EU plan to widen police cross-border rights

POLICE in “hot pursuit” of criminals would be allowed to cross EU borders, and shoot and arrest suspects on the run under proposals tabled by the European Commission.

To combat a rise in cross-border gangs, officers would be given powers to operate in other member states to tackle drugs, weapons and migrant smuggling operations that exploit the bloc’s open borders.

“We propose better police co-operation on the ground, that’s boots on the ground,” Ylva Johansson, the European commissioner responsible for home affairs, said. “This means, for example, when a police officer in one member state is having a hot pursuit following vehicles or a criminal that crosses the border.”

The 27-page proposal sets out plans to simplify “hot pursuits”, “cross-border surveillance” and “joint police” operations, replacing about 60 outdated crime-fighting agreements. It was said that almost 70 per cent of criminal networks were active in more than three of the EU’S 27 member states, involved in serious crimes including drugs, migrantand people-trafficking operations.

Under the plans, police officers crossing into another nation would be able to carry their service weapon, as well as make arrests using “means of coercion and physical force”. Police carrying out surveillance in another EU state or taking part in a joint operation would also be allowed to use their guns against suspected criminals.

Margaritis Schinas, the commission vice-president responsible for migration, said this would be particularly important for the crackdown of gangs smuggling migrants across the Channel.

“Both the pandemic but also the recent events in the Channel show the added value of doing this,” he said.

“Very often, the criminals, the organised crime networks, they have better co-operation across our borders than our law enforcement agencies.”

Mr Schinas said the plans, which also include expanded powers for Europol, the EU’S crime-fighting agency, and more data sharing on suspects, were part of a wider strategy to make the bloc safer.

The binding rules would allow for the automated exchange of facial recognition and biometric data between European police forces.

The commission proposal, which must first be agreed by the EU’S member states, is unlikely to come into force for several years.