The evolution of information-sharing in EU counter-terrorism post-2015: a paradigm shift?

ABSTRACT

Despite the instruments in place to facilitate policy and operational cooperation, until 2015 gaps in EU CT governance and operational inefficiency decreased the capacity for prevention and response. The paper will analyse the aftermath of the critical juncture brought by the attacks in Paris and Brussels (2015-2016) and its consequences for the development of EU CT information-sharing, thus enquiring the effects of securitisation on this domain. Having consulted multiple EU CT practitioners, the paper will demonstrate the increased efficiency of cross-border and inter-agency coordination in CT intelligence and police work since 2015, due to improved institutional design and legislative framework, which were able to contribute increased added value to national CT efforts. It will investigate in turn the immediate aftermath of the Paris and Brussels attacks on the institutionalisation of EU CT information exchange, and the long-term impact on practices in EU CT operational work.

KEYWORDS:

• EU
• counter-terrorism (CT)
• information-sharing
• policing and intelligence cooperation
• convergence
• securitization
• operational CT work

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Human intelligence, e.g. spies or undercover agents.

2 Modelled after the UK's IRU.

3 The ECTC was discussed at the 12 March 2015 JHA Council and the process was put in motion thereafter (Council of the EU, 2015b; General Secretariat of the Council, 2015a).

4 Interview n.6, 13, 14, 2, 9, 18.

5 Interview n.11, 1, 24, 2, 39, 2, 9, 24, 25.

6 The proposal, which was ultimately adopted was proposed on 2 February 2011, however there had been previous legislative proposals in 2008 that were rejected (Council of the EU, 2012).

7 These statistics are obtained through eu-LISA annual statistical data on the usage of SIS-II. As eu-LISA has a limited mandate on the use of statistics, where it is only allowed to publish annual estimates without any analytical purpose, the author has calculated these increases through the figures on annual uses of SIS published by eu-LISA (eu-LISA, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

8 A new database of European Criminal Records Information System aimed at third-country nationals.

9 Interview n.12, 13, 21, 2, 3.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Christine Andreeva

Christine Andreeva recently successfully defended her PhD at Dublin City University (DCU) on “EU Counter-terrorism's Gradual Institutionalisation: Information-sharing and Cooperation in Law Enforcement and Intelligence Post-2015”. She has published articles with ERA Forum and the Bulgarian Association for European law on the topic of EU harmonisation and institutionalisation measures in counter-terrorism after 2015. Her research has aimed to demonstrate the qualitative shift in EU counter-terrorism post-2015, as compared to previous critical junctures, such as the one after the Madrid and London attacks in 2004-2005. She has presented her research at academic conferences focused on EU integration and security topics. Christine previously studied European integration with focus on EU security policies in her Master studies at the Institute of European Studies in Brussels, and worked in the European Parliament as a policy advisor to an MEP.