After the terrorist attacks in Madrid, London, Brussels, Paris and now Brussels, it is crystal clear we are facing a European problem.
That is why our Member States should go beyond 'better coordination' of our security services. In the recent past, we have seen more than enough non-committal declarations.
While I welcome all efforts to improve the cooperation and interoperability of national security databases, this is obviously not enough.
We need a mandatory exchange of operational intelligence between all 28 national security agencies. This should be the first step towards the creation of a real European intelligence capacity,which is able to gather intelligence and set up EU wide operations.
If terrorists know no borders, why should our security services be limited by them?
To refute the idea of a European intelligence agency on the grounds of national sovereignty is as absurd as it is dangerous. Security has to prevail over sovereignty.
Last time, the European Council delivered real progress was after the attacks of 9/11 when a European arrest warrant was agreed.
It is exactly this European arrest warrant that will deliver a fast and smooth extradition of Salah Abdeslam from Belgium to France. We should continue on this path of real European solutions and create a single European anti-terrorism capacity.
We are also failing to deal with radicalization effectively. A common European strategy is needed.
