ProtectEU: a European Internal Security Strategy

Security is the bedrock upon which all our freedoms are built. Democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights, the wellbeing of Europeans, competitiveness and prosperity – all hinge on our ability to provide a basic security guarantee. In the new era of security threats that we now live in, EU Member States’ ability to guarantee security for their citizens is more than ever contingent on a unified, European approach to protecting our internal security. In an evolving geopolitical landscape, Europe must continue to make good on its enduring promise of peace.

The first steps towards building a European security apparatus have already been taken. In the last decade, we have equipped the Union with improved collective mechanisms for action in the areas of law enforcement and judicial cooperation, border security, the fight against serious and organised crime, counter terrorism and violent extremism and the protection of the EU’s physical and digital critical infrastructure. The proper implementation of previously adopted legislation and developed policies remains key.

The nature of today’s threats and the intrinsic link between the EU’s internal and external security require us to go further.

The threat picture is stark. Lines between hybrid threats and open warfare are blurred. Russia has been waging an online and offline hybrid campaign against the EU and its partners, to disrupt and undermine societal cohesion and democratic processes, and to test the EU’s solidarity with Ukraine. Hostile foreign states and state-sponsored actors seek to infiltrate and disrupt our critical infrastructure and supply chains, to steal sensitive data and position themselves for maximum disruption in the future. They use crime as a service and criminals as proxies. Moreover, our dependencies on third countries in terms of supply chains make us more vulnerable to hybrid campaigns by hostile states.

Powerful organised crime networks are proliferating in Europe, nurtured online and spilling into our economy and affecting our society, as highlighted in the EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) recently presented by Europol. Once organised crime has a foothold in a community or economic sector, eradicating it becomes an uphill battle: one third of the most threatening criminal networks are active for over ten years. Cryptocurrencies and parallel financial systems help them launder and hide their criminal proceeds.

The terrorist threat level in Europe continues to loom. Regional crises outside the EU create a ripple effect, providing new motivation for terrorist actors across the entire ideological spectrum to recruit, mobilise or build up their capacities. They target their radicalisation and recruitment efforts specifically towards the most vulnerable sections of our societies and in particular certain young people. They inspire lone actor attacks and a surge in anti-system extremism whose goal is to disrupt the democratic legal order.

The leaps and bounds of technological advancement are providing essential tools for enhancing our security apparatus. But cyberattacks and foreign information manipulation are increasingly prevalent, exploiting new technologies like artificial intelligence. Children, young and elderly people are particularly at risk online and the spread of online hate threatens freedom of expression and social cohesion.

Our lives have become less secure, and this is increasingly felt by Europeans, whose perception of safety and security in the EU has been eroded to the point that, when asked about the future, 64 percent tend to be worried about the EU’s security.  Businesses are also increasingly concerned; misinformation and disinformation, crime and illicit activity and cyber espionage all feature among the top ten risks identified in the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2025.

Europeans should be able to go about their lives free from fear, whether on the streets, at home, in public places, on the metro, or on the internet. The protection of people, especially those most vulnerable to attacks, which tend to disproportionately affect children, women and minorities, including Jewish and Muslim communities, is at the heart of the EU’s work on security. This is essential to build resilient and cohesive societies.

The Commission is setting out a European Internal Security Strategy to better counter threats in the years to come. With a sharper legal toolbox, deeper cooperation and increased information sharing, we will enhance our resilience and collective ability to anticipate, prevent, detect and respond effectively to security threats. A unified approach to internal security can support Member States to harness the power of technology to strengthen, not weaken security, while promoting a secure digital space for all. In addition, it supports a common response by Member States to global political and economic shifts affecting the Union’s internal security.

This strategy is guided by three principles and embeds in its core the respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights.

First, it sets the ambition of a change of culture on security. We need a whole-of-society approach involving all citizens and stakeholders, including civil society, research, academia and private entities. The actions under the strategy therefore take an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach wherever possible.

Second, security considerations need to be integrated and mainstreamed across all EU legislation, policies and programmes, including EU external action. Legislation, policies and programmes will need to be prepared, reviewed and implemented with a security perspective in mind, making sure that the necessary security considerations are addressed so as to promote a coherent and comprehensive approach to security.

Finally, a safe, secure and resilient Europe requires serious investment by the EU, its Member States and the private sector. The priorities and actions set out in this Strategy require sufficient human and financial resources to ensure their implementation. As laid down in the Communication on the road to the next multiannual financial framework, Europe will need to increase public spending for security and promote security research and investment, enhancing its strategic autonomy.

This Strategy complements the Preparedness Union Strategy, which sets out an integrated all-hazards approach to preparedness for conflicts, human-induced and natural disasters, and crises, and the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, which supports the development and acquisition of defence capabilities across the EU to deter foreign adversaries. The Commission will also propose a European Democracy Shield to strengthen democratic resilience in the EU. Together, these initiatives set out a vision for a safe, secure and resilient EU.