Europol

Europol is an EU-wide law enforcement organisation that aims to assist Member States in preventing and combating serious international crime, though only where such crime involves an organised criminal structure and affects at least two Member States. On a practical level, Europol's main tasks are to facilitate the exchange of information between Member States, and to provide crime analysis expertise and technical support.

Europol handles a large amount of information about individuals, why it is important that Europol should take account of the rights of individuals when using this information. As a safeguard, the Europol Convention, which also set up Europol itself, created the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) and contains a number of provisions relating to data protection. The main task of the JSB - which is an independent body - is to ensure that Europol complies with these data protection principles. The Austrian member of the JSB is delegated by the data protection commission.

Tasks of the JSB

  • Review Europol's activities to ensure that the data protection rights of the individual are not violated by the storage, processing and utilisation of data held by Europol (e.g. by inspections)
  • Enforcement of compliance with the principles of data protection by Europol in a number of specific areas (examine and comment on the opening of specific analysis files; monitor the permissibility of the transmission of data originating from Europol; examine questions relating to implementation and interpretation of the Europol Convention; analyse the rules governing the transmission of personal data by Europol to third bodies and non-Member States; draw up harmonised proposals for common solutions to existing problems)
  • Uphold the rights individuals have in relation to their personal information (e.g. handling of appeals of individuals who have requested access to their information but who are not satisfied with Europol's response)
  • Publish an activity report at regular intervals

Tasks of the Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee examines appeals of Europol's decisions by all appropriate means. The Committee is independent and impartial, and not bound by directions of the JSB.