German Jürgen Ebner elected head of Europol

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German police official Jürgen Ebner has been selected to become the next executive director of Europol, putting the longtime agency insider on track to lead Europe’s increasingly powerful law enforcement body.

EU ambassadors backed Ebner in a Council vote Wednesday, selecting the German from a three-person shortlist after weeks of horse-trading among national capitals.

Ebner currently serves as Europol’s deputy executive director for governance and has been acting executive director since Belgian Catherine De Bolle’s mandate ended in May. He was widely regarded as De Bolle’s right-hand man, making his selection a vote for continuity at The Hague-based agency.

He beat two other senior police officials in the race: Alicia Malo, head of international cooperation at Spain’s national police, and Linas Pernavas, director of Lithuania’s main anti-corruption law enforcement agency.

Ebner began his career with the German police in 1988 and went on to hold several operational positions at the Federal Criminal Police Office, or BKA, eventually serving in the office of its president.

He moved to Europol in November 2019 after being appointed as deputy executive director responsible for governance. His portfolio has included legal and institutional matters, and he has also served as Europol’s security coordinator.

His selection does not quite finish the process.

Ebner will now appear before the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee, known as LIBE, which can issue a non-binding opinion on his candidacy. The Council of the EU will then formally appoint Europol’s next executive director.

He is set to take charge at a pivotal moment for the agency. The European Commission has proposed significantly expanding Europol’s role, resources and technological capabilities as Brussels seeks a stronger response to organized crime, cyberattacks and hybrid threats.