Europol awarded by EU Ombudsman for the NextGenerationEU – Law Enforcement Forum

The NextGenerationEU  - Law Enforcement Forum, an EU-wide law enforcement cooperation platform focused on sharing intelligence aimed at countering the threat posed by criminal groups to the correct distribution of the EU recovery funds, has been given an award for Good Administration by the European Ombudsman.

The project won the ‘public vote’ category, which saw members of the public vote for their favourite out of more than 50 projects. Europol staff who worked on the project received their award in person at a ceremony in the heart of Brussels, where they met with other award winners and nominees from across the EU administration.

Europol launched the project in partnership with the Italian authorities at an event in Rome in 2021. The platform quickly gained virtually unanimous support and participation within the EU. The NextGenerationEU Law Enforcement Forum addresses criminal infiltrations that threaten the proper distribution of EU recovery funds. The EU Commission implemented the NextGenerationEU mechanism to support individuals and businesses across the EU recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, using it to allocate funds from a dedicated pool of some EUR 800 billion. 

Podcast and Europol Tool Repository also nominated 

Also among the projects nominated were The Europol Podcast and the Europol Tool Repository. The podcast provides an inside look at Europol operations by telling the stories through the officers who directly worked on the cases. The Europol Tool Repository, an initiative from Europol’s Innovation Lab, promotes enhanced cooperation among law enforcement authorities in Europe by providing a dedicated online platform for law enforcement to share software and good practice.