11 Facts About Europol

Europol has its origins in TREVI, a forum for security cooperation created amongst European Community interior and justice ministers in 1976.

On 7 February 1992, Europol was enshrined with more substance in Article K 1, section 9, as the Maastricht Treaty was signed:.

Europol was first de facto organised provisionally in 1993 as the Europol Drugs Unit in Strasbourg at the same site as the Schengen Information System was hosted.

Europol Convention was signed on 26 July 1995 in Brussels and came into force on 1 October 1998 after being ratified by all the Member States.

The new framework granted additional powers on counter-terrorism to Europol, but includes adding training and exchange programmes for staff, creating a solid data protection system, and strengthening the Parliament's control over the Agency.

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Europol started the Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object campaign and website on 31 May 2017.

Europol is mandated by the European Union to assist EU Member States in the fight against international crime, such as illicit drugs, trafficking in human beings, intellectual property crime, cybercrime, euro counterfeiting and terrorism, by serving as a centre for law enforcement co-operation, expertise and criminal intelligence.

Europol has published the annual Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, since 2007.

On 4 May 2020, Europol launched the new European Financial and Economic Crime Centre .

New EFECC has been set up within the current organisational structure of Europol that is already playing an important part in the European response to financial and economic crime and will be staffed with 65 international experts and analysts.

Director of Europol is able to enter into agreements for Europol with other countries and international organizations.