20. ESTABLISHING A EUROPEAN INSTITUTE
OF POLICE STUDIES
(23225)
5133/02
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Initiative of the Kingdom of Spain establishing a European Institute of Police Studies.
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| Legal base: | Articles 30(1), 30(2)(d), 31(c) and (e), 32, 34 (1) and (2) EU; consultation; unanimity
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| Department: | Home Office
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| Basis of consideration: | Minister's letter of 3 December 2002
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| Previous Committee Report: | HC 152-xxii (2001-02), paragraph 14 (20 March 2002)
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| To be discussed in Council: | Date not set
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| Committee's assessment: | Politically important
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| Committee's decision: | Cleared
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Background
20.1 This was a Spanish Presidency initiative, arising
from the belief that the existing informal arrangement, based
on annual meetings between the relevant bodies, was ineffective.
When we first considered it (in March) we agreed with the Government
that the proposal seemed to have been developed without taking
into account the role and remit of other bodies already working
in closely-related fields. We decided not to clear the document
until we knew more about the progress of negotiations, and asked
the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office
(Mr Bob Ainsworth) to inform us if, as seemed possible, the proposal
did not proceed.
The Minister's letter
20.2 The Minister has now written to us. He reports that
the UK's concerns were shared by a number of other Member States
which believed that most of the work proposed for the Institute
could be handled by the European Police College (CEPOL) and Europol.
As a result, in April, CEPOL was asked by the Police Co-operation
Working Group whether it could take on any of the proposed activities.
20.3 The Minister tells us that CEPOL has now responded,
stating that, although it could undertake much of the proposed
work, its remit prevents it from actually conducting research.
It is, however, already meeting some of the objectives of the
proposed Institute by developing a European police knowledge website
and conducting a survey across European institutions to identify
existing and ongoing research into criminality.
20.4 As CEPOL is required to evaluate its progress and
make proposals for its future organisation and direction next
year, it was felt inappropriate to consider a change in its remit
at this stage. As part of its review, CEPOL will consider the
issues raised by the proposal. But, since the report is not expected
much before the end of 2003 and any resulting restructuring of
CEPOL will take some time, the Minister does not expect the proposal
to proceed in its current form.
Conclusion
20.5 We thank the Minister for his letter, which
does not altogether surprise us. Should the proposal resurface,
we shall, of course, expect to receive a new text, or a Supplementary
Explanatory Memorandum. In the meantime, we clear the document.
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