Europol and Frontex strengthen cooperation with new Working Arrangement

On the margins of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council meeting today in Dublin, Ireland, Europol and Frontex signed a new Working Arrangement, reinforcing cooperation between the two agencies in tackling cross-border threats affecting the European Union. The new arrangement replaces the agreement signed in 2015 and reflects the significantly expanded mandates that both agencies have received in recent years. It establishes an updated framework for cooperation enhancing the secure exchange of information, including for operational purposes, enabling Europol and Frontex to provide even more effective support to EU Member States. Jürgen Ebner Acting Executive Director of Europol Criminal networks do not distinguish between border security and law enforcement – they exploit every vulnerability they can find. Therefore, information gathered at the EU's external borders can provide the first indication of criminal or terrorist activity. By working more closely with Frontex, Europol can support EU Member States in detecting, investigating and dismantling the networks behind it. This is why the updated Working Arrangement reflects today's security realities and allows us to make full use of our enhanced mandates to better protect the European Union. Hans Leijtens Executive Director of Frontex Frontex sees the border. Europol sees the criminal networks behind it. We each hold pieces of the same jigsaw, and this arrangement puts them on the same table. Our officers and analysts already work side by side, from joint operations to shared analysis; now, what one agency sees, the other can act on, quickly and efficiently. The strengthened Working Arrangement will further reinforce complementarity between the two agencies’ work and cooperation on key cross-border threats such as migrant smuggling, trafficking in human beings and other forms of serious and organised crime, in line with their respective mandates. The updated framework reflects important developments in the legal mandates of both agencies. Since the adoption of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation in 2019 and the revision of Europol's mandate, both agencies are now able to exchange information more effectively, including personal data where provided for under their respective legal frameworks and in full compliance with EU data protection rules.