Committee discusses post-Brexit law enforcement agreement with Home Office Minister
To conclude its brief inquiry into post-Brexit security cooperation, on Tuesday 16 February the Security and Justice Sub-Committee holds a public evidence session with Kevin Foster MP, Home Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, to discuss the law enforcement agreement within the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Treaty
The evidence session follows on from the public meeting with experts on 12 and 16 January, respectively, which discussed how the new agreement will replace the EU databases and agencies to which the UK made key contributions when a Member State
Meeting details
- Post-Brexit UK-EU Security Cooperation evidence session 12 January 2021
- Post-Brexit UK-EU Security Cooperation evidence session 26 January 2021
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.
In January 2021, the Committee held two evidence sessions with experts, as part of its inquiry. At both those sessions, the Committee heard how the law enforcement agreement provides the framework for vital UK-EU collaboration on policing and criminal justice matters to continue. At the same time, the evidence also highlighted that work remains to be done to operationalise aspects of the agreement. The inquiry also heard how the operational effectiveness of the UK’s law enforcement agencies could be negatively affected by the loss of access to key real time police and criminal justice data.
Possible questions
Topics likely to be covered across both sessions include:
- What obstacles need to be overcome to make the law enforcement agreement fully operational?
- How will the agreement’s safeguards in relation to sharing data be policed?
- Will the new surrender agreement be an effective substitute for the European Arrest Warrant?
- How will exemptions built into the agreement affect the UK’s ability to extradite alleged criminals?
- How will the changes to the sharing of criminal records information in the agreement affect UK policing?
- What will be the effect on UK law enforcement agencies if the European Commission does not award UK data adequacy?