Security
A Europe that protects
Europol headquarters in the Netherlands
The creation of Europol in 1995 marked an important step in European police cooperation. Such cooperation was extended by the creation of the European Police College by a Council Decision of 2005. Following the Madrid attacks of 2004, the EU also appointed a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator. The Stockholm Programme aims to protect citizens by developing European tools:
■ Internal security strategy
Drawing up, monitoring and implementing the Internal Security Strategy is becoming one of the priority tasks of the Internal Security Committee (COSI) set up by the Treaty of Lisbon. This strategy will also cover the security aspects of integrated border management and operational judicial cooperation on the matter.
Security in the Union requires an integrated approach where security professionals share a common culture, pool information as effectively as possible and have the right technological infrastructure to support them.
Internal security strategy is becoming a priority task.
The fight against terrorism now places the emphasis on preventing radicalisation and on sources of funding, while ensuring that counter-terrorism techniques fully comply with human rights.
Efforts will continue to be made to improve the Union's capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters within its borders and beyond.
■ Upgrading the tools for the job
The Stockholm Programme provides for a European administration responsible for the technical development and management of large-scale information systems in the field of freedom, security and justice. In addition to the European Criminal Records Information System, there are plans to create a register of third-country nationals convicted by Member States' courts.
■ Effective policies
In terms of enforcement, Europol should become a hub for information exchange between the Member States and a platform for law-enforcement services, particularly when joint investigative teams are being set up. Europol will also work more closely with Common Security and Defence Policy police missions.
As regards prevention, a crime observatory is planned, on the basis of the European Crime Prevention Network. The observatory will improve statistical knowledge of crime and will make it possible to exchange best practices.
■ Protection against serious and organised crime
In order to combat human trafficking, new legislation providing greater protection for victims will be drawn up and the post of European coordinator may be created. The Stockholm Programme provides for new legislation on combating sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. The Union will also clarify the rules on jurisdiction and the legal framework applicable to cyberspace within the Union, including how to take evidence in order to promote cross-border investigations.
In order to combat economic crime and corruption, information exchange between financial intelligence units will be developed. Within the framework of the European Information Management System, their analyses could feed a database on suspicious transactions.
Regarding drugs, the strategy of simultaneous reduction of supply and demand will be based on the improvement in cooperation made possible by the Treaty of Lisbon, on mobilising civil society and on deepening research work.
■ Terrorism
The fight against terrorism now places the emphasis on preventing radicalisation and on sources of funding, while ensuring that counter-terrorism techniques fully comply with human rights (see the European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy).
■ Comprehensive and effective Union disaster management
Efforts will continue to be made to improve the Union's capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters within its borders and beyond.
Over the last 10 years, natural and man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks have had an increasing impact on the security and safety of citizens, both within the Union and beyond. The Union has responded to these threats by reinforcing its prevention, response and management activities in the area of civil protection, using all the resources available to it, including military means and close cooperation with humanitarian aid during interventions by third countries. Member States' responsibility to protect their citizens and the principle of solidarity, both of which are firmly anchored in the Treaty of Lisbon, are the foundation stones of all of the Union's crisis management action, and efforts will continue to improve the Union's capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters within its borders and beyond, providing civil protection, humanitarian aid and civil/military cooperation