What is the difference between Interpol and Europol? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between Interpol and Europol?

Asked by Demi , Last updated: Apr 21, 2024

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9 Answers

L. Laurel

L. Laurel

Foodie, Traveler, MBA degree holder, Amateur writer

L. Laurel
L. Laurel, Assistant Manager, MBA (Marketing), California

Answered Jan 05, 2021

Interpol is short for Criminal Police Organization, and it is an intergovernmental body for facilitating international police organizations. Europol is short for European Police Office. It is a law enforcement agency solely for the European Union and its members. Interpol and Europol are accountable for tracking criminals and arresting them.

Interpol is a vast database that researches criminal trends across the member nations and provides them with such information. It focuses on crimes and public safety, drug trafficking, organized crime, combating terrorism, crimes against humanity, environmental crimes, and prostitution.

Europol is a law enforcement agency solely for the European Union and its members. It focuses on criminal intelligence. It is a state corporation that is intended to exchange general trends in organized crime. It focuses on objectives such as information exchange, intelligence, analysis, expertise, and training.

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E. Reyes

E. Reyes

Building buildings and building intelligence

E. Reyes
E. Reyes, Builder, graduate, Birmingham

Answered Dec 23, 2020

Interpol means the International Criminal Police Organization. The main goal of this is to make sure that the different international police organizations will all be cooperating with each other. When you say Europol, this means the European Police Office. They are just one of the different police organizations that are available in the area.

They would need to work with other police organizations especially if there are certain crimes that need to be solved. Between the two, Interpol has been around longer as it was established back in the year 1923. Europol, on the other hand, was established back in the early 1990s.

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Anthony Paul Bonadio

Anthony Paul Bonadio

Its kind of my job to give answers

Anthony Paul Bonadio
Anthony Paul Bonadio, Teacher, MCA, PhD, Toledo

Answered Dec 18, 2020

When you hear of Interpol and Europol, they are actually two intelligence agencies that are different in structure and functions. However, Interpol is widely known than Europol in the world. Interpol simply refers to an International Police Organization that been established to bring about cooperation among several international police organizations.

The name was changed in the year 1956 from International Criminal Police Commissioner that it has been bearing since 1923 to its current name. Europol actually refers to the European Police Office, the official European Union's intelligence agency. This organization fully started functioning in the year 1999, though it has been in existence on a small scale since 1994.

Europol majorly deals with countries that are under the European Union. The headquarter of Interpol is located in Lyon, France, while that of Europol is located in The Hague. A major difference in the functionality of these two organizations is that: Interpol can carry out investigations and also make an arrest. Meanwhile, Europol cannot do this. They can only work along with the police organizations in a particular country.

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L. Agate

L. Agate

L. Agate
L. Agate

Answered Dec 11, 2020

Interpol and Europol are separate intelligence agencies that serve other purposes. Interpol is more recognized than Europol. The International Criminal Police Organization is coordinated to facilitate synergy between different international police organizations. Interpol began as the International Criminal Police Commission in 1923, and the name was changed in 1956. Europol is the European Police Office, which is the official intelligence agency of the European Union. The organization was established in 1999.

In the beginning stages, Europol was centered on drug-related crimes. Interpol and Europol also maintain different functions. Interpol was mostly created to incite cooperation among police organizations in other countries, Europol chiefly concentrates on the European Union Member countries' intelligence organizations. Interpol has the power to investigate those in question if necessary, and they can arrest the suspects involved in the crimes. Mostly, Interpol handles all crimes such as money laundering or drug dealing.

On the contrary, Europol does not have the right or authority to apprehend the suspects connected with any crime in the European Union countries. Europol can only offer support to the intelligence agencies in other European Union member countries. Europol does not hold any executive powers.

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G. Woods

G. Woods

Traveler and writer by profession.

G. Woods
G. Woods, College student, Graduate, Southampton

Answered Dec 03, 2020

Interpol is the name given to the International Criminal Police Organization, which has been set up in order to bring about the facilitation of cooperation between several different international police organizations. At the same time, Europol is basically the European Police Office, which is actually the official intelligence agency of the European Union, which includes mainly European countries such as Spain, Portugal, etc.

When Interpol started, it started as the International Criminal Police Commission in the year 1923, but the current name was adopted about thirty-two years after it started. Europol was established in the year 1999. But the organization had started on a limited scale from 1994, soon after the Maastricht Treaty of 1992.

Interpol has the constitutional power and right to go on with investigations, and they can arrest the suspects involved in the crimes if need be. Europol, on the other hand, has no constitutional right or power to conduct investigations nor question the suspects involved in various crimes.

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Steinn

Steinn

Get immense pleasure in travelling and writing about visiting places.

Steinn
Steinn , Corporate employee, Graz

Answered Nov 27, 2020

Interpol is going to be in charge of making sure that the different police organizations in different countries are running smoothly. Europol is going to have a different concern. It will be more focused on the different intelligence organizations among European member countries. Interpol will make sure that different investigations will be properly conducted. If there are crimes that can be resolved by arresting suspects, they may do this too. Europol, on the other hand, will not have the ability to do all of the things that Interpol can do. They can just gather as many details and information as they can that they can forward to the right people.
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Jessica Rhodes

Jessica Rhodes

The economy is the basis of development, so I'd like to explore and share my knowledge more and more online and offline.

Jessica Rhodes
Jessica Rhodes, Economic advisor, Master of Economics (MEcon), Ohio

Answered Jul 23, 2020

Around the world, there are various intelligence agencies. Two of those are Interpol and Eurpol. When it was founded in 1923, it started with the name International Criminal Police Organization. Their job is to work with other organizations around the world. They can help countries by arresting criminals that have fled to other countries.

Eurpol is a much younger agency. It was founded in 1999 and it is the European Union's criminal intelligence agency. The difference is that the Interpol is worldwide, while the Eurpol can only work in countries that are amongst the European Union. Another difference is that the Eurpol does not have the power to arrest criminals.

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Yashu Dhiman

Yashu Dhiman

I'm a professional writer. I express through my blog and I keep searching for fresh content over the Internet.

Yashu Dhiman
Yashu Dhiman, Content Writer, Diploma in Literature, Noida, India

Answered Jul 20, 2020

You may initially think that Interpol and Europol are the same, but they do have some differences that will make you understand their differences. Interpol stands for the International Criminal Police Organization. This is meant to provide help so that the different police organizations will be able to help out each other.

Europol, on the other hand, stands for the European Police Office. This organization was started out in the year 1999. This started out as an organization that focuses on drug-related crimes. Take note that their concerns are different from Interpol mostly focused on organization and Europol on serving different types of crimes. Europol will be in charge of interviewing suspects for the crimes that they are focused on.

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Samantha Stewart

Samantha Stewart

Love to do some charity work. Have a passion for writing and do it in my spare time

Samantha Stewart
Samantha Stewart, Philanthropist, Post Graduate, Corpus Christi

Answered Jul 13, 2020

Interpol and Europol are both intelligence agencies but differ in terms of functions and responsibilities. Interpol started with the name "International Criminal Police Organization" when it was created in 1923. One of its main assignments is to work together with different police organizations in the world. You might have probably heard about how the Interpol goes about arresting and extraditing criminals from one country to the countries where they are wanted. Europol, on the other hand, was created in 1999 as the official criminal intelligence agency of the European Union.

Interpol and Europol are both intelligence agencies but differ in terms of functions and
Although, the organization has become wide in its operations, it can only function in countries that are part of the European Union. In contrast, Interpol is very wide in its operations because it works together with intelligence organizations of different countries. While Interpol has been strengthened to arrest criminals for crimes such as terrorism, money laundering, and many others, Europol does not have the right to arrest criminals, but can only gather intelligence that will aid the arrest by the rightful authority.

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