MEETING OF EU INTERIOR AND JUSTICE MINISTERS IN BERLIN
The setting up of Europol was once again at the centre of discussions at an "informal meeting" of EU Interior and Justice Ministers in Berlin, on 7 September. Yet, despite assertions by the German Interior Minister, Manfred Kanther, that Ministers had come close to agreement regarding the "most important aspects" of a new concept for the European police office, nothing indicates that the planned Convention on Europol will be ready for signature in October, as announced earlier.
Austria, as well as Finland, Sweden and Norway, which are expected to join the EU shortly, were represented at the meeting.
Interior Minister Kanther (Christian Democratic Union) strongly advocated an extended role for Europol. In future, its role should not be limited to merely the fight against drugs but should comprise the "whole range of organised crime", he said. Mr. Kanther made particular mention of internationally organised car theft, the smuggling of illegal immigrants and trafficking in nuclear materials.
The Minister, however, admitted that "no full agreement" was reached regarding Europol's eventual role in combatting terrorism.
Mr. Kanther once again repeated a long standing German demand for Europol to be given its own executive powers, transforming the office from a mere "data collection body" to an "intervention task force". According to Mr. Kanther, such a role is justified by the "increasing smuggling of nuclear materials", a problem that national police forces are unable to deal with by their own.
Ministers are further said to have agreed on the necessity to build in anti-theft devices in cars. The ministers called for a regulation governing this "technical prevention" on Community level.
The issue of international migratory and refugee flows was discussed mainly under the aspect of "burden sharing". Mr. Kanther said it was a particular German concern to establish some form of common "crisis management" aimed at sharing the burden in the event of future massive influxes of refugees.
Source: Frankfurter Rundschau, 8.9.94