Europe Without Borders

by Leah Doyle Buckley

Terrorism

The European Union aims to be an area of freedom, security and justice, without internal frontiers. Europeans need to feel confident that, wherever they move within the EU, their freedom and their security are well protected, in full compliance with the Union's values, including the rule of law and fundamental rights. One of main threats to those aims is terrorism, a menace that does not recognise borders and may affect states and peoples irrespective of their geographical location. Individuals and groups who believe that they can advance their political aims by using terror challenge the democratic values of our societies and put in jeopardy the rights and freedoms of our citizens, especially by indiscriminately targeting people. Acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, and must be treated as such under all circumstances.

This strategy committed the Union to combating terrorism globally, while respecting human rights and allowing its citizens to live in an area of freedom, security and justice. It contains four strands:

• Prevent people from turning to terrorism and stop future generations of terrorists from emerging

• Protect citizens and critical infrastructure by reducing vulnerabilities against attacks

• Pursue and investigate terrorists, impede planning, travel and communications, cut off access to funding and materials and bring terrorists to justice

• Respond in a coordinated way by preparing for the management and minimisation of the consequences of a terrorist attack, improving capacities to deal with the aftermath and taking into account the needs of victims.

Crime

Crime prevention by nature requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Hence, numerous national policies contribute to crime prevention: criminal law, social policy, education, town planning, taxation, local authorities etc. With regard to general crime, most effective preventive action should take place as close as possible to the grassroots level. This is reflected by the emergence of multiple local initiatives, "community policing" practices, which involve the police forces, local authorities, businesses, associations and citizens.So far, EU States have had primary responsibility for crime prevention matters. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty (Art. 84 TFEU), the EU now has the possibility to establish measures to promote and support EU States' actions in this field. The EU focuses on facilitating exchanges of experience and best practices to mitigate factors which encourage crime and recidivism or which put a person in a vulnerable situation and to prevent corruption as well as criminal infiltration of the economy and society. In addition, the EU has started to introduce, on a systematic basis, solid preventive provisions in its flagship initiatives, ranging from anti-drugs policy to cybercrime, trafficking in human beings and child pornography.

European citizenship

The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union gives EU citizens the right to:

• non-discrimination on the basis of nationality

• move and reside freely within the EU

• vote for and stand as a candidate in European Parliament and municipal elections

• petition the European Parliament and complain to the European ombudsman

• consular protection (help from the embassy or consulate of any other EU country to EU citizens in distress in a country outside the EU where they have no embassy or consulate of their own country)

• contact and receive a response from any EU institution in one of the EU's official languages

• access European Parliament, European Commission and Council documents under certain conditions

All EU citizens have equal access to the EU Civil Service.

Energy