The European Internal Security Strategy and its relationship with countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
On April 1, 2025 the European Commission released and presented its Internal Security Strategy (ProtectEU Strategy). This strategy aims to increase the capabilities of EU Member States to protect societies and democracies from online and offline threats from terrorists, criminals, and hostile foreign actors. The strategy seeks to guarantee that security implications are considered in all future EU policies. Among some of the major findings, recommendations and key actions in the fields of lawful access to data, cybersecurity, cybercrime, criminal justice response, international and regional cooperation and operational cooperation highlighted in the strategy are:
Lawful access to data
Around 85% of criminal investigations now rely on law enforcement authorities’ ability to access digital information.
Systematic cooperation between law enforcement authorities and private parties, including service providers, is therefore essential in future efforts to disrupt the most threatening criminal networks and individuals in the Union and beyond.
A framework for access to data which responds to the needs to enforce our laws and protect our values is essential ensuring that such framework respect fundamental rights, ensuring inter alia that privacy and personal data are adequately protected.
The EC will soon propose the signature and conclusion of the UN Convention against Cybercrime.
Based on the recommendations of the High-Level Group on Access to Data for Effective Law Enforcement, the EC will present in the first half of 2025 a roadmap setting out the legal and practical measures it proposes to take to ensure lawful and effective access to data and prioritise an assessment of the impact of data retention rules at EU level and the preparation of a Technology Roadmap on encryption, to identify and assess technological solutions that would enable law enforcement authorities to access encrypted data in a lawful manner, safeguarding cybersecurity and fundamental rights
Cybersecurity
The EU will step up actions in the areas of information exchange, supply chain security, ransomware and cyberattacks, as well as technological sovereignty.
Concerning the current cybersecurity skills gap of cybersecurity professional in the EU, the EC will work with the Member States under the Union of Skills to expand the cybersecurity work force, in particular by using the new Cybersecurity Skills Academy.
The EU will continue to make full use of the Framework for a Joint EU Diplomatic Response to Malicious Cyber Activities (The Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox) to prevent, deter and respond to cyber threats stemming from state and non-state actors.
In the upcoming revision of the Cybersecurity Act, the EC will look more broadly at the security and resilience of ICT supply chains and infrastructure and will propose to improve the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework, to ensure that future certification schemes can be adopted in a timely manner and respond to policy needs.
The EC will develop, together with the Member States, a strategic planning for coordinated cybersecurity risk assessments.
The EC will work closely with Member States to ensure a swift, coherent and business-friendly implementation of the horizontal cybersecurity framework set out in the NIS2 Directive, Cyber Resilience Act and the Cyber Solidarity Act, promoting simplicity and coherence and avoiding fragmentation or duplication of cybersecurity rules in EU and national laws.
Ransomware and cyberattacks
Due to the increase of ransomware in recent years, the EC will work closely with Member States to ensure that more ransomware attacks, in particular advanced persistent threats, and ransom payments are reported to law enforcement, facilitating investigations.
Strengthen the information exchange between law enforcement authorities, cybersecurity authorities and entities, as well as private parties, under the aegis of Europol and ENISA.
Maximize the use of cooperation mechanisms, including Europol’s International Ransomware Response Model and the International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI), and ENISA and Europol should cooperate to expand the repository of decryption tools for ransomware strains.
Criminal justice response
The EC has launched a High-Level Forum on the Future of EU Criminal Justice, a forum that brings together Member States, the European Parliament, EU agencies and bodies, and other relevant stakeholders, the main goal of which is to discuss ways to ensure criminal justice systems remain effective, fair and resilient amid evolving challenges, while strengthening judicial cooperation and enhancing mutual trust, including through digitalization
International and Multilateral Cooperation
The EU will continue to play its part in multilateral for a and will enhance its cooperation with relevant international and regional organisations and frameworks, including NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, Interpol, G7, the OSCE and civil society.
Regional Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
The EU will strengthen operational cooperation with LAC to dismantle and prosecute high-risk criminal networks and disrupt illicit activities and trafficking routes, enhancing cooperation frameworks, such as EU-CLASI (Latin American Committee on Internal Security) and the EU-CELAC Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism on Drugs. Logistic hubs’ resilience and partnerships and follow-the-money approaches will be among the priorities.
The EU will further support the development of the Police Community of the Americas (AMERIPOL) to become the regional equivalent of Europol and strengthen judicial cooperation between Member States and the region.
Operational cooperation
The EC will pursue further agreements between the EU and third countries on cooperation with Europol and Eurojust, notably with Latin American countries.
The EU will further encourage the involvement of third countries in EMPACT, including countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The EC aims to also finalise negotiations for the EU-Interpol international agreement, ensuring a more unified approach to global security threats and fighting transnational crimes.
The EU will seek closer operational law enforcement and judicial cooperation, foster real-time information sharing and joint operations through Joint Investigation Teams in third countries with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The EC will also support Member States in setting up joint fusion centres bringing together experts and local law enforcement in strategic third countries.
Final Assessment
The European Internal Security Strategy underlines relevant aspects to increase and improve the capabilities of EU Member States in different areas of security, including the improvement of the enforcement and application of the fragmented legal framework governing cybersecurity across Europe.
Further, the strategy underlines many are of improvement to counter cyberattack and enhance the investigative capabilities of European and national law enforcement authorities on ransomware attacks including the criminal justice response to catch up with evolving threats and challenges to facilitate and strengthening judicial cooperation at the regional and international level.
The Strategy puts a strong emphasis to strengthen operational cooperation with countries of LAC to counter illicit activities, dismantle and prosecute high-risk criminal networks and support the further development of AMERIPOL as a regional police entity equivalent to Europol.
Although the European Internal Security Strategy is quite broad and ambitious, I strongly believe that, the cooperation with European counterparts in the field of cybercrime and cybersecurity is more important and essential than ever for countries of LAC particularly in view of the current geopolitical context where many countries around the world are now reassessing its international cooperation strategies to be less dependent from the USA and more diversified with other regional blocks like the European Union, an economic block that has been developing policies, regulations and facilitating funds to counter organized criminal activities and improve cybersecurity and resilience.
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