European Counter-Terrorism Center to Commence Work on January 4

Europe's counter-terrorism center within Europol is scheduled to start work on January 4, 2016, a spokesperson for the European Police Office said Thursday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — In late November, a Council of the European Union source said the European counter-terrorism center would be launched on January 1, 2016.

"The center is due to start operating on January 4 after the end of holidays," the spokesperson told RIA Novosti, without specifying the number of personnel of the new center.

The European Union announced in late April that the center would be set up to address criminal intelligence and organized crime.

The source at the EU Council said the center would function under the auspices of Europol, the EU law enforcement agency, with experts on counter-terrorism from EU member states working there.

Center experts will offer member-state security services assistance in investigating terror attacks and in coordinating cross-border special operations against terror suspects.