Vol. 468 No. 1
171 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has as part of Ireland's Presidency of the EU to ensure that Europol is made fully operational as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14652/96]
As the Deputy may be aware, the Europol Convention was signed by member states of the EU in July 1995. There has been a delay in completion of a Protocol to the Convention dealing with the role of the Court of Justice concerning the Convention because of disagreement about what that role should be. The recent European Council meeting resolved the problem and finalisation of the text of the Protocol is now in hands.
The Convention will enter into force three months after the last member state has ratified it. The necessary legislation to enable Ireland to ratify the Convention is being prepared as a matter of priority in my Department at present with a view to its introduction in the next Dáil session. I will be urging all member states to complete their national ratification procedures as quickly as possible.
There are also a number of implementing regulations dealing with staff, analysis of data, confidentiality among other matters to be adopted by the Council before Europol can become fully operational and I intend that work be completed on these regulations during the Irish Presidency.
In the meantime, the work of the Europol drugs unit, which is based in the Hague, will continue to provide for co-operation and exchange of information between the law enforcement agencies of the member states.
