A new fund that will support Member States’ efforts to boost security within and between their countries has been endorsed during a vote at this week’s plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
As currently proposed, the Internal Security Fund will have a budget of just under €5 billion to support objectives such as increasing the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities, tackling radicalisation and strengthening crime prevention.
Speaking after the vote Kristina Winberg, who followed the proposals for the ECR Group, said:
“We are all unfortunately aware of the struggles Member States are facing in the fight against terror. It’s a cross border issue and we need to do what we can to support Member States’ to help them cooperate more effectively, exchange information and share best practices on tackling terror groups that pose a threat to Europe.”
The new legislation will also support improving emergency response as well as strengthening the focus on the external dimension of the EU’s security challenges.
Winberg continued, “A number of the challenges we are facing are a direct consequence of the failure to secure the EU’s the external borders. While this new fund won’t solve all our problems, it is another small step that provides targeted and flexible support to help member states improve the security of their citizens.”
The report will now enter institutional negotiations with the Council of Ministers in order to find an agreement on the final legislation.
