Countering common threats

Summary:

Judith Crosbie examines EU efforts to improve co-operation in the face of common security risks.

Criminals, terrorists, diseases or forest fires do not respect national boundaries and EU integration has in many ways made it easier for security threats to spread across borders because of the internal market and the border-free travel zone.

While member states’ police and security forces take the leading role in law enforcement, when it comes to countering these threats the European Commission is increasingly getting involved in trying to minimise the risks.