View text source at Wikipedia

ATLAS Network

This article is about the police association. For the US-based foundation that supports think tanks, see Atlas Network. For other networks, see Atlas (disambiguation).
ATLAS
Formation2001[1]
Legal statusTransnational Organization
PurposePolice tactical unit co-operation
HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
Region served
Europe
Main organ
Various Committees
Parent organization
European Union

The ATLAS network is an association of law enforcement special intervention units from the 27 Member States of the European Union and associated countries. It was established following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, on the initiative of the European Police Chiefs Task Force (EPCTF).[1][2] Together, these top-tier units maintain a constant state of readiness, poised to respond to any security crisis in Europe at any time.[3]

History

[edit]

ATLAS was initially informally established for information exchange and training activities co-operation between units. It was later formalised by a decision of the Council of the European Union in 2008, which also expanded ATLAS's functions to include the provision of assistance upon request to another Member State.[1][2][4]

In 2018, an ATLAS Support Office was established within Europol's European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) in The Hague, Netherlands, thereby strengthening the role of the ATLAS Network within European law enforcement organisations.[5]

Terms

[edit]

ATLAS uses the terms 'special intervention unit' and 'crisis situation' defined as follows:

Organization

[edit]

ATLAS recognises that a Member State may not have the means, resources, or expertise to handle all crisis situations, particularly large crises. It provides a framework for a Member State to request assistance from another Member State.[1]

Members

[edit]

ATLAS consists of 38 special intervention units, including units from non-EU Member States such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.[6][7] The non-EU Member States can participate and use of all facilities, but they do not have voting rights.[8]

Country Unit Part of Notes
 Austria EKO Cobra[6][7]
Einsatzkommando Cobra
Task Force Cobra		 Federal Ministry of the Interior
 Belgium DSU[6][7]
Direction des unités spéciales
Directorate of Special Units		 Federal Police
 Bulgaria SOBT[6][7]
Специализиран отряд за борба с тероризма
Special Counter Terrorism Unit		 Ministry of Interior
 Croatia ATJ Lučko[6][7]
Antiteroristička jedinica Lučko
Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit		 Croatian Police
 Cyprus EAO[6][7]
Mechanokiniti Monada Amesis Drasis
Emergency Response Unit		 Cyprus Police
 Czech Republic URNA[6][7]
Útvar rychlého nasazení
Rapid Response Unit		 Police of the Czech Republic
 Denmark AKS[6][7]
Politiets Aktionsstyrke
Special Intervention Unit		 Danish National Police
 Estonia K-Komando[6][7]
Counter Terrorism Unit		 Police and Border Guard Board
 Finland Karhu[6][7]
Helsingin poliisilaitos Valmiusyksikkö
Police Special Intervention Unit		 Helsinki Police Department
 France GIGN[6][7]
Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale
National Gendarmerie Intervention Group		 National Gendarmerie
 France RAID[6][7]
Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion
Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence		 National Police
 Germany GSG 9[6][7]
GSG 9 der Bundespolizei
GSG 9 of the Federal Police		 Federal Police Formerly known as Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG 9; Border Protection Group 9) of the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS; Federal Border Protection) from 1972 until 2005
 Germany SEK[6][7]
Spezialeinsatzkommando
Special Task Force		 State Police SEK Baden-Württemberg representing the SEKs of the various State Police forces
 Greece EKAM[6][7]
Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada
Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit		 Hellenic Police
 Hungary TEK[6][7]
Terrorelhárítási Központ
Counter Terrorism Centre		 Ministry of Interior
 Iceland Viking[6][7]
Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjóra
Special Unit of the National Police Commissioner		 Icelandic Police Non-EU participant
 Ireland ERU[6][7]
Aonad Práinnfhreagartha
Emergency Response Unit		 Garda Síochána
 Italy GIS[6][7]
Gruppo di Intervento Speciale
Special Intervention Group		 Carabinieri
 Italy NOCS[6][7]
Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza
Central Security Task Group		 National Police
 Latvia OMEGA[6][7]
Pretterorisma vienība Omega
Counterterrorism Unit OMEGA		 State Police
 Lithuania ARAS[6][7]
Antiteroristinių Operacijų Rinktinė ARAS
Anti-terrorist Operations Unit ARAS		 Lithuanian Police Force
 Luxembourg USP[6][7]
Unité Spéciale de la Police
Police Special Unit		 Grand Ducal Police
 Malta SIU[6][7]
Special Intervention Unit		 Malta Police Force
 Netherlands DSI[7]
Dienst Speciale Interventies
Special Intervention Service		 National Police Corps
 Norway Delta[6][7]
Politiet Beredskapstroppen
Emergency Unit DELTA		 Norwegian Police Service Non-EU participant
 Poland BOA[6][7]
Centralny Pododdział Kontrterrorystyczny Policji
Central Counter-terrorism Police Subunit		 Polish Police
 Portugal GIOE[6][7]
Grupo de Intervenção de Operações Especiais
Special Operations Intervention Group		 National Republican Guard
 Portugal GOE[6][7]
Grupo de Operações Especiais
Special Operations Group		 Public Security Police
 Romania BSIJ[6][7]
Brigada Specială de Intervenție a Jandarmeriei
Gendarmerie Special Intervention Brigade		 Romanian Gendarmerie
 Romania SIAS[6][7]
Serviciul de Intervenții și Acțiuni Speciale
Special Actions and Intervention Service		 Romanian Police
 Slovakia Lynx Commando[6][7]
Útvar osobitného určenia
Special Operations Unit - Lynx Commando		 Ministry of the Interior
 Slovenia Red Panther[6][7]
Specialna Enota Policije
Special Police Unit		 Slovenian National Police Force
 Spain UEI[6][7]
Unidad Especial de Intervención
Special Intervention Unit		 Civil Guard
 Spain GEO[6][7]
Grupo Especial de Operaciones
Special Operations Group		 National Police Corps
 Sweden NI[6][7]
Nationella insatsstyrkan
National Task Force		 Swedish Police Authority
  Switzerland SWISS SIU[6][7]
Swiss Special Intervention Units		 Cantonal police Non-EU participant
 United Kingdom SCO19[6][7]
Specialist Firearms Command 19		 Metropolitan Police Non-EU participant
 United Kingdom HMSU[6][7][9]
Headquarters Mobile Support Unit		 Police Service of Northern Ireland Non-EU participant

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f On the improvement of cooperation between the special intervention units of the Member States of the European Union in crisis situations (Council Decision 2008/617/JHA). 23 June 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Seminar of the ATLAS network of European special intervention units". Presidency of the Council of the European Union. October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011.
  3. ^ "ATLAS Network". The Hague: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL). 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  4. ^ Block, Ludo (15 March 2007). "Europe's Emerging Counter-Terrorism Elite: The ATLAS Network". Terrorism Monitor. 5 (5). The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Closer international cooperation to fight hostage-taking, kidnapping and terrorism". Europol.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "ATLAS Network". Europol. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am "Closer international cooperation to fight hostage-taking, kidnapping and terrorism". Europol (Press release). 10 October 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Strengthening the ATLAS Network". Council of the European Union. 1 September 2017. 11828/17. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  9. ^ "ATLAS Network". www.europol.europa.eu. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]