Israel’s National Police Commissioner, Roni Alsheich (R) and Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle (Europol)

The agreement is “a major step forward in enhancing the relationship between Europol and Israel . . . making the European Union and Israel safer,” Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said.

Israel’s National Police Commissioner, Inspector General Roni Alsheich, and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation’s (Europol) Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, on Tuesday signed a working agreement to expand cooperation to combat cross-border criminal activity.

Aware of the urgent problems arising from international cross-border organized crime, the agreement allows for the exchange of strategic information and the joint planning of operational activities.

The agreement represents the culmination of several months of planning by Europol and Israel to effectively join forces to fight serious and organized crime.

This new level of cooperation will be important for tackling priority crime areas affecting both the European Union (EU) and Israel, such as fraud, cybercrime and terrorism.

Europol is the EU’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organized forms of crime. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organizations.

Investigations in the EU have occasionally established links to Israel in the field of financial crime. As Europol supports EU Member States in identifying cross-border links, the Israeli contribution in such cases continues to be of utmost importance.

First Ever Agreement with Non-EU Country

Europol is reportedly working on similar agreements with Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.

De Bolle noted that the work arrangement signed with Israel was the first ever signed with a non-EU country.

She underscored that the agreement was “a major step forward in enhancing the relationship between Europol and Israel. The arrangement will multiply contacts at all levels and open doors to closer cooperation, making the European Union and Israel safer.”

Alsheich stated that the agreement “will enable the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the Israel National Police to advance its capabilities to deal in the best way possible with new threats in the field of organized crime, cybercrime exploited by international criminal and terrorist elements, fighting terrorism in its various forms, and crime that crosses borders in the field of social economies.”