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[Luxembourg 2005 Presidency of the Council of the European Union]
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Press Release
Trust in Europol as focal point for EU’s fight against organised crime and terrorism

Date of release : 24-05-2005

Policy area : Justice and Home Affairs Justice and Home Affairs


Europol’s new director Max-Peter Ratzel was welcomed with high expectations by the ministers speaking at his inauguration ceremony today in The Hague. Also Franco Frattini, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU Commissioner for Security, Freedom and Justice, expressed his wishes for the development of Europol under leadership of the 55 year old German, Max-Peter Ratzel. "European citizens expect and find it naturally that cross-border crime and terrorism are being addressed at European level, rather than at national level only, and in this respect Europol plays an important role," said Franco Frattini.

Luc Frieden, Minister of Justice of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and President of the Council of the European Union within the area of Justice and Home Affairs emphasized that the EU Member States must assure to make use of Europol’s services. "The fight against organised crime and terrorism and the many negative things, which have an impact on our lives, can only be fought by more co-operation. If our police forces don’t work together, we will loose this fight, so we need exchange of information in order to make Europe a secure place," said Luc Frieden.

Max-Peter Ratzel told his audience, consisting of the ministers quoted above and Mr. Piet Hein Donner, Minister of Justice of The Netherlands, Mr. Johan Remkes, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of The Netherlands and Mr. Otto Schily, Minister of Interior of Germany, ambassadors, representatives from the Commission, the Council, service partners and chiefs of police forces from the European Union's Member States, that he is willing to invest all his personal power and knowledge to fulfil his tasks as Europol Director in the best possible way. He identified the fight against terrorism and Euro counterfeiting as actual important topics for Europol but assured that other areas of crime like trafficking of drugs and trafficking in human beings would not be forgotten.




This page was last modified on : 25-05-2005

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