Exploring the Europeanisation of EU Surveillance Policies

Abstract

The area of Justice and Home Affairs has been characterised by its slow process of integration, especially when it comes to matters associated with the security its member states. We have still very distinct cultures and practices at the national level, which makes it difficult to find a common definition of problems and solutions at the EU level. This is particularly problematic when events such as the recent attacks in Paris, Copenhagen or Brussels ask for rapid and coordinated responses. We have seen, thus, that many EU policies have concentrated on surveillance tools to manage these crises. This panel aims to investigate how surveillance policies have evolved in the EU, what is the role of member states and national actors in defining EU security policies and to what extent there has been a process of Europeanisation and convergence among member states. Therefore, the papers focus on both EU policy-making dynamics and the emergent tensions between EU laws and national practices from an inter-disciplinary perspective.