Lords to question NCA on UK-EU Security Treaty

Tuesday, 1 May 2018 13:20

The House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee will continue to take evidence for its inquiry Brexit: the proposed UK-EU security treaty on Wednesday 2 May. The Committee will ask law enforcement representatives about the risks of losing access to EU databases and data-sharing platforms, and about the impact that the potential loss of these tools could have on public safety. The Committee will also consider whether there will be any opportunities...Request free trial

The House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee will continue to take evidence for its inquiry Brexit: the proposed UK-EU security treaty on Wednesday 2 May.

The Committee will ask law enforcement representatives about the risks of losing access to EU databases and data-sharing platforms, and about the impact that the potential loss of these tools could have on public safety. The Committee will also consider whether there will be any opportunities following Brexit to improve upon the security relationship between the UK and the EU.

Appearing at 10.30am will be:

Mr Richard Martin, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the International Criminality Portfolio
Mr Steve Smart, Director of Intelligence, National Crime Agency

Questions are likely to include:

To what extent do UK law enforcement agencies make use of Europol?
What is your assessment of the likelihood that the UK will have some form of association with Europol after Brexit?
What contingency planning are you doing for the transition period? Are you planning for the possibility that no deal on security cooperation is reached by the time that the transition period ends?
What should be the scope of the proposed UK-EU security treaty? Are there any issues that might not be best covered by this type of agreement?

The evidence session will begin at 10:30am in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.

The Committee have also issued a call for evidence for this inquiry, and encourage all those who can inform the inquiry about the practical and legal challenges for negotiating a security treaty with the EU, and what such a treaty might cover, to submit written evidence.

Evidence can be submitted online using the written submission form found here. The deadline is 25 May 2018.

Notes to Editors

The inquiry will examine the practical and legal challenges for negotiating a security treaty with the EU, and what such a treaty might cover. The inquiry is looking at internal police and security cooperation rather than external defence and foreign policy cooperation.