4. National Security and Brexit

Many of the debates surrounding Brexit, security and defence are couched in terms of the EU’s implicit need for British expertise and capabilities. When it comes to national security considerations, the tables are at least partially turned. As an EU member the UK enjoys access to a number of vital databases for counterterrorism and organised crime and it also contributes to them. It is also a member of the EU police agency, Europol. Although there has been dispute about the exact value of this access to the UK, the emerging consensus is that it is of considerable importance to the UK's post-Brexit security, as are a number of bilateral treaties that address the specifics of borders (like those with Northern Ireland, Gibraltar and Calais). Brexit will imply that the UK will have to negotiate some form of associate status with the relevant agencies and, for access to critical databases, it may well have to accept EU date protection and privacy standards, alongside the relevant jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Negotiations can only commence once the UK formally leaves the EU, but they will be complicated and may require considerable concessions from the UK which may be contentious for domestic politics.