Oliver Wallasch’s commentary on the Commission’s proposal for a new Europol Regulation, COM(2026) 580 final, concludes that the proposal makes Europol’s work product usable against the accused without making it verifiable by the accused. The post summarises the key findings and the provisions at issue and offers the commentary and the Commission documents as PDF downloads.

Recent revelations about Europol’s alleged shadow data repository raise serious concerns about the lawful collection and use of evidence in cross-border investigations. Against the backdrop of Sky ECC, EncroChat and ANOM cases, the article highlights the urgent need for transparency and independent judicial scrutiny to safeguard fair trial rights and the integrity of criminal proceedings.

EUROPOL: Mass Surveillance & AI Mining? How defence lawyers champion fundamental rights. Read now!

EncroChat and SkyECC legal defence update 2025 – Joint Defense Team

The CJEU General Court examines Europol and Eurojust’s role in the Sky ECC investigation – raising questions on digital privacy and fundamental rights.