Romania’s interim president promulgates law on international police cooperation

Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan has signed into law the new legislation on international police cooperation, which was officially promulgated on Monday, April 28. This legislative act establishes a legal and institutional framework aimed at preventing and investigating crimes, in line with national regulations, treaties Romania is a part of, and EU legal instruments, Agerpres reported.

The law emphasizes that international police cooperation will operate in accordance with several principles, including legality, equivalent access, availability, confidentiality, data ownership, data reliability, and the primacy of judicial cooperation.

One of the key components of the law is the creation of a unified point of contact for international police cooperation – the International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI). The CCPI will be a structure within the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, without legal personality, responsible for coordinating and facilitating the exchange of information under the new law, unless other national authorities are designated with specific tasks in their own areas of expertise.

The CCPI will have access to relevant information from competent Romanian authorities to fulfill its role and will ensure the exchange of information around the clock.

Additionally, the CCPI will house several key units, including the National Europol Unit, the SIRENE National Bureau, the National Interpol Bureau, the National Focal Point, and the Operational Support Service, among others. A unified electronic system for managing cases will also be established within the International Police Cooperation Center.

The law also includes provisions regarding cross-border surveillance within Romania. Authorities from Schengen countries pursuing a suspect involved in a crime or who has escaped custody will be allowed to continue the pursuit on Romanian territory without prior notification to Romanian authorities, provided certain conditions are met.

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