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Brexit call

by Mark Rowe

The UK’s future policing and security capabilities could be seriously undermined, claims a committee of MPs. A report by the Home Affairs Committee warns of serious legal, constitutional and political obstacles in the way of achieving continued close policing and security cooperation after Brexit.

Chair of the committee, the senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper, said: “Given the scale of cross border crime, trafficking and terror threats, we need security and policing cooperation more than ever. But there is a serious risk we will lose some of the vital data and extradition arrangements if there isn’t urgent work by both the UK and EU to deal with the trickiest issues. We agree with the Government that the European Arrest Warrant, Europol capabilities and database access should be replicated in full, and that is in Europe’s interests too.

“But just because we all want something, it doesn’t mean it will happen, unless enough work is put in in time to overcome the genuine legal, constitutional and political obstacles we have uncovered. We are extremely concerned that neither the Government nor the Commission is focusing enough attention on this area of Brexit, to sort these problems out in time.

“Yet the consequences of running out of transition time before the Security Treaty is in place are immensely serious – both for the UK and Europe. Losing or weakening extradition arrangements could mean being unable to extradite rapists like Zdenko Turtak, who fled back to Slovakia but, using the European Arrest Warrant, was returned to face a long prison sentence. Losing or weakening data access could prevent the police from getting the vital information they need to catch dangerous criminals or keep victims safe.

“The Prime Minister appears to have eased the ECJ red line when it comes to security cooperation – that is welcome and essential, if we are to be able to replicate current cooperation after Brexit. But other tricky problems remain unresolved, and we need much more detail and flexibility from both the Government and the Commission.
Much more urgency needs to be given to this whole area. Otherwise, we risk sleepwalking into a crisis. That is why the Committee is ringing the alarm bell before it is too late. Policing cooperation, extradition arrangements and data sharing are too important to lose or diminish. The costs of failure are unthinkable.”

The MPs say the UK should seek to maintain its security capabilities in full after Brexit – including membership of the EU policing agency Europol, replicating the provisions of the European Arrest Warrant, and retaining full access to EU databases such as the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II).

Comment

At the UK defence and security trade body ADS, Chief Executive Paul Everitt said: “The UK and the EU share deep common interests in defence and security, making this area another important aspect of Brexit negotiations where no deal is not an option. The Prime Minister made a welcome commitment at the Munich Security Conference to seek continued UK membership of strategic defence programmes and collaborative research projects.

“It is also vital that the UK security sector is able to continue accessing EU markets and protect supply chains without facing burdensome new customs and border controls. Continued close collaboration with our European partners, including on EU R&D projects designed to strengthen security capabilities across Europe, will help to protect both national security and prosperity, and must be a priority for a comprehensive deal over the UK’s future relationship with the EU.”

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