Are we safer as part of the EU?

Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European legislation has created an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice geared to provide both freedom and the resultant necessary protections.

EU justice measures include management of external borders, the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and criminal matters, immigration and asylum, police cooperation and the fight against organised crime, cybercrime and trafficking. These issues all have a unique cross border nature and therefore a joined up approach is necessary to combat them.

The European Police Office, Europol, liaise regularly with Police Scotland and other law enforcement agencies across the EU, supporting and strengthening national work. A key example of this is the European Arrest Warrant which simplifies the procedure in bringing to justice, criminals who are moving between Member States.  

In civil matters, judicial cooperation builds a bridge between the different legal systems of the EU. Harmonising measures mean that judgements of one Member State are often automatically recognised in another. Such legal certainty helps Scots and other EU citizens move and do business around Europe.