Catalan News Agency - Catalan police exclusion from Europol 'can compromise' European security, warns Eurocop
Politicizing security puts citizens at risk. Catalan police needs access
to Europol database, says the president of Eurocop, Àngels Bosch, to Catalan News Agency.
Catalan police exclusion from Europol 'can compromise' European security, warns Eurocop
CNA
Brussels (ACN).- Politicizing security puts citizens at
risk. The Catalan police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, should have
access to Europol databases and forums just like any other competent
security authority in Europe, said the president of Eurocop, Àngels
Bosch, in an interview with the CNA. Following the outrage in Catalonia
that the Basque police force, Ertzaitza, was granted access to Europol
by the Spanish government while the Mossos were kept out, the European
police union leader said this can "compromise" Europe's security. "A
lack of commitment between different security forces, a lack of
coordination, or subpar communication and exchange of information can
compromise the whole European area," she explained.
Mossos d'Esquadra agents are the "competent" police force in
Catalonia, including in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.
"Europol should be able to maintain direct contact with every competent
authority on security in every member state," said Àngels Bosch, who is
also vice secretary general of the police union in Catalonia. In fact,
the European police union has "lobbied for years" to achieve this, she
said.
"A large part of the border territory between Spain and France is in
Catalonia, and the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police, is the
competent authority, so it's only normal that it have access to Europol
forums," the union leader added. According to Bosch, agents "do not
understand" why the Mossos and the Basque police are treated differently
when it comes to accessing Europol information.
"We do not understand why the issue is politicized," she pointed out,
insisting that the Mossos’ powers in the fight against terrorism are
spelled out not only in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, but also in
Spanish laws. The security of Catalan citizens "is also a
responsibility" of the Spanish home affairs ministry, Bosch explained.
The decision to grant access to Basque police to Europol forums was
made during a security meeting between the Spanish and Basque
governments. For years, the Catalan executive has unsuccessfully urged
Madrid to call a similar summit. Faced with growing security concerns,
including from the police force itself, the Catalan president, Carles
Puigdemont, decided to call the meeting himself for July 3. It is not
clear, however, whether or not the Spanish government will attend.
The Spanish home affairs minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, said that July
3 is not a good day for him and urged the Catalan government to offer
an alternative. If in the end they do not meet, the possibility of
reaching an agreement is unlikely and the summit will only highlight
Madrid's unwillingness to cooperate with the Catalan government on
security issues.
Besides the Europol issue, the Catalan and Spanish governments are
also at odds about the recent announcement about the hiring of 500 new
officers. While Barcelona says it urgently needs the reinforcements,
Madrid argues that budgetary concerns would only allow hiring 50 new
agents.
Mossos d'Esquadra officers arresting a suspected terrorist in Sabadell (by J. Pujolar)
