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European Parliament
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Internal Security Fund 2021–2027

2018/0250(COD)

PURPOSE: to establish the internal security fund for the period 2021-2027.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: over recent years, security threats have intensified and diversified in Europe. Terrorism, serious and organised crime, itinerant crime, drug trafficking, corruption, cybercrime, trafficking in human beings and arms, among others, continue to challenge the internal security of the Union. The challenges the Union is facing, notably from international terrorism, cannot be managed by individual Member States alone and without the financial and technical support of the EU. Security has an inherently cross-border dimension and therefore a strong, coordinated Union response is required. Financial support provided under this Regulation shall contribute in particular to strengthening national and Union capabilities in the security area.

The Commission proposes to multiply EU funding for internal security by factor of 1.8 compared to the current period (2014-2020), so as to ensure a high level of security within the Union while strengthening the role of decentralised agencies in this area.

The new internal security fund builds on the investments and achievements of its predecessor instruments: (i) the security and safeguarding liberties programme; (ii) the instrument for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime and crisis management (ISF-P) and (iii) the drugs component of the Justice programme.

CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the internal security fund for the period 2021-2027.

The proposed scope builds largely on the current Regulation for the Internal Security Fund-Police, while taking into account new policy developments, such as the European security agenda, the fight against terrorism, serious and organised crime and cybercrime, and the new interoperability agenda.

Objectives: the new enhanced fund shall contribute to a high level of security in the Union, in particular by tackling terrorism and radicalisation, serious organised crime and cybercrime and by assisting and protecting victims of crime.

Its specific objectives shall be to:

  • increase the exchange of information among and within the Union law enforcement and other competent authorities and other relevant Union bodies as well as with third countries and international organisations;
  • intensify cross-border joint operations among and within the Union law enforcement and other competent authorities in relation to serious and organised crime with a cross-border dimension;
  • support effort at strengthening the capabilities in relation to combating and preventing crime including terrorism in particular through increased cooperation between public authorities, civil society and private partners across the Member States.

Actions funded shall be implemented in full respect for fundamental rights and human dignity. Actions limited to maintaining public order at national level shall not be eligible.

Member State support: the allocation of the funding to the programmes of the Member States shall be based on a distribution key of three criteria: (i) the gross domestic product; (ii) size of the territory and; (iii) population of the state. It is proposed to weigh the different criteria as follows: 45% to inverse proportion to the gross domestic product, 40% to proportion to the size of population and 15% to proportion to the size of the territory of the Member State. 

The remaining 40 % of the overall financial envelope shall be managed through the thematic facility, which shall periodically provide funding for projects with real European added value or to meet urgent needs and emergency funding to Member States.

Coordination between EU policies: the enhanced ISF shall be coherent with and complementary to other Union financial programmes, notably the cohesion policy funds and Horizon Europe, as well as the Integrated Border Management Fund and the Asylum and Migration Fund.

Furthermore, work under the internal security fund shall be consistent with that of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The Commission proposes to allocate an amount of EUR 1.12 billion (in current prices) to EU agencies in the field of security. The proposed Regulation does not cover the funding for these agencies.

Proposed budget: the Commission’s proposal for the next multiannual financial framework includes EUR 2.5 billion (in current prices) to the internal security fund for the period 2021-2027.

The financial envelope shall be used as follows:

  • EUR 1.5 billion allocated to Member States to enable them to build long-term resilience in the field of security;
  • EUR 1 billion allocated to the thematic mechanism to address unforeseen security challenges and to enable a rapid response to emergency situations.