Vigenin: Europe must stay one step ahead of organised crime

“Against the backdrop of growing security threats in the European Union, extending Europol’s powers is among the main priorities of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.” This was stated by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament after the presentation of the legislative package on the future development of Europol.

The debate with Commissioner Brunner

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner outlined a stronger role for Europol in supporting national law enforcement authorities through automated real-time information exchange, the creation of a common European police data space, a new technology and innovation hub for capability development, and stronger operational cooperation with partner countries.

During the debate, Kristian Vigenin raised one of the most pressing security threats: the criminal use of artificial intelligence.

“I asked the Commissioner how the European Commission intends to ensure that Europol is prepared not only to use artificial intelligence in its work, but also to effectively counter its criminal use, and whether the proposed mandate is robust enough to respond to fast-moving technological challenges,” Vigenin explained.

The Commissioner’s response

According to him, Commissioner Brunner gave assurances that the legislative proposal places a strong emphasis on emerging technologies and will give Europol the tools it needs to counter new threats. Vigenin noted that the topic is directly linked to his work as the Socialists and Democrats Group’s rapporteur on the new EU Internal Security Fund. “That is exactly why I proposed that combating the criminal use of artificial intelligence be explicitly included among the fund’s objectives,” he explained.

In conclusion, the Bulgarian MEP stressed that Europe must stay one step ahead of organised crime, through modern technologies as well as clear rules, effective cooperation and strong European law enforcement authorities.