Target audience
The consultation aims to ensure that citizens and stakeholders, including those who will be directly affected by this initiative, can provide their views and input. This will also improve the evidence base underpinning the initiative. The Commission is inviting all interested stakeholders, including civil society and public authorities, and citizens, to contribute to this consultation.
Why we are consulting
Law enforcement cooperation in the EU finds its origin in the creation of the Schengen area. As Schengen provides for an area of free movement by abolishing internal border controls, it was decided to also introduce rules on law enforcement cooperation to increase Member States joint approach and cooperation to (i) ensure security of EU citizens moving across Europe, and (ii) improve the fight against cross-border and organised crimes. Even though COVID pandemic has decreased pan-European mobility this year, EU citizens travel within the EU for many purposes, such as work, leisure, holidays, and mass events. This poses new challenges to national law enforcement authorities that are called to cooperate more frequently. In addition, the occurrence of pan-European natural disasters and more generally the need to safeguard public order and safety, require an increased mobility of national law enforcement agencies across Member States. With regard to organised crimes, there is evidence that offenders, criminals and groups of criminals continue to operate across the EU and take advantage of differences between national jurisdictions. In this context, the European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), has launched a study to identify shortcomings and gaps in the EU framework for cross-border law enforcement cooperation and to define possible options for a future legislative proposal by the end of 2021. This consultation provides citizens and other stakeholders with an opportunity to voice their opinions on current problems and the future of cross-border law enforcement cooperation, including possible ways to modernise the existing framework. The questionnaire is structured according to two main sections: (i) questions on problems, and (ii) need for EU action and possible policy options. The consultation period was reduced to 8 weeks in order to propose the initiative by the end of 2021, as planned in the 2021 Commission Work Programme
Responding to the questionnaire
The response period for this consultation has ended. The questionnaire is no longer available. You can track further progress of this initiative by subscribing to receive notifications.
Consultation outcome
Further information on this consultation is provided here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12614-EU-police-cooperation/public-consultation_en