Initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a view to the adoption of a Council Decision on strengthening cross-border police cooperation with regard to meetings attended by large numbers of people from more than one Member State, at which policing is primarily aimed at maintaining law and order and security and preventing and combating criminal offences
Date: 2005-04-27
Institutions: Netherlands
Subjects: EU police cooperation, political unrest, public order

C 101/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.4.2005

II

(Preparatory Acts pursuant to Title VI of the Treaty on European Union)

Initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a view to the adoption of a Council Decision on
strengthening cross-border police cooperation with regard to meetings attended by large numbers
of people from more than one Member State, at which policing is primarily aimed at maintaining
law and order and security and preventing and combating criminal offences

(2005/C 101/15)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in par-
ticular Articles 29 and 30 thereof,

Having regard to the initiative of the Kingdom of the Nether-
lands,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

One of the European Union's objectives is to provide
citizens with a high level of safety within an area of
freedom, security and justice.

One means of attaining that objective is to introduce
closer cooperation between police forces.

(3) When maintaining law and order and security and
preventing and combating criminal offences at meetings
attended by large numbers of people, police forces in the
Member States of the Union are increasingly confronted
with participants coming from another Member State.

(4)

(5)

In the light of that trend, and following on from earlier
initiatives (2),
is necessary to step up international
it
police cooperation in this area.

The possibilities afforded by the Schengen acquis are
insufficient to ensure effective cross-border assistance,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Definitions

For the purposes of this Decision the following definitions shall
apply:

(1) OJ …
(2) Council Resolution of 29 April 2004 on security at European
(OJ C 116,

Council meetings and other comparable events
30.4.2004, p. 18).

1.

2.

‘international events’ means meetings attended by large
numbers of people from more than one Member State, at
which policing is primarily aimed at maintaining law and
order and security and preventing and combating criminal
offences;

‘cross-border assistance’ means assistance provided at the
request of a Member State by police officers from another
Member State regarding international events, or the supply
of equipment by a Member State for use on the territory of
another Member State.

Article 2

Objective

The objective of this Decision is, wherever possible, to plan
cross-border assistance and make it more effective.

Article 3

Planning

1.
In the last quarter of each calendar year the Presidency of
the Council shall present an overview of the international assis-
tance expected to be required in the following calendar year.

2.

The overview shall comprise:

(a) calendar of international events scheduled for the following

calendar year;

(b) an overview of the international assistance requested by the
Member States on whose territory these events are to take
place. Those Member States from which assistance is to be
requested shall also be indicated.

3.
The overview shall be prepared by the central bodies for
law and order and security referred to in Joint Action
97/339/JHA of 26 May 1997 adopted by the Council on the
basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union with
regard to cooperation on law and order and security (3).

(3) OJ L 147, 5.6.1997, p. 1.

27.4.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 101/37

4. Member States shall submit the information referred to in
paragraph 2 to the Presidency of the Council by 30 October
each year.

The Presidency shall send the overview referred to in

5.
paragraph 1 to the Council for confidential perusal.

The Presidency shall send the review referred to in para-

5.
graph 1 to the Council for confidential perusal.

Article 5

Background research

Article 4

Review

1.
The General Secretariat of the Council shall assist the
Member States by researching existing agreements on cross-
border assistance.

Every year, before 31 January,

1.
Council
provided during the past year.

shall make a review of

the Presidency of
the
international assistance

2. Member States shall forward the texts of such agreements
to the General Secretariat of the Council no later than six
months after the entry into force of this Decision.

2.

The review referred to in paragraph 1 shall comprise:

(a) an overview of the international events that have taken

place;

(b) an overview of the international assistance provided and

received in the year in question;

(c) an overview of

the main difficulties observed by the

Member States regarding international events;

(d) recommendations as to how the difficulties referred to in

(c) could be resolved.

The review shall be prepared by the central bodies for

3.
law and order and security.

4. Member States shall submit the information referred to in
paragraph 2, together with any recommendation they may
wish to make in that connection, no later than 1 December
each year.

3. Within one year at the latest, the Council shall discuss, on
the basis of the results of the research referred to in the first
paragraph, whether
the main difficulties observed can be
resolved by adapting the relevant European legislation, and in
particular the Schengen Convention.

Article 6

Publication

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication
in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President