EU justice and internal affairs agencies

Security and the fight against crime has always been a topical issue in European affairs, and mechanisms to develop cooperation between national authorities in this field date back to the late 1970s. Introduced on a purely intergovernmental basis in 1993 as part of the Third Pillar, police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (PJCCM) has become one of the fastest growing domains of EU action. Security should be a key priority in a wide range of funding instruments, research and innovation programmes as well as training initiatives. Existing priorities should be adjusted as required. The European Agenda on Security sets out the actions necessary to give a high level of internal security in the EU. It must be a shared agenda. Its successful implementation depends on the political commitment of all concerned participants to do more and to work better together. This includes EU institutions, Member States and EU agencies. It requires a global perspective with security as one of our main external priorities. The EU must be able to react to unexpected events, to discover the new opportunities and anticipate and adapt to future trends and security risks.