Nicosia: The Cyprus House of Representatives is set to host the 18th Meeting of the Europol Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group in Nicosia on February 4 and 5, as part of the Cyprus EU Presidency. Delegations from EU member state parliaments, the European Parliament, and observers will be in attendance.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the event will commence with a closed Troika meeting at the ‘Filoxenia’ Conference Center on February 4. House Speaker Annita Demetriou will address the gathering, while the proceedings will be co-chaired by Demetris Demetriou, Head of the Cyprus Delegation to the Europol Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group, and Javier Zarzalejos, Head of the European Parliament Delegation. The Cyprus delegation will include MPs Nikos Kettiros, Chrysanthos Savvides, and Elias Myrianthous.
During the meeting, Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, will present the organization’s recent activities. Additionally, Wojciech Wiewi³rowski, the European Data Protection Supervisor, will discuss issues relevant to the agency’s functioning. The agenda also includes a special session focused on enhancing Europol’s capabilities and supervision in light of an anticipated new regulation.
A cultural event and an official dinner, hosted by the Speaker of the House, will follow to honor the participants. Two parliamentary scrutiny sessions are scheduled for Thursday. The first session will address Europol’s role in preventing and combating migrant smuggling with contributions from Dr. Nikolas A. Ioannides, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, along with representatives from the Cyprus Police and Europol. The second session will concentrate on economic and financial crime, examining Europol’s collaboration with European entities such as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Eurojust, the European Anti-Fraud Office, and the Authority for the Combating of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism. Presentations will be delivered by Europol and the European Commission.