03/03/2009 OHR

Acting High Representative, Raffi Gregorian, meets EUROPOL Director, Max-Peter Ratzel

image_pdfimage_print

Acting High Representative, Raffi Gregorian, met today with the Director of EUROPOL, Max-Peter Ratzel. The Acting High Representative welcomed yesterday’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a secure link between BiH and EUROPOL.

During the meeting it was stressed that BiH police authorities on all levels must be allowed to function without political interference. The BiH authorities also need to make a concerted effort to improve data sharing among police bodies on all levels, establish a state anti-corruption body and ensure adequate data protection. These issues are crucial for better cooperation of BiH authorities with EUROPOL and essential elements in the visa liberalization process.

Following the meeting, the Acting High Representative, Raffi Gregorian said: “The secure link and data protection are crucial to making the EUROPOL cooperation agreement with BiH operational, but it is only one part. The challenge lies in how the information is then distributed to the police bodies of BiH, and how their information is shared with EUROPOL. That is why a network for data exchange between police bodies is so important for the fight against organised crime in this country.”