Written statement on Europol Regulation Opt-in

Brandon Lewis (Minister for Police):On the 14 November 2016 the Government announced its intention to opt in to the new Europol Regulation. After a debate in the House of Commons in December which supported the Government’s position, we communicated that decision to the European Commission on 16 December. The European Commission confirmed the participation of the UK in the new Europol Regulation via a Commission Decision ((EU) 2017/388) dated 6 March 2017.

Opting into the new regulation means that the UK will remain a full member of Europol when the new Regulation comes into force on 1 May. It also demonstrates our commitment to work together with our European partners to fight crime and prevent terrorism now and when we leave the EU.