By Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland, Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and honorary Special Advisor International Affairs, appointed by the Mayor and Aldermen of The Hague
For some decades criminals are no longer only simple thiefs and burglars, but people who run international organizations and work with high tech. If police organizations want to attack those people and organizations, they have to be international and have to work with high tech as well. That is why in 1992 in the Treaty of Maastricht (in The Netherlands) the EU countries of that time decided to create EUROPOL: the European Police Office, to be based in The Hague. In 1999 the organization was operational and since 2011 EUROPOL has a newly built office on the Eisenhowerlaan, close to other international organizations. EUROJUST –the organization of European Public Prosecutors that works close together with EUROPOL- is building a new office in that area as well.
In the 21st century new kinds of crimes appeared and of course EUROPOL wants to attack them.
In 2013 EUROPOL started a new centre: the European Cybercrime Centre (‘EC3’) to strengthen the law enforcement response to cybercrime in the European Union and to help protect European citizens, businesses and governmemts.
This year, 2016, EUROPOL started no less than three new activities:
In January 2016 the European Counter Terrorism Centre (‘ECTC’), that will be an enhanced central information hub by which the Member States can increase information sharing and operational coordination.
In February 2016 the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (‘EMSC’), that will proactivily support EU Member States in dismantling criminal networks involved in organised migrant smuggling.
In July 2016 the International Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (‘IPC3’), to act against infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), a widespread and ever-increasing phenomenon wordwide, in which in 2013 no less than 338 billion euro were involved, the equivalent of the GPD of Austria or the combined GPD of Ireland and the Czech Republic.
The City of The Hague is proud that such extremely important new organizations against very serious modern crimes all are based in our international city of peace an justice.
