Internal security: Commissioner Johansson attended the 2021 European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC) in The Hague

On 29 September, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson travelled to The Hague to deliver a keynote speech in the 2021 European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC). The Convention took place between 27 and 30 September, jointly organised by Europol and Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Addressing the Police Chiefs during the gala dinner, the Commissioner underlined the need to prevent risks to internal security, to encourage collective responsibility for ‘policing in a digital world’ and to ensure protection of victims while stepping up prevention efforts. She took this chance to recall the possible rebirth of radicals and terrorists in Afghanistan as a threat to Europe. She addressed the growing threats posed by cyberattacks and ransomware, as well as the issue of encryption and the challenges to law enforcement and prosecutors to carry out investigations. She concluded by emphasising the Commission’s commitment to fight against child sexual abuse, with a strong role of Europol to reduce the further dissemination of material, prosecute offenders, and step up prevention efforts.

Commissioner Johansson took part in the the presentation of the winner of the Europol Excellence in Innovation Award, in which more than 100 law enforcement organisations across 25 countries took part. Find more information about the winners.

The Commission continues to work closely with police chiefs to prioritise complex financial investigations nationally and across borders, to focus on anti-corruption, and to further engage in the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), the flagship instrument to fight together the most pressing criminal threats to EU citizens’ security.