Andorra Gains Direct Access to Europol's SIENA Network via New Pact

Andorra's police have gained direct access to Europol's SIENA secure information exchange network following a memorandum of understanding signed with the agency.

The agreement was formalized on Tuesday at Europol headquarters in The Hague by Police Director Bruno Lasne and acting executive director Jürgen Ebner. Andorra's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vicenç Mateu, and International Police Cooperation Office head Francesc Almendros also attended. A subsequent working session covered technical and operational implementation.

The pact enables Andorran officers to share intelligence, operational details, and suspect data securely around the clock with Europol and its partners. This includes more than 300 liaison officers from over 50 countries and organizations based at Europol, facilitating direct bilateral exchanges without the agency as an intermediary.

SIENA links over 3,800 authorities across EU states and third countries, supporting rapid cross-border cooperation. Europol coordinates joint operations and analyzes networks in areas such as organized crime, cyberattacks, online fraud, drug and arms trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, money laundering, and terrorism.

The new deal builds on a 2021 working arrangement, itself originating from bilateral talks at Interpol's 2018 General Assembly in Dubai, by shifting focus to enhanced operational collaboration against organized crime.