Europol

By Anatoly Yarovyi — Senior Partner

Updated: 30 Oct 2026

Europol, or the European Police Office, is the EU law enforcement agency that assists the Member States in preventing and combating organised crime. It was set up under the Europol Convention of 1995, became fully operational on 1 July 1999 and has been a full EU agency since 1 January 2010; its current legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2016/794, applicable since 1 May 2017. Its members are the 27 EU Member States, and it works with non-EU countries such as Norway under operational agreements. Its mission is to strengthen cross-border cooperation and information exchange among law enforcement agencies. Europol is particularly active in combating drugs trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, and other forms of international crime.

What Europol deal with

The European Union’s internal security is increasingly endangered by extensive criminal and terrorist networks, which also threaten the well-being and safety of its citizens. The most significant security risks stem from several critical areas:

1. Terrorism;
2. International drug trafficking and money laundering activities;
3. Organized schemes of fraud;
4. Counterfeiting of the euro currency;
5. Human trafficking operations.

Europol pays close attention to the needs of EU Member States and monitors criminal trends within the EU. The agency assists in investigations started by Member States, but its officers do not have the authority to arrest individuals or initiate investigations. The focus of Europol’s efforts is on crimes that demand a collaborative international response, involving multiple countries both within and beyond the EU. The prioritization of crimes for Europol’s attention is influenced by the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

What is the difference between INTERPOL and Europol?

INTERPOL operates as a global partnership organization for police forces worldwide, while Europol is more concentrated on the European Union and its specific priorities. Both entities emphasize their collaborative, rather than competitive, relationship, highlighted by a cooperation agreement they signed in 2001.

According to Andy Archibald from the National Crime Agency (NCA), “both organizations diligently work to avoid overlapping efforts and instead aim to complement each other’s work. They acknowledge the necessity of an international and partnership-based response.”

Organisational structure

The leadership of Europol is under the direction of an Executive Director, who also serves as the agency’s legal representative. This position is filled through appointment by the Council of the European Union. Catherine De Bolle served as Executive Director from May 2018 until 1 May 2026. Since 2 May 2026, Jürgen Ebner, Deputy Executive Director for Governance, has been Acting Executive Director while the Council of the EU completes the appointment of her successor.

Europol has three Deputy Executive Directors, each overseeing a different directorate:

– Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, responsible for the Operations Directorate,
– Jürgen Ebner, in charge of the Governance Directorate (currently also Acting Executive Director),
– Andrei Lințǎ, leading the Capabilities Directorate.

Tasks and activities

Europol, under the EU’s mandate, supports EU Member States in combating international crimes including drug trafficking, human trafficking, intellectual property crime, cybercrime, euro counterfeiting, and terrorism. It acts as a hub for law enforcement cooperation, expertise, and criminal intelligence. However, Europol and its officials lack executive powers, meaning they cannot arrest individuals or conduct investigations without national authorities’ approval.

Every four years Europol publishes the EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA). The latest edition, published in March 2025 under the title “The changing DNA of serious and organised crime”, concludes that organised crime is increasingly destabilising, is nurtured online and is accelerated by AI and emerging technologies.

Europol’s detailed activities include analyzing and exchanging information like criminal intelligence, coordinating investigative and operational actions, forming joint investigation teams, preparing threat assessments, strategic and operational analyses, and general situation reports. It also focuses on developing expertise in crime prevention and forensic methods. The agency collaborates with other EU bodies in the area of freedom, security, and justice, including the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and EU crisis management missions. Additionally, Europol supports the European Council and the European Commission in formulating strategic and operational priorities.