Experts give evidence on UK-EU agreement post-Brexit law enforcement cooperation
On Tuesday 12 January, the Security and Justice Sub-Committee holds two public evidence sessions as part of their new inquiry on post-Brexit UK-EU security cooperation. The first evidence session is with Sir Julian King, former UK Commissioner to the EU. The second evidence session is with Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas, Professor of European Criminal Law and Director of the Criminal Justice Centre at Queen Mary University of London and Dr Nóra Ní Loideáin Lecturer in Criminal Law and Director of the Information Law and Policy Centre at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Meeting details
On 17 December 2020, the Committee launched an inquiry into the outcome of the UK-EU future relationship negotiations, in respect of its remit. A week later, those negotiations reached agreement on future law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation between the UK and EU, as part of an overall Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Tuesday’s evidence sessions focus on whether the agreement provides for a continuation of the close collaboration between the EU and the UK on security and policing matters when it was a Member State.
Topics likely to be covered across both sessions include:
- Will the agreement on future UK-EU cooperation on law enforcement and criminal justice make UK citizens more or less safe?
- Will the agreement sufficiently protect individuals’ rights?
- How effective are the agreement’s provisions likely to be in relation to extradition?
- How will the agreement affect the UK’s previously close involvement with EU agencies such as Europol and Eurojust?
- What will be the effect on UK law enforcement agencies of the loss of access to EU real-time policing and criminal justice databases?
- How could a decision by the European Commission not to award the UK data adequacy affect the agreement?