Catalan police in Europol: hot debate lands in Brussels

Terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils have reignited the long-running debate over whether the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, should be granted direct access to the European Union’s Agency for Law Enforcement cooperation (Europol).

Not only has this debate worsened the already harsh political clash between Catalan and Spanish Governments, it has also been brought up to the EU by members of the European Parliament (MEP).

“The Mossos, the police from Barcelona, from Catalonia, were not able to access information on the terrorists who directed the attack, which was provided by other member states and that was available through the Europol,” said Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal), speaking at a debate in the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. “So this is still the big problem, it’s the political barriers that exist within member states, but also between member states, in the sharing of information.”