Europol’s role is as crucial as parliamentary scrutiny, House President says

House President, Annita Demetriou, conveyed on Wednesday that the message drain from 18th Meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol (JPSG) should be that
Europol’s operational capabilities are as essential as scrutiny, House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou said on Wednesday.
She was addressing the 18th Meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol (JPSG), which takes place in Nicosia, between February 4 and 5.
House President, Annita Demetriou, conveyed on Wednesday that the message drain from 18th Meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol (JPSG) should be that
Demetriou stressed the importance of Europol’s role and the need for a collective stance against the challenges that EU member – state face, but she also noted that parliamentary scrutiny should become stronger, as security policies are strengthened.
She said that there is a question on whether the current period is a transition or the era of deep rupture in the post world war international system and noted that Cyprus favours an overall and collective stance against the threats each member states counters. She also underlined the importance of unity in spite of differences, saying that “compromises within the Union are clearly preferable to concessions we would be forced to make outside of it.”
The House President spoke of Cyprus’ bid for its accession to Schengen and thanked Europol for its assistance in combating illegal immigration, online child sexual exploitation, cybercrime, terrorism and drug trafficking.
In regards to parliamentary scrutiny on Europol, Demetriou said that it is crucial in order to safeguard the EU values and the rule of law. She explained that JPSG’s responsibility is to ensure that the law is applied in practice and insist on necessity and proportionality to protect fundamental rights.
Europol’s role in supporting member states is undeniable, Co-President of the Meeting says
In his opening address to the first session of the Meeting, Co-Chair and Chair of the Cyprus Delegation, MP Demetris Demetriou, noted that Europol’s role in supporting member states is undeniable and added that it has been established as EU’s main information hub for tackling criminal activities and developing into a pillar of the European internal security architecture.
He also spoke of the ongoing revision of the Europol regulation, which, as he said, “is expected to substantially enhance its analytical and operational capabilities, strengthening the Union’s ability to respond effectively and promptly to modern threats.”
Demetriou noted that more than 70 members from 28 Parliaments and 23 member states attend the Meeting and announced that at the end of its works, the Co-Chairs will issue a joint statement for the first time and will call the members to sign it.
Javier Zarzalejos, Co-Chair of the JPSG and Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament noted that Europol will continue to play a key role in supporting EU member states to address threats and mentioned that the discussion will focus on the new regulation, among other issues.
During the presentation of Europol’s activities since November 2025, Catherine De Bolle, Europol Executive Director, spoke of the new regulation and noted that the focus remains on the Europol strategy in delivering security and partnership. She added that key elements are the new external relations strategy and the first strategy on cooperation with private parties.
De Bolle also highlighted developments regarding the positive cooperation with EDPS and the efforts or data protection in general and noted the strengthened cooperation with South American countries. She said that Ukraine remains a key operational partner for Europol and mention a 50% increase in message exchange between 2024 and 2025 noting that war crimes investigations, weapons trafficking and explosives and stolen drones are key areas of cooperation.
She mentioned the positive results of a task force led by Sweden to tackle the phenomenon of violence as a service, 193 arrests in the first six months and added that Europol is strengthening its response to criminal networks that exploit the digital environment. She also spoke of a platform for support to minors that are victims of sexual abuse and a platform against radicalization of minors.
Ireneusz Sienko, Chair of the Europol Management Board, noted during his address that dialogue is crucial for democratic scrutiny and Europol’s accountability. He particularly spoke about the development of the new European center against migrant smuggling and the collaboration with FRONTEX for its operation. He also praised the role of the Executive Director in a critical and demanding time for Europol.
Source: CNA