Europol staff shortlist
01 May 1994
The staff for the top posts in Europol, the new European Union police organisation, are now bring considered by the K4 Committee in Brussels.The posts to be filled are those of Director of Europol, Deputy Director (Administration) and Deputy Director (Information). The interviews are being undertaken by the K4 Committee - which is comprised of twelve senior Interior Ministry officials, one from each of the EU states. It will recommend to the Council of Justice and Interior Ministers who should be appointed to the three posts (see Feature: on the draft Europol Convention p16). The selection process is partly based on the abilities of particular candidates and partly on the "trading" that takes place on which country's turn is it to get a top appointment.
The K4 Committee agreed the procedures for the interviews at its meeting on 3/4 February and interviewed the 12 candidates for the three posts over the following three weeks. The candidates for the post of Director are: Mr Meca (Portugal), Mr B.Reynolds (UK, Deputy Chief Constable for Thames Valley police force), Mr Storbeck (Germany) and Mr Tourre (France). For Deputy Director (Administration): Mr Makiagas (Greece), Mr Rauchs (Luxembourg), Mr D Valls-Russell (UK, Chief Superintendent in the Kent police force; who set up the Channel Tunnel Policing Unit). For Deputy Director (Information): Mr Boocock (UK, a Detective Chief Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police force), Colonel Bruggeman (Belgium), Mr Aranda Guuerrero (Spain), Mr Marotta (Italy) and Mr Tassiopoulos Nikolaos (Greece).
As a result of the first round of interviews only one of the UK candidates is still in the running, Mr Valls-Russell for the Deputy Director (Administration) post. Colonel Bruggemann is thought to be the strongest candidate for the Deputy Director (Information) post as he has been working with the European Drug Unit (the first arm of Europol to be set up).
Each of the candidates has been assessed on certain criteria. For example, the candidates for the Director were assessed on: experience of managing a large police force; experience in police cooperation; experience in the fight against international crime; knowledge of international treaties and conventions, plus their university background and knowledge of foreign languages. After the first interviews Mr Storbeck was in the lead for the Director post with 146.8 points out of a maximum of 180 with Mr Tourre second with 132, and Mr Reynolds third with 127.5.
A briefing note prepared for the Belgian representative on the K4 Committee gives an insight into the politiking that goes into appointments at this level. While expressing support for the Belgian candidate Colonel Bruggemann it goes on to say that Belgium could support the UK candidate for Deputy Director (Administration) "who gave a good impression at the inerview" in order to bring together "the non-Schengen votes to elect our representative". The Note says that the Belgian Foreign Ministry had been told that the southern European countries who find it hard to accept a situation:
"where they would have no representatives within Europol. The French candidate, although he did not give a very good impression at the interview, could represent the southern European countries."
Work of the interview Committee for the recruitment of staff for UDE/Europol Memorandum from the Presidency European Union Council Brussels 23 February 1994 SECRET; Briefing Note to Belgian delegation.