On 10 July, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) signed a Working Arrangement in order to support the Member States of the European Union and Jordan in preventing and combating serious and organised crime and terrorism.
The Working Arrangement provides for a structured legal framework for cooperation and enhanced exchange of information (non-personal data) between Europol and the relevant Jordanian law enforcement authorities. It will enable both partners to work on key areas such as migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms trafficking.
The Arrangement also covers the possibility of sharing specialist knowledge, general situation reports, results of strategic analysis, the participation in training activities, as well as providing advice and support in individual criminal investigations.
Based on this Working Arrangement, the PSD will designate a national contact point to facilitate cooperation between Europol and the relevant Jordanian law enforcement authorities. The Arrangement also provides grounds for the deployment of a liaison officer to Europol to join its unique community of liaison bureaux of law enforcement authorities from more than 50 countries.
Once the Arrangement enters into force, the European Union and Jordan will enhance their level of cooperation in addressing serious security threats, further strengthening Europol’s cooperation with another key partner in the Middle East.
Catherine De Bolle, Europol Executive Director, said: “The signing of this Working Arrangement represents a key milestone in our shared efforts to confront common security threats that affect the EU and its Member States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”
“This partnership is an expression of the trust and mutual understanding between Jordan and the European Union in the law enforcement domain. It paves the way for an even stronger collaboration in the pursuit of security in the EU and in the wider Middle East,” she added.
Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol’s mission is to support its Member States in preventing and combating all forms of serious international and organised crime, cybercrime and terrorism. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations.
Large-scale criminal and terrorist networks pose a significant threat to the internal security of the EU and to the safety and livelihood of its people. The biggest security threats come from: Terrorism; international drug trafficking and money laundering; organised fraud; the counterfeiting of euros; trafficking in human beings.
