EU privacy watchdog warns of risks in Europol powers reform

The European Union's independent data protection watchdog, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), has issued a warning about potential serious risks linked to a planned reform of Europol's data processing powers.

Europol is the EU agency that supports cooperation among member states' law enforcement authorities in tackling crime and terrorism, including by collecting and exchanging information between countries. The planned reform aims to expand the agency's ability to process data, but the watchdog has stressed that such changes must be balanced against citizens' privacy rights.

Surveillance concerns

The EDPS warning centers on how expanded Europol powers could affect the extent to which the agency can collect, store and analyze personal data, including information on individuals not directly linked to a specific criminal investigation. Such a shift risks creating tension between law enforcement's demand for broader access to information and citizens' data protection rights, which are guaranteed under EU law.

The question of Europol's scope of authority comes amid a broader, ongoing debate within EU institutions in recent years over how to balance effective law enforcement with the protection of fundamental rights. As an independent oversight body, the EDPS monitors how EU institutions and agencies comply with data protection principles, and its warnings are often factored into subsequent legislative discussions on the relevant rules.