site.btaJoint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol Discusses Cooperation with Western Balkans, Cyber Security

Sofia, March 19 (BTA) - Cooperation with the Western Balkans and cyber security are in the focus of the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol (JPSG), it transpired at the opening of the event in Sofia on Monday by Bulgarian National Assembly Internal Security and Public Order Committee Chairman Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Tsvetanov and European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Chairman Claude Moraes co-chair the JPSG.

Addressing the participants in the meeting, Tsvetanov stressed the importance of the efforts to provide a secure future for the Western Balkans and the preservation of their Euro-Atlantic orientation. In addition to cyber security in the era of digitalization and online services, in the focus of attention are the fight against terrorism and organized crime related to guaranteeing online securite and neutralizing illegal content on the Internet, he said.

Moraes said that all efforts should be made to adopt the Rules of Procedure of the JPSG during this meeting, so that Europol could be the strong institution everyone wants.

Welcoming the participants in the meeting on Sunday evening, National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva said, as quoted by Parliament's press centre, that parliamentary control will increase Europol's democratic legitimacy and give citizens a guarantee that their rights will be protected and that there are reliable mechanisms ensuring they will be informed about the work in the security sector and Europol's activity. This is the only form in which the European Parliament can supervise the functioning of the agency, jointly with the national legislative institutions, she added.

In response, Moraes said that the achievement of concensus on Europol's parliamentary control rules between the national parliaments and the European Parliament will be a historic stage in the work of the JPSG and parliamentary control's development.

Over 130 MPs from the national parliaments are taking part in the JPSG meeting in Sofia. Among the attendees are EU Digital Economy and Society Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, EU Security Union Commissioner Julian King, Europol Executive Director Rob Wainwright and Europol Management Board Chairman Priit Parkna.