25 years of making Europe safer – Europol anniversary

What started out as a small European Drugs Unit in 1994 has grown into an organisation with over 1 700 staff members and 295 liaison officers all working together in The Hague towards one shared objective – to keep Europe safe from serious organised crime and terrorism. 

Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, said:

Over the past quarter of a century, Europol has evolved remarkably. Our history is one of constant adaptation and transformation. We have continually adapted to the changing landscape of organised crime and terrorism, to the evolving operational needs of law enforcement in Member States and to the geopolitical trends that impact the operational context of policing. In this complex environment, Europol has transformed into a cornerstone of European security and cooperation. As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm Europol’s driving force: every operation we undertake, every partnership we forge, and every innovation we embrace is ultimately aimed at ensuring the safety and security of our communities.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said:

25 years Europol, 25 years supporting Member States to fight crime. Increased police cooperation is essential in dismantling criminal networks and to fight terrorism. Europol is the foundation of that cooperation. During this mandate we have equipped the EU with stronger tools to protect European citizens. Today is for discussing how far we come and what more we need to do to meet future threats.

Key milestones

As Europe’s criminal landscape has evolved over the last quarter of a century, so has Europol. The Agency has undergone a significant transformation over the years to ensure that it can always offer cutting-edge support to Member States and their investigations. Some key milestones include:

• 1993: Europol Drugs Unit is established by ministerial agreement. It starts its operations in 1994 in The Hague, the Netherlands
• 2001: Signature of the first cooperation agreements with non-EU Member States (Iceland and Norway)
• 2010: On 1 January, Europol becomes a full EU Agency
• 2011: First annual European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC)
• 2013: Opening of the European Cybercrime Centre at Europol (EC3)
• 2016: Establishment of European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) at Europol
• 2016: Europol launches the Europe’s Most Wanted Fugitives website
• 2016: Deployment of guest officers to hotspots in Greece and Italy
• 2019: Europol is mandated by the Justice and Home Affairs ministers from all the EU Member States to create an Innovation Lab to support the law enforcement community in the area of innovation
• 2020: Europol supports investigators in France and the Netherlands in blocking the illegal use of EncroChat encrypted communication by large-scale organised crime groups
• 2020: Europol launches the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC)
• 2020: Europol extends its global reach as, for the first time, Europol’s agreements with third countries outnumber those with EU Member States
• 2021: Europol supports investigators in Belgium, France and the Netherlands in blocking the illegal use of Sky ECC encrypted communication by large-scale organised crime groups
• 2022: Europol launches its Digital Forensics Unit, significantly enhancing its ability to support Member States in processing and analysing digital evidence for law enforcement investigations
• 2024: The number of law enforcement authorities connected to Europol through SIENA exceeds 3 000, from more than 70 countries and international entities
• 2024: Europol appoints its first Artificial Intelligence Officer to steer the adoption of cutting-edge AI technologies, ensuring they align seamlessly with the Agency's mission, as well as with strong data protection safeguards

A year of celebrations

Throughout the year, a number of events and activities will take place to celebrate Europol’s anniversary.

The festivities kicked off on 28 May at the EU versus Crime conference co-organised by Europol and the European Commission. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, together with panellists from law enforcement, policymaking and civil society, looked back at the internal security achievements of the last five years.

• Event: EU versus Crime (including agenda and recording)

The events will culminate in September with the European Police Chiefs Convention organised at Europol’s headquarters. Europol has also updated its logo for its anniversary year – it now proudly wears its 25-year badge.

Read more about Europol’s history on our website and follow us on social media to learn more about the Agency’s past, present and future.