The EU and the U.S. join efforts for the sake of security

The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union held the EU-US Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs on June 19th, 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. Both sides were able to address their long-standing collaboration in the areas of justice and home affairs during this discussion. Furthermore, the EU and the US have reiterated their collaboration in combating common security concerns.

THE EU PRIORITIZES SECURITY

Several problems were discussed by both parties at the discussion. The United States and the European Union exchanged information on recent developments in migration and border management strategies.

The EU released information on the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s (EBCGA) strengthened mission and the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System, ETIAS. These tools will help to improve the EU’s border control and overall security.

The European Union has been working tirelessly to establish better security programmes and a more robust defence for the region. In June 2016, the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy presented a strong relationship between external and EU-internal security in the context of an uncertain geopolitical environment. Security concerns all EU member states.

The construction of the ETIAS system is one of several steps performed by the EU. The European agency eu-Lisa, which administers large-scale IT security systems, will manage this automated system (VIS, SIS, Eurodac).

The ETIAS visa waiver will be available to citizens of over 50 countries, including the United States, by November 2023. According to the ETIAS visa criteria for American citizens, each applicant must present a valid passport and an email address. The application process, on the other hand, will be swift and simple. ETIAS’s mission is to detect passengers who may constitute a threat to the region. The EU is interested in knowing who is crossing its borders.

Given the importance of ETIAS implementation, the European Union and the United States have agreed to continue working toward reciprocal visa-free travel within their respective legislative frameworks.

EU AND U.S. JOINT EFFORTS IN FIGHTING TERRORISM AND INFORMATION SHARING

The fight against terrorism is a high priority for The fight against terrorism is a high priority for both the EU and the US. According to a European Commission news statement, they are “committed to enhancing their combined efforts, particularly by broadening the exchange of information obtained in conflict zones.” The transaction would be utilised to conduct investigations and prosecutions. Participants at the meeting praised the progress that has already been made in this area.

Other critical areas of information sharing between the EU and the US exist. Several participants emphasised the significance of the EU-US Passenger Name Record Agreement. They have agreed to jointly evaluate the implementation of such action. Among the other subjects considered were risks to aviation security, combating the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, and biological, radiological, chemical, and nuclear threats.

EU AND U.S. SHARED CONCERNS

During the conference, the EU and the US discussed the importance of cyberspace security. All participants at the summit agreed to collaborate to maintain a safe, open, and secure cyberspace. Furthermore, there was discussion about how to best deal with cyber threats.

There is widespread anxiety over the deployment of 5G network infrastructure, and this issue should be prioritised. According to the participants, it could “raise security threats and impair law enforcement agencies’ ability to take effective anti-crime action.”

Both the EU and the US revised the issues that democratic electoral systems face. The exchange of best practises would help to overcome these obstacles.

WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE EU-U.S. MINISTERIAL MEETING ON JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS?

The United States was represented at the meeting by US Attorney General William Barr and Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekoske.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs, and Citizenship; Vra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers, and Gender Equality; and Julian King, Commissioner for the Security Union, represented the EU. Ana Birchall, Romania’s Vice Prime Minister and Ad interim, and Daniela Dan, Minister of Interior, joined them. Maria Ohisalo, Finnish Minister of the Interior, and Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice, spoke on behalf of the current and incoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The discussion was attended by the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle, Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri, and Eurojust Vice-President Klaus Meyer-Cabri.