UK-EU security cooperation after Brexit

The United Kingdom: House of Commons: Home Affairs Committee published a report UK-EU security cooperation after Brexit on the 21 March 2018.

The Committee warned of serious legal, constitutional and political obstacles in the way of achieving continued close policing and security cooperation after Brexit.

Further information

Security Treaty
The report welcomed the Government’s objectives for a Security Treaty to replicate current cooperation on Europol, the European Arrest Warrant and criminal data sharing, but criticised the Government for complacency over the timetable and warns about the complexity of the negotiations.

Flexibility in negotiations
The report called for security and policing negotiations to begin immediately, and called on the UK Government and the European Commission to show flexibility. The Committee argued that the EU should not try to restrict cooperation to existing third country models, and that the UK should not be rigid about artificial red lines, especially on the CJEU. It argued that both parties should be ready to extend the transition period, as it was likely to take longer than two years to resolve new legal arrangements for extradition and data sharing.

The Committee warned that the Government risked sleep-walking into a crisis, by appearing to assume that the shared UK-EU interest in security cooperation would lead to swift and easy agreement of complex legal and constitutional problems.

• Primary Source

UK: Parliament: House of Commons: Committees: News, 21.03.18: Brexit negotiations must focus on security cooperation immediately http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2017/uk-eu-security-cooperation-brexit-report-published-17-19/

United Kingdom: National Audit Office: Policy Paper, October 2017: The UK border. Issues and challenges for government’s management of the border in light of the UK’s planned departure from the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-uk-border-issues-and-challenges-for-governments-management-of-the-border-in-light-of-the-uks-planned-departure-from-the-european-union/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

United Kingdom: Department for Exiting the European Union: Policy Paper, September 2017: Security, law enforcement and criminal justice: a future partnership paper http://www.europeansources.info/record/security-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-a-future-partnership-paper/

The UK in a Changing Europe, 07.07.17: Brexit and the future of UK-EU police and security cooperation (et al) http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-and-the-future-of-uk-eu-police-and-security-cooperation/

BBC News, 21.03.18: Brexit: MPs warn of multiple obstacles to EU security deal http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43476339

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