Statewatch today published the article New Europol rules massively expand police powers and reduce rights protections. They write:

The new rules governing Europol, which came into force at the end of June, massively expand the tasks and powers of the EU’s policing agency whilst reducing external scrutiny of its data processing operations and rights protections for individuals, says a report published today by Statewatch.

The report aims to provide an overview of the powers and problems introduced by the revised legal basis, so that anyone with an interest in the matter is able to understand the role of the agency better. The report is found here.

This development shows that Europe is gradually evolving into a surveillance society