L-R: Claude Scho, liaison officer; Guy Hornbeck, liaison officer; Henri Kox, Minister of Internal Security; Philippe Schrantz, Director General of Grand Ducal Police; Jean-Marc Hoscheit, Luxembourg Ambassador to Netherlands; David Bourson, liaison officer;
Credit: Europol
Luxembourg's Ministry of Internal Security has announced the recent appointment of two new Luxembourg liaison officers at Europol.
On Tuesday 11 January 2023, Luxembourg's Minister of Internal Security, Henri Kox, accompanied by the Director General of the Grand Ducal Police, Philippe Schrantz, visited the Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, to discuss strategic and operational aspects as well as current challenges in the field of police cooperation with the Executive Director of Europol, Catherine de Bolle. Both parties underlined the importance of the entry into force of the agency's reinforced mandate on 28 June 2022 and reiterated Europol's global reach in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
In this regard, Luxembourg has reinforced its presence at Europol with the appointment of two new Luxembourg liaison officers as of January 2023.
Minister Kox also paid a visit to the Luxembourg liaison office and exchanged views with the liaison officers on site. During this meeting, the minister welcomed the expansion of their team: "I am happy that we have appointed two new liaison officers to strengthen Luxembourg's presence at Europol and thus contribute to better fighting crime."
As Luxembourg's Ministry of Internal Security recalled, Europol's mission is to support its Member States in preventing and fighting all forms of serious organised and international crime, cybercrime and terrorism. The agency supports the fight against crime in its Member States, among other things, by helping to harmonise investigative techniques, facilitating the exchange of information, as well as providing expertise, operational analysis and technical support. In this context, Europol also works with several non-EU partner countries and international organisations outside the European Union.
Europol Member State liaison offices work to ensure a continuous and efficient exchange of information between Europol and the national units and thus facilitate their cooperation. The liaison officer system also ensures that the interests of EU Member States' law enforcement agencies are represented at Europol's headquarters. By adding two new members to its liaison office, Luxembourg intends to further strengthen its collaboration with Europol.
