Germany and the Netherlands to strengthen operational cooperation between police special units
press release 12 December 2024
Both countries signed a joint declaration of intent focused on countering terrorism and organised crime
In the margins of today’s EU home affairs ministerial meeting in Brussels, Nancy Faeser, Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior, and David van Weel, the Netherland’s Minister of Justice and Security, signed a joint declaration of intent to increase bilateral police cooperation.
The joint declaration provides a special legal basis for strengthening operational cross-border cooperation between German and Dutch special units. This serves in particular to counter terrorism and organised crime.
Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser said: “I am pleased that we are further strengthening police cooperation with our close partner and neighbour the Netherlands. We need to be able to rapidly and flexibly deploy police special units in joint operations on either side of the border. This applies in particular to countering terrorism and organised crime, an area where we are taking joint action against dangerous criminals and their groups. To this end, we are strengthening operational cooperation. We are extremely grateful for our outstanding working relationship with the Dutch authorities."
To date, bilateral police cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands has been based on the 2005 Enschede Treaty. In the declaration of intent signed today, both sides also agreed to review whether amendments or additions to this treaty are required to meet all current requirements for cross-border police cooperation.
