Council resolution on the creation of a European network of airport law enforcement services (AIRPOL

The Council adopted the following resolution:

"THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

RECOGNISING that the free movement of citizens within the European Union is one of the fundamental principles on which the Union is based and that the abolition of the control at the internal borders within the Schengen area is a major achievement in the area of freedom, security and justice, AWARE of the fact that crime does not stop at national borders, REFERRING to the Stockholm programme - an open and secure Europe serving and protecting citizens1 which highlights the importance of the right of free movement and states the need to avoid abuses and fraud, RECALLING the existence of and building upon the experiences of similar networks for railway police forces (RAILPOL), water police forces and inland navigation inspectorates (AQUAPOL) and traffic police forces (TISPOL),

CONSCIOUS of the importance to increase coordination at European level involving national bodies having different and complementary competences for the purpose of granting security in and around airports and in the frame of civil aviation,

AWARE that police cooperation between the Member States is governed by the existing relevant instruments and that the creation of an informal network is without prejudice to such provisions,

TAKING NOTE of the outcome of the first plenary

AIRPOL Expert Seminar, held in Brussels on 20 and 21 October 2010,

CONVINCED that AIRPOL will constitute a suitable operational network for the exchange of information, experiences and best practices throughout the European Union and the Schengen Area, and that it will facilitate the establishment and active maintenance of contacts between its members,

WELCOMES the creation of a permanent and multidisciplinary cooperation network of the police services, border guards and other relevant law enforcement services which are active in and around airports, called "AIRPOL", with the mission of contributing substantially to increasing security in the airports of the Member States of the European Union and of the Schengen Associated States, to combating criminal activities in and around airports and to other aspects relating to civil aviation security; in particular AIRPOL could focus on three topics, in which synergies are explored:

- AIRPORT POLICING, which is aimed at the policing in and around airports, for instance, airport crime, VIP protection, public order tactics, protection of critical infrastructure and contingency management;

- AVIATION SECURITY, which is aimed at civil aviation security, for instance, passengers engaging in unseemly behaviour, access and security checks, airport badge management and air marshals;

- AIR BORDER SECURITY, for instance, border management activities and facing the phenomenon of illegal migration;

ENCOURAGES all Member States to participate in the network via their competent national services,

INVITES the Schengen Associated Countries to participate in the activities of the network regarding air border security via their competent national services,

WELCOMES the involvement of FRONTEX and the possibility for other relevant EU agencies, having certain competences in the field of security in and around airports, to participate in the activities of AIRPOL,

ENCOURAGES the involvement of Europol when operational cooperation takes place."

1 OJ C 115, 4.5.2010, p. 1.