The evolution of information-sharing in EU counter-terrorism post-2015: a paradigm shift?

Abstract

Despite the instruments in place to facilitate policy and operational cooperation, until 2015 gaps in EU CT governance and operational inefficiency decreased the capacity for prevention and response. The paper will analyse the aftermath of the critical juncture brought by the attacks in Paris and Brussels (2015-2016) and its consequences for the development of EU CT information-sharing, thus enquiring the effects of securitisation on this domain. Having consulted multiple EU CT practitioners, the paper will demonstrate the increased efficiency of cross-border and inter-agency coordination in CT intelligence and police work since 2015, due to improved institutional design and legislative framework, which were able to contribute increased added value to national CT efforts. It will investigate in turn the immediate aftermath of the Paris and Brussels attacks on the institutionalisation of EU CT information exchange, and the long-term impact on practices in EU CT operational work.