§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reply he has sent to the request of the Presidency of the European Union (7369/00) for approval of a draft recommendation for rules relating to requests from Europol to member states to initiate investigations on its behalf, with particular reference to the proposal that member states should inform Europol of their reasons for not agreeing to such requests. [130055]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe draft Council Recommendation relating to the possibility of Europol asking member states to initiate investigations (7369/00 517W now 7369/1/00) is under discussion in the Europol Working Group. The Government's position is set out in an explanatory memorandum deposited with the scrutiny committees on 2 June, copies of which have been placed in the Library. We are negotiating the draft Recommendation on the basis that it is broadly acceptable. The Recommendation does not impose any obligations on the member states. Competent authorities in the United Kingdom would in general already adhere to the principles in the Recommendation in dealing with requests from Europol through the Europol National Unit. We consider that, while it will not always be appropriate for member states to inform Europol of the reasons for not agreeing to their request to conduct an investigation, it is good practice to do so wherever possible.