The Commission announced Tuesday (28 April) a European Agenda on Security for the period 2015-2020 defining how the EU executive can bring added value to support the member states in ensuring security.
The 20-page document, presented in Strasbourg by Commission First-Vice President Frans Timmermans and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, replaces the previous strategy adopted in 2010 (the Internal Security Strategy 2010-2014).
It also fulfills a commitment made in the Political Guidelines of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who wrote in his political guidelines as candidate for President of the Commission, back in July 2014, that he believes in the need to work for a stronger Europe when it comes to security and defence mattes.
The document is also submitted against the background of the recent terrorist attacks on European soil. It recognises that the responsibility for ensuring internal security is first and foremost with the member states, but stresses that cross-border challenges defy the capacity of individual countries to act alone and require EU support to build trust and facilitate cooperation, exchange of information and joint action.
Timmermans said that the challenges of terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime call on Europeans to work better and more closely together.
“Through this shared EU agenda, we want to get national authorities to cooperate more effectively, in a spirit of mutual trust. Terrorists attack the democratic values we cherish. We will stand firm on fundamental rights and work to address the root causes of radicalisation, fostering a genuine culture of tolerance in our societies,” he stated.
Avramopoulos said that the Commission’s Agenda on Security concentrates in the areas where the European Union is able to make a real difference.
“This Agenda is not just a response to the recent tragic events. It is the renewal of our common Security Strategy in a new political and legal environment where we all agree that we need to trust each other, to effectively coordinate and exchange information to address evolving threats. The Agenda sets out concrete actions to turn these key principles into a practical reality: a set of strong measures which range from preventive action to protection, detection and enforcement,” he said.
Three priorities
The Commission has defined three areas where EU institutions and agencies and member states and national authorities could better cooperate. Those are: 1) preventing terrorism and countering radicalisation; 2) fighting organised crime; 3) fighting cybercrime.
The “key actions” envisaged are as follows:
- Countering radicalisation: the Commission will set up a Centre of Excellence to collect and disseminate expertise on anti-radicalisation, building upon the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN), an EU-wide umbrella network launched in 2011. This will strengthen the exchange of experience among practitioners directly engaged in preventing radicalisation and violent extremism at local level.
- Updating the Framework Decision on Terrorism: to provide a more coherent legal framework to deal with the foreign fighter phenomenon. This will allow for intensified cooperation with third countries on this issue.
- Cutting the financing of criminals: cooperation between competent authorities in Europe (in particular national Financial Intelligence Units, which will be connected to EUROPOL) will be strengthened; the Commission will assess the necessity of new legislation to counter terrorist financing and improve confiscations of property derived from criminal activities.
- Enhancing dialogues with the IT industry: in 2015, the Commission will launch an EU Forum with major IT companies to counter terrorist propaganda on the internet and in social media and to explore ways to address the concerns of law enforcement authorities on new encryption technologies.
- Strengthening the legal framework on firearms to address the illegal trafficking and reactivation of weapons, to establish common standards, share more information and boost cooperation with third countries.
- Reinforcing our tools to fight cybercrime: the priority is to identify ways to overcome obstacles to criminal investigations online, notably on issues of competent jurisdiction and rules on access to Internet-based evidence and information.
- Enhancing the capacities of Europol, including through the creation of a European Counter Terrorist Centre which will help the EU Agency to step up support for national law enforcement authorities’ actions to tackle foreign terrorist fighters, terrorist financing, violent extremist content online, and illicit trafficking of firearms.
The Commission stresses that its new collaborative way of working has allowed for a comprehensive approach to security, with the Agenda including measures across the full spectrum of policy sectors from justice and home affairs to financial affairs, transport and the environment.
With Justice and Home Affairs policies now set on an equal footing with other EU policies, one of the Commission’s main priorities will be the implementation of the full range of existing instruments which are available for exchanging information, police and judicial cooperation and training and research. A strong emphasis will also be put on delivering pending proposals, such as the EU Passenger Name Record Directive and the Data protection reform.