the budget of ECU 14.5 million provided for had shown a slight surplus. Those monies were to be reallocated to the 1995 budget. Finally, as regards premises, the first stage of refurbishing the building had been completed, and the Drug Unit was now comfortably and suitably housed. �