Europol — the EU law enforcement office — was originally established in the mid-1990s to fight drug-related crimes. Progressively, other important areas of criminality were added. In 2009, the Council of the European Union, Justice and Home Affairs, adopted a decision transforming Europol into an EU body as of 1 January 2010. Europol's direct Member State funding will be replaced by funding via the general budget of the EU, making Europol an EU body subject to the Financial Regulation and the Staff Regulations of the European Communities.
The Europol Management Board has commissioned RAND Europe, in partnership with Bluelight Global Solutions, to conduct an independent assessment of the implementation of the 2009 Europol Council Decision (ECD) and the activities subsequently carried out by Europol.
The research team will look at the impact of the ECD on Europol's performance, in order to inform thinking about the content of a future Europol Regulation, which is anticipated in the Treaty of Lisbon. The evaluation covers a wide range of operational, administrative, and governance issues, including:
Emma Disley
Barrie Irving
Deirdre May Culley
