Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-11-23-Speech-1-105"
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"en.20091123.18.1-105"2
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"Mr President, I have listened with great interest to the speeches given by Mr Nicholson, Mrs in ’t Veld, Mr Albrecht and Mrs Alfano. This is a debate in which problems of both procedure and substance have arisen.
I shall now move on to the European Union Crime Prevention Network. Naturally, we believe that crime must be prevented. Coercive measures are not enough to reduce crime and organised crime. Prevention is vital, be it at local or cross-border level. Moreover, in the proposals I recently made on human trafficking and child pornography, I have anticipated preventative measures.
Mrs Alfano, you have just pointed out the weaknesses of the network. I am aware that a recent assessment concluded that there is a very real need for European cooperation in the fight against organised crime, and I also know that public bodies, organisations and the private sector wish for a multidisciplinary approach aimed at sharing experiences, methods and instruments within Europe.
To be sure, the European Union Crime Prevention Network has encountered strategic, political and organisational problems. The Commission is aware of these. In the short term, we have increased financial support to the network’s secretariat.
In the Stockholm Programme, we have prioritised police cooperation and the need to be able to manage this at Community level, in conformity with the Treaty of Lisbon. It is true that this network can fulfil a number of tasks that you have mentioned and can undertake tasks of which you have suggested some interesting examples.
We can also expect to see common projects between social and educational institutions, involving schools, continuing training and university degree courses. We are clearly at the start of a major new crime prevention policy.
It is obvious that the role of civil society and of Parliament should be increased. Furthermore, police cooperation now comes under codecision. I therefore think that we can cooperate as closely as possible within the framework of the new legal basis. This would be in the interests of all citizens affected by security issues in their daily lives.
Of course, I have some regrets about this debate, which has centred on both the procedure to follow and on the substance. However, I do think that we can do much better from now on, after the Treaty of Lisbon has entered into force and in keeping with the Stockholm Programme. Parliament will be able to play its full role in this new strategy against organised crime and, indeed, all forms of crime.
Regarding the procedural matters, I fully understand Parliament’s position. The Treaty of Lisbon is just about to enter into force. I therefore wholly appreciate the questions that some of the Council Decisions may raise in Parliament. It is also true that the Commission somewhat regrets this situation. Nevertheless, I would now like to shed some light on these three dossiers for the benefit of Parliament.
As you are all aware, Europol – through a Council Decision that will replace the intergovernmental convention – is going to be subject to a new legal framework and become a European agency on 1 January 2010. The Council’s adoption of this decision was preceded by lengthy negotiations, and preparations for its implementation are under way.
I do understand Parliament’s concerns and I, too, am looking forward to seeing the next institutional framework in place, since it will pave the way for greater democratic control over the European Police Office. We should learn lessons from the initial implementation of the Council’s existing decision so that we may have a solid foundation on which to build future legislation. To that end, it will be beneficial to involve Parliament and other interested parties when drawing up future regulations on Europol, particularly with regard to the terms by which this Parliament and the national parliaments will have control over Europol’s activities.
Nonetheless, Mr President, I regret that Parliament has rejected the draft Council Decisions. These are implementing provisions governing important aspects of Europol’s work, without which Europol cannot operate.
I now come to the matter of forensic laboratories. Once again, I understand that Parliament wants a different basis for this framework decision on the accreditation of forensic laboratory activities. The Commission is in favour of using accreditation because it encourages a higher quality of work from these laboratories, particularly when it comes to sensitive techniques relating to fingerprints and DNA samples. Stricter accreditation of these laboratories will lead to increased public confidence.
Again, I am aware of the problems with the legal basis. Like Parliament, the Commission believes that the framework decision, insofar as it refers to services under Article 50 of the founding treaty of the European Community, should have Article 50 as its legal basis. We in the Commission have made a declaration that is contained in the minutes of the JHA council meeting of 23 October 2009. In that declaration, the Commission reserves the right to take measures that it deems to be appropriate in the future.
May I add that, in accordance with provisions for financial regulations, the Commission is prepared to provide financial support for the activities of Member States that allow the accreditation of scientific police laboratories. Finally, the Commission is willing to evaluate the implementation and application of this instrument for 1 July 2018, as laid down by Article 7(4) (new).
Regarding this accreditation, although I understand Parliament’s position, I also think that it goes mainly in the right direction and respects all the views that have been expressed in this House."@en1
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