Europol & Interpol

Decree-Law no. 10/2020 of March 11 establishes the organizational structure of the Single Point of Contact for International Police Cooperation (PUC-CPI), which is the operational center responsible for coordinating international police cooperation.

The EUROPOL and INTERPOL Office, composed of the National EUROPOL Unit and the National INTERPOL Office, are an integral part of this International Police Cooperation structure.

Portugal's geographical situation as the westernmost point of continental Europe, its location on maritime routes between Africa, Europe and the Americas make it a busy transit area for legal and illegal businesses.

Since illegal drugs are primarily smuggled along these routes, law enforcement faces the additional challenges of serious organized crime associated with illicit trafficking, such as arms and human trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, etc.

The international characteristics of these types of crimes and their links with organized crime networks throughout Europe and the world make the role of the EUROPOL and INTERPOL Office fundamental in maintaining national and regional security. This office is the link between all the security forces and services, as well as the designated competent authorities, with Interpol, its members and partners, and with Europol, its members and partners.

Portugal has been a member of Interpol since 1930 and of Europol since its foundation within the European Union.

The objectives of Interpol are summarized in Art. 2 of the Statute: "to ensure and develop mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities within the framework of the legislation existing in the different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", "to establish and develop all institutions capable of contributing effectively to the prevention and suppression of common law offences".

Europol is a European police service, charged with the processing and exchange of criminal information. Its mission is to make a significant contribution to the enforcement of the laws of the European Union in the fight against organized crime, with a focus on the criminal organizations involved. Its objective is to improve effectiveness and cooperation between Member States in preventing and combating serious organized crime with an international dimension.

The EUROPOL and INTERPOL Office is the link for international criminal investigation and the representative of Portugal in these two Institutions.