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ATLAS Network

The ATLAS network is an association of the police tactical units of the 27 Member States of the European Union established following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 upon the initiative of the Police Chiefs Task Force.^[1][2]

History[edit]

ATLAS was initially informally established for information exchange and training activities co-operation between units and was later formalised by a Council decision in 2008 that also expanded ATLAS functions to include provision of assistance upon request to another Member State.^[1][2][3]

In 2018, an ATLAS Support Office was established in EUROPOL's European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC), therefore strengthening the role of the ATLAS Network within the European police organisations.^[4]

Terms[edit]

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

• 'Special intervention unit' is any law enforcement unit of a Member State which is specialised in the control of a crisis situation;^[1]
• 'Crisis situation' is any situation in which the competent authorities of a Member State have reasonable grounds to believe that there is a criminal offence presenting a serious direct physical threat to persons, property, infrastructure or institutions in that Member State in particular situations combating terrorism.^[1]

Organization[edit]

ATLAS recognises that a Member State may not have the means, resources or expertise to deal effectively with all crisis situations, in particular large crisis situations, and 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 Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.^[5][6] The non-EU Member States can participate, including the use of all facilities, but have no voting rights.^[7]

Country	Unit	Part of	Notes
Austria	EKO Cobra[5][6] Einsatzkommando Cobra Task Force Cobra	Federal Ministry of the Interior
Belgium	DSU[5][6] Direction des unités spéciales Directorate of Special Units	Federal Police
Bulgaria	SOBT[5][6] Специализиран отряд за борба с тероризма Special Counter Terrorism Unit	Ministry of Interior
Croatia	ATJ Lučko[5][6] Antiteroristička jedinica Lučko Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit	Croatian Police
Cyprus	EAO[5][6] Mechanokiniti Monada Amesis Drasis Emergency Response Unit	Cyprus Police
Czech Republic	URNA[5][6] Útvar rychlého nasazení Rapid Response Unit	Police of the Czech Republic
Denmark	AKS[5][6] Politiets Aktionsstyrke Special Intervention Unit	Danish National Police
Estonia	K-Komando[5][6] Counter Terrorism Unit	Police and Border Guard Board
Finland	Karhu[5][6] Helsingin poliisilaitos Valmiusyksikkö Police Special Intervention Unit	Helsinki Police Department
France	GIGN[5][6] Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale National Gendarmerie Intervention Group	National Gendarmerie
France	RAID[5][6] Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence	National Police
Germany	GSG 9[5][6] Grenzschutzgruppe 9 der Bundespolizei Border Protection Group 9 of the Federal Police	Federal Police
Germany	SEK[5][6] Spezialeinsatzkommando Special Task Force	State Police	SEK Baden-Württemberg representing the SEKs of the various State Police forces
Greece	EKAM[5][6] Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit	Hellenic Police
Hungary	TEK[5][6] Terrorelhárítási Központ Counter Terrorism Centre	Ministry of Interior
Iceland	Viking[5][6] Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjóra Special Unit of the National Police Commissioner	Icelandic Police	Non-EU participant
Ireland	ERU[5][6] Aonad Práinnfhreagartha Emergency Response Unit	Garda Síochána
Italy	GIS[5][6] Gruppo di Intervento Speciale Special Intervention Group	Carabinieri
Italy	NOCS[5][6] Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza Central Security Task Group	National Police
Latvia	OMEGA[5][6] Pretterorisma vienība Omega Counterterrorism Unit OMEGA	State Police
Lithuania	ARAS[5][6] Antiteroristinių Operacijų Rinktinė ARAS Anti-terrorist Operations Unit ARAS	Lithuanian Police Force
Luxembourg	USP[5][6] Unité Spéciale de la Police Police Special Unit	Grand Ducal Police
Malta	SIU[5][6] Special Intervention Unit	Malta Police Force
Netherlands	DSI[6] Dienst Speciale Interventies Special Intervention Service	National Police Corps
Norway	Delta[5][6] Politiet Beredskapstroppen Emergency Unit DELTA	Norwegian Police Service	Non-EU participant
Poland	BOA[5][6] Centralny Pododdział Kontrterrorystyczny Policji Central Counter-terrorism Police Subunit	Polish Police
Portugal	GIOE[5][6] Grupo de Intervenção de Operações Especiais Special Operations Intervention Group	National Republican Guard
Portugal	GOE[5][6] Grupo de Operações Especiais Special Operations Group	Public Security Police
Romania	BSIJ[5][6] Brigada Specială de Intervenție a Jandarmeriei Gendarmerie Special Intervention Brigade	Romanian Gendarmerie
Romania	SIAS[5][6] Serviciul de Intervenții și Acțiuni Speciale Special Actions and Intervention Service	Romanian Police
Slovakia	Lynx Commando[5][6] Útvar osobitného určenia Special Operations Unit - Lynx Commando	Ministry of the Interior
Slovenia	Red Panther[5][6] Specialna Enota Policije Special Police Unit	Slovenian National Police Force
Spain	UEI[5][6] Unidad Especial de Intervención Special Intervention Unit	Civil Guard
Spain	GEO[5][6] Grupo Especial de Operaciones Special Operations Group	National Police Corps
Sweden	NI[5][6] Nationella insatsstyrkan National Task Force	Swedish Police Authority
Switzerland	SWISS SIU[5][6] Swiss Special Intervention Units	Cantonal police	Non-EU participant
United Kingdom	SCO19[5][6] Specialist Firearms Command 19	Metropolitan Police	Non-EU participant
United Kingdom	HMSU[5][6][8] Headquarters Mobile Support Unit	Police Service of Northern Ireland	Non-EU participant

See also[edit]

• List of police tactical units
• Europol
• Club de Berne, the equivalent for intelligence services

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

• Foreign Affairs magazine: Together to Protect: Europol’s ATLAS Network and the Future of European Security
• Austrian Ministry of the Interior: ATLAS-Verbund: Vernetzung gegen Terror