Securing Europe demands stronger EU cooperation

The EPP Group calls for the EU to be a strong and reliable global partner in enhancing security and fighting domestic and international crime, terrorism, and hybrid threats. The new European Internal Security Strategy, to be presented to the European Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, must respond to the evolving security environment and emerging threats.

“We need to focus on domestic threats, but also on their external dimension, as many internal threats originate beyond our borders,” says Tomas Tobé, EPP Group Vice-Chair for Legal and Home Affairs.

The EPP Group expects the Strategy to include specific measures to strengthen the security capabilities of the Member States and the EU, in particular by enhancing cross-border cooperation, improving information gathering and sharing, and conducting joint operations.

The EPP Group also expects the mandates of the relevant EU agencies — namely Frontex, Eurojust and Europol — to be strengthened. At the same time, the EU must ensure that police and other agencies are up to date with technological developments in order to tackle emerging hybrid and technological threats.

”We need strong instruments for police and law enforcement agencies to anticipate and counter security risks and hybrid threats, particularly those of a cross-border nature and those targeting our critical infrastructure. We also expect this Strategy to improve our capacity to fight against serious and organised crime and terrorism,” stresses Lena Düpont MEP, the EPP Group Spokeswoman on Home Affairs.