MP Russell speaks at European Parliament

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 6th Oct 2006

Bob Russell MP addressing the European Parliament (courtesy the European Parliament)

Colchester MP Bob Russell told a meeting of parliamentarians from European Union member states that the development of closer ties between police forces in EU countries must not be to the detriment of existing arrangements with Interpol, the international police organisation.

Speaking at a Joint Parliamentary Meeting in the EU Parliament's main chamber in Brussels, Mr Russell said that Europol - the European Police Office - was a relatively new organisation, formed in 1999, whereas Interpol was long-established and operated world-wide.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell is a member of the UK Home Affairs Select Committee and was in Brussels as part of the UK delegation with two other MPs and two Peers.

He pointed out to parliamentarians from the 24 other EU countries that Interpol was not mentioned anywhere in 36 pages of documents prepared for the session on "What future for Europol?" and the debate had been going for 30 minutes before one of the four main speakers gave the only single passing reference to Interpol.

Mr Russell said: "Criminals do not recognise international borders. The EU should be outward looking and not inward. Europol needs to work with Interpol, but Interpol is not even mentioned in the documents.

"Europol provides a framework of co-operation between EU member states - but co-operation with Interpol is necessary for contacts with non-EU countries, for example Switzerland, as well as countries around the world, notably America."

Responding, the Director of Europol, Mr Max-Peter Ratzel, assured delegates that Europol did co-operate with Interpol - but he failed to answer Mr Russell's criticism that Interpol was not mentioned at any point in the documentation about Europol which had been presented to parliamentarians, and had been ignored by the four platform speakers.

Mr Russell said afterwards that he would be pursuing his concerns. "Europol, co-operation between police in the 25 EU countries, is important - but this must also include recognised co-operation with Interpol which has for years worked in partnership with police forces around the world.

"I will be drawing this matter to the attention of my colleagues on the Home Affairs Select Committee. It is in the UK's interests that we continue to work with Interpol as well as being full partners with Europol. Both are needed, and both need to co-operate with each other as well as police in each country in the fight against international criminals."

The two-day Joint Parliamentary Meeting in Brussels was attended by members of the European Parliament and representatives from the national parliaments of the 25 European Union countries who specialise in home affairs issues in their respective parliaments.

There were six sessions: Data exchange and protection; Europol's future; management of EU's enlarged borders; legal migrants and illegal migration; judicial co-operation in Europe; and terrorism.