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EU: New 'Security Union Strategy' - all the documents

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28 July 2020

The European Commission has published a new 'Security Union Strategy' for the 2021-25 period, replacing the previous 'European Agenda on Security' (2015-20) and further extending the scope of EU action on security issues.

The Commission says the new strategy "lays out the tools and measures to be developed over the next 5 years to ensure security in our physical and digital environment," under four headings:

• A future-proof security environment
• Tackling evolving threats
• Protecting Europeans from terrorism and organised crime
• A strong European security ecosystem

This condenses the five priorities of the previous 'Agenda on Security' (better information exchange, increased operational cooperation, tackling terrorism and preventing radicalisation, disrupting organised crime, fighting cybercrime), but it is clear that there is the intention for a broader scope of action than previously. The practical results remain to be seen.

The Commission promises:

• "new EU rules on the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure"
• "stepped up public-private cooperation" for "stronger physical protection of public places and adequate detection systems"
• "a Joint Cyber Unit as a platform for structured and coordinated cooperation"
• to "explore measures against identity theft"
• to "look into measures to enhance law enforcement capacity in digital investigations"
• "an EU approach on countering hybrid threats"
• a new "Agenda for tackling organised crime"
• "a new EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling"
• to expand Europol's powers (see here)
• to "look into the creation of a European Innovation hub for internal security".

Documentation

• Communication on the EU Security Union Strategy (COM(2020) 605 final, pdf)
• Delivering on a Security Union: Questions and Answers (pdf)
• Commission press release: EU Security Union Strategy: connecting the dots in a new security ecosystem (pdf)

Three initiatives were launched in the framework of the Security Union Strategy on the same day it was announced, continuing longstanding EU activities.

Commission press release: Delivering on a Security Union: initiatives to fight child sexual abuse, drugs and illegal firearms (pdf)

Child sexual abuse

• EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse (COM(2020) 607 final, pdf)

Drugs

• EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs 2021-25 (COM(2020) 606 final, pdf)
• Evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017-2020 (SWD(2020) 151 final, pdf) and Executive Summary (SWD(2020) 150 final, pdf)

Firearms trafficking

• 2020-2025 EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking (COM(2020) 608 final, pdf)