Ursula von der Leyen Pledges to Double Europol's Size to Combat Financial Crime

Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected as European Commission President on Thursday, has announced her intention to double the size of Europol to address the growing issue of financial crime. Emphasizing the necessity of the agency's operational status, she highlighted the critical role Europol must play in combating organized crime.

"Organised criminal networks are infiltrating our economy; most of them use corruption. They are causing fear and innocent people’s death with their brutal violence," von der Leyen told MEPs in Strasbourg. "They earn enormous amounts of money from drug trafficking, ransomware, fraud, trafficking in human beings and they are not limited by national borders."

Von der Leyen stressed the importance of a European-level response to these threats. "We must make sure that police can work across Europe without borders. This is why I will propose to double Europol’s staff and strengthen its mandate. I want Europol to become a truly operational police agency," she said.

Addressing broader security concerns, von der Leyen pointed out the increasing prevalence of cyber and hybrid threats, particularly from Russia. "Our Eastern Border in particular has become a target for hybrid attacks and provocations. Russia is luring migrants from Yemen up north and pushing them deliberately against the Finnish border," she revealed.

To counter these challenges, she advocated for stronger European borders. "This is part of the reason why we must strengthen Frontex. To make it more effective, while fully respecting fundamental rights, I will propose to triple the number of European border and coastguards to 30,000," she stated. "More secure borders will also help us to manage migration in a more structured and fair way."

Von der Leyen praised the progress made with the Migration and Asylum Pact, emphasizing solidarity as the core of the European response. "Always remembering that migrants are human beings like you and me. And all of us, we are protected by human rights. Many pessimists thought that migration was too divisive to agree on. But we proved them wrong. Together we made it. And we have emerged stronger from it."

She called for collective focus on implementing these measures and supporting Member States. "Now, we must collectively focus on implementation and on supporting Member States in making it a reality on the ground. And there will be more to do."

Von der Leyen also underscored the need for a unified approach to returns and partnerships, particularly in the Southern neighbourhood. "The Mediterranean region should get undivided attention. This is why I will appoint a Commissioner for the region, and propose a new Agenda for the Mediterranean together with Kaja Kallas. Because the future of the two Mediterranean shores is one and the same," she concluded.

By fLEXI tEAM