Organised crime: common framework for liaison officers

SUMMARY OF:

Decision 2003/170/JHA on the common use of liaison officers posted abroad by the law enforcement agencies of the EU Member States

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

Decision 2003/170/JHA, as amended by Decision 2006/560/JHA, aims to strengthen cooperation with regard to:

liaison officers, representatives of European Union (EU) Member States posted abroad by a law enforcement agency to one or more non-EU countries, or to international organisations, to establish and maintain contacts with the authorities with a view to preventing or investigating criminal offences; and
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) liaison officers, employees seconded from Europol (see summary) to enhance cooperation between non-EU countries or organisations and Europol and to help combat serious forms of international crime.

KEY POINTS

The Member States must ensure that Member States’ liaison officers posted to the same non-EU country or international organisation:

meet regularly to exchange useful information;
work together to improve relations with the host country;
share tasks among themselves, where appropriate;
look after the interests of one or more other Member States, if this has been agreed on by the Member States concerned;
participate in joint seminars on crime trends.

Any Member State that does not have a liaison officer in a non-EU country may approach another Member State that does.

Each year, the Member States must notify the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union of the following:

the posting of liaison officers to a non-EU country or organisation, including their responsibilities;
the national contact points that they must designate in order to facilitate the implementation of this decision.

The General Secretariat of the Council draws up an annual summary concerning the seconded Member State and Europol liaison officers, their duties and any cooperative agreements concluded on the posting of officers.

Europol liaison officers provide Europol with information relating to serious threats of criminal offences to Member States. Such information is passed on to the relevant national authorities.

Decision 2003/170/JHA repeals joint action 96/602/JHA and Article 47(4) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement (see summary).

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

It has applied since 26 March 2003.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Partners & Collaboration (Europol).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Decision 2003/170/JHA of 27 February 2003 on the common use of liaison officers posted abroad by the law enforcement agencies of the Member States (OJ L 67, 12.3.2003, pp. 27–30).

Successive amendments to Decision 2003/170/JHA have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.