Europol signs Working Arrangement with the National Police Agency of Japan

The Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of Japan (NPA), Shunichi Kuryu, and Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, today signed a Working Arrangement to initiate cooperation between Europol and Japan to combat international cross-border crime.

The Working Arrangement will allow both parties to enhance future cooperative relations in the fight against terrorism, drugs, cybercrime and other relevant crime areas by establishing a secure communication line. The secondment of a liaison officer to Europol’s Headquarters will also facilitate the cooperation between Japan and the Member States of the European Union (EU). This will ensure the secure, timely and direct exchange of information between Europol and the NPA.

This new level of collaboration is vital for tackling serious crime affecting both the EU and Japan. The signing ceremony for this Working Arrangement on 3 December was held at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Catherine De Bolle said: “This working arrangement will establish cooperative relations between Europol and NPA to support the EU Member States and Japan in preventing and combating serious and organised crime, terrorism and other forms of international crime. Organised crime groups are as varied as the markets they service and the activities they engage in. In many cases, they reflect the societies, cultures and value systems they originate from. As societies globally become more interconnected and international in outlook, organised crime is now also more connected and internationally active than ever before. I am confident that today’s signed arrangement will facilitate effective cooperation between Europol and Japanese law enforcement agencies, making us all safer.”

Commissioner General Shunichi Kuryu said: “This arrangement will establish a solid framework between the National Police Agency of Japan and Europol that will enable us to cooperate to combat crimes timely and effectively, in addition to the cooperation through the existing Agreement between Japan and the European Union on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. We especially value the opportunity of sending a liaison officer to Europol and enhancing the cooperation, as Japan will host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”