Still the absent friend? The European Union’s global counter-terrorism role after twenty years

ABSTRACT

Over a decade ago, it was claimed that the EU was an “absent friend” in foreign policy counter-terrorism. Much has changed since then, however. Al Qaeda and Islamic State are shadows of what they were. The contribution of this article is to re-evaluate and offer a theoretically-informed account of the development of the EU’s global counter-terrorism role, drawing on collective securitisation. We advance two arguments here. Firstly, EU global counter-terrorism activity has occurred, grown, and become routinised due to terrorist threats and attacks, institutional developments, and interactions with interlocutors. Secondly, the characterisation of the EU as an “absent friend” is unsustainable in 2021. While the EU remains secondary to its member states in many ways, it has developed tools of its own that have enhanced its capabilities in external counter-terrorism.

KEYWORDS:

• EU counterterrorism
• securitisation
• collective securitisation
• external dimension of EU counterterrorism
• Justice and Home Affairs

Disclosure statement

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

Statement

This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Notes

1 The EU-US PNR agreements have been the source of much concern in the EU. See, among others, Argomaniz (2009a, 2009b) for more on the history of these agreements.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by European Commission [grant number: Jean Monnet (Centre, Network, Chair)].

Notes on contributors

Alex MacKenzie

Alex MacKenzie is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on European security and terrorism studies. Prior to this appointment, Alex was a PhD researcher at the University of Salford. He has widely published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

Christian Kaunert

Christian Kaunert is a Professor of International Security at Dublin City University. He is also Professor of Policing and Security, as well as Director of the International Centre for Policing and Security at the University of South Wales. Previously, he served as an Academic Director and Professor at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Professor of International Politics, Head of Discipline in Politics, and the Director of the European Institute for Security and Justice, a Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence, at the University of Dundee. He was previously Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at the European University Institute Florence, and Senior Lecturer in EU Politics & International Relations, University of Salford. He is currently the Editor of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, International Conflict and Cooperation and the Edward Elgar Book Series “European Security and Justice Critiques”. Prof. Kaunert holds a PhD in International Politics & an MSc in European Politics from the University of Wales Aberystwyth, a BA (Hons) European Business from Dublin City University, ESB Reutlingen and a BA (Hons) Open University.