- Europol operates within Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- It defends police officers’ fundamental and professional rights.
- It uses inverted decision-making to prioritize ordinary officers’ representation.
- Old guard still shapes decisions; demilitarization incomplete.
European Police Officers’ Union, known as Europol, is a trade union operating within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) with the primary goal of defending the fundamental and professional rights of its police officer members. This organization was born from the real need for fair representation of employees’ interests within the system, after the founding members accumulated negative experiences with other union structures.
Historical context and founding of the union
Founding members of Europol have gone through a series of negative experiences within other trade union organizations. At one point, the labour movement in Romania became deeply affected by the personal interests of leaders, who transformed the advantages of the organizations to serve their own purposes, rather than being intended for ordinary police officers.
The problem became evident especially during the generational shift within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Young police officers who reached leadership positions revealed a firm intention to implement significant changes in the union politics practiced by Europol.
Principles of organization and operation
Comparing the current organizational principles of the European Police Officers’ Union with those from a few years ago, the differences are radical. Europol introduced a completely new approach, opting for an inverted distribution of decision-making power.
Democratic decision-making structure
In this system, union leaders have the clear obligation to represent the objectives and interests of the branches from which they come and which voted for them. This structure ensures:
- Direct accountability to members
- Transparency in decision-making
- Real representation of needs from the base
- Elimination of conflicts of interest
Focus on ordinary police officers
The union aims to address the objective problems and needs received directly from the base of the police structure - the officers who actually work on the streets. These are the first people who must apply the law in every situation and who bear the highest level of responsibility, yet so far they were the least supported and had the smallest advantages within trade unions.
Current challenges in the system
Within the Romanian Police there remains a large number of employees from the old guard. Although noticeable changes are visible, especially among the newly hired younger generation, the process of conceptual ‘demilitarization’ of these structures has not been fully completed. In many situations, those with more experience continue to impose conditions that no longer align with current realities.
The change process
The institutional mindset change requires passing through several stages:
- Integrating new generations into decision-making positions
- Progressive implementation of modern management principles
- Ongoing education of staff regarding rights and responsibilities
- Creating a fair and transparent working environment
Young newly hired police officers are considered on the right track, bringing with them a modern mindset and a real desire for change in the system.
The role of Europol in modernization
The European Police Officers’ Union plays a central role in the modernization of the system, with the following main objectives:
- Defending police officers’ professional rights
- Promoting transparency and accountability
- Supporting employees in relation to the institution
- Representing the real interests of members
- Facilitating dialogue between generations
Through this approach, centered on the real needs of ordinary police officers, Europol clearly differentiates itself from other union organizations and actively contributes to the positive transformation of the system within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Photo source: antena1.ro
