Select Committee on European Scrutiny Fourth Report


20. ESTABLISHING A EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF POLICE STUDIES


(23225)

5133/02


Initiative of the Kingdom of Spain establishing a European Institute of Police Studies.

Legal base:Articles 30(1), 30(2)(d), 31(c) and (e), 32, 34 (1) and (2) EU; consultation; unanimity
Department:Home Office
Basis of consideration:Minister's letter of 3 December 2002
Previous Committee Report:HC 152-xxii (2001-02), paragraph 14 (20 March 2002)
To be discussed in Council:Date not set
Committee's assessment:Politically important
Committee's decision:Cleared



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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