Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
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The focus of this paper is the security cooperation between FIU-NL and Europol, organizations that annually process transaction data on millions of EU-citizens. The author makes the case that...Show moreThe focus of this paper is the security cooperation between FIU-NL and Europol, organizations that annually process transaction data on millions of EU-citizens. The author makes the case that Function Creep, “the expansion of the use of a system or token to include other functions not originally envisioned by their promotors” undermines trust and therefore hinders security cooperations. Through the application of Whelans network theory and the concept of Function Creep in a case study design. The case study is of the implementation of the integration of FIU.net, a decentralized system, into SIENA, Europols centralized database. The author argues that a clear negative impact on trust is found, even when the Function Creep is only ‘intended’ and aims to expand upon the commonly understood conceptualization of Function Creep.Show less
In recent years, migration has been subject to intense securitisation, which can especially be observed when analysing the development of the European borderscape. Extreme measures such as barbed...Show moreIn recent years, migration has been subject to intense securitisation, which can especially be observed when analysing the development of the European borderscape. Extreme measures such as barbed fences, illegal pushbacks and militarised borders have contributed to poor conditions and many casualties on and around the EU’s external borders. Additionally, human trafficking rates have increased significantly over the past decade and is globally prioritized among the most pressing human rights issues. Research in the field of development and border studies has shown that strict borders negatively impact human trafficking dynamics. Moreover, feminist security research observes a forced protection rhetoric fuelled by a masculine hegemony, that has significant negative impact on the living experience of female trafficked sex workers. To test this hypothesis, a critical discourse is conducted on discourse published by the EU, Frontex and Europol in order to analyse how the EU mediates the two incompatible goals of border control and human trafficking. The results showed two distinctive narratives based on xenophobic and exclusionary securitisation politics and the social construct of masculine protection. These results suggest that a new intersectional approach should be adopted in order to ensure safe migration, human rights and female agency.Show less
How can we understand the institutional development of EU cybersecurity cooperation from 2001 to 2018 and what are the consequences of this process? The problem of integration is an old, the domain...Show moreHow can we understand the institutional development of EU cybersecurity cooperation from 2001 to 2018 and what are the consequences of this process? The problem of integration is an old, the domain of cyber is new, controversial and interesting. The issue of cooperation within cyberspace is becoming paramount. This however has influence for the EU-member-state relationship as the classical understanding of sovereignty is eroded by cybersecurity. As cooperation is key to success within cyberspace there must be policy coherence in order to achieve this. The EU has several institutions to achieve this. This thesis will examine in detail the development of one of its cybersecurity institutions; the European Network and Information Security Agency, ENISA. By connecting the theory of institutionalism and using three mechanisms this agency is used as a casestudy to show how and why ENISA has developed from a small and insignificant agency to a big and influential agency within the span of just fourteen years.Show less
The lifting of internal borders across the European Union (EU) has brought new challenges to European security. Terrorists are enormously benefitting from the increasing openness of the Area of...Show moreThe lifting of internal borders across the European Union (EU) has brought new challenges to European security. Terrorists are enormously benefitting from the increasing openness of the Area of Freedom Security and Justice (AFSJ) to perpetuate attacks. An intelligence service across the EU, comparable to the American FBI, would come as logical consequence. To this end, Europol, the European agency tasked with assisting MSs in intelligence cooperation, was established. However, it still lacks vital executive powers such as the ones to monitor suspects, arrest and launch its own investigations. This thesis focuses on how the lack of executive powers hindered Europol’s role as an intelligence actor during the deadly attacks of November 15, 2015 in Paris. The attacks are considered as a good example of transnational threat since they were coordinated by cell located in Belgium and valuable material of analysis because of the poor involvement of the agency. Finally, the dissertation sheds light on whether the events that affected the French capital triggered any important change at Europol’s mandate in counter-terrorism.Show less
The tools and means of the illicit drug trade change over time due to technological innovation. Consequently, the trade in illicit drugs nowadays also occurs on the dark net – that part of the...Show moreThe tools and means of the illicit drug trade change over time due to technological innovation. Consequently, the trade in illicit drugs nowadays also occurs on the dark net – that part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and requires specific privacy enhancing software to gain access. As a result, governments and law enforcement agencies are faced with a new phenomenon. Several scholars and EU reports have called for a new approach. With this thesis, the application of the current European Framework on illicit drugs is applied to three characteristics of the illicit drug trade on the dark net: the lack of borders, its dependency on conventional postal services and the level of anonymity. This study found that the consequences of these characteristics in the field of jurisdiction, controlled deliveries and privacy do not necessarily constitute problems for the application of the current EU Framework on the illicit drug trade on the dark net.Show less
The bombings in New York on 9 September 2001 (9/11) made the European Union (EU) realize that it would be necessary to change European policies to combat this form of terrorism. This asked for a...Show moreThe bombings in New York on 9 September 2001 (9/11) made the European Union (EU) realize that it would be necessary to change European policies to combat this form of terrorism. This asked for a strong cooperation between different elements of the EU, such as the EU self, Member States and the European Police Office (Europol). Although it is Europol’s role to gather information that comes from the Member States concerning terrorists’ acts or behaviour and to act as an umbrella organisation, the cooperation between Europol and the Member States is difficult. Even so, after 9/11 the EU was capable in creating the ‘Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism’ to create the first guidelines to prevent that the EU would also be a victim of this form of terrorism in the future. To understand what the effect was of this Plan, this thesis looks into the question to what extent the EU has been using arguments such as terrorism to incentivize the Member States to take action against terrorism. This thesis will argue that this Plan was not very successful. The member states should make more use of the EU’s and Europol’s capabilities and increase and improve the cooperation between them all and that the EU should enhance the capabilities of Europol. Furthermore, the Member States should not only act when there is a massive attack as on 9/11, because it is better to prevent certain attacks and to minimalize the consequences and victims.Show less
