Ethical Security in Europe? Empirical Findings on Value Shifts and Dilemmas Across European Internal-External Security Policies

Abstract

This Policy Recommendation report presents the empirical findings on case studies which were undertaken in the context of INEX Work Package 3 “Value-Dilemmas of Security Professionals.” The first leg of the research project looked at the ethical implications and value dilemmas faced in the design, programming and policy-making in the EU security sector reform policy at the level of the EU institutions in Brussels, with a particular focus on the working relationship and converging/conflicting political agendas and approaches. The second leg of the research concentrated on the ethical ramifications of the implementation of EU Rule of Law Reforms in Kosovo, which demonstrated that EU officials – and particularly EULEX personnel, since the deployed CSDP mission is the lead organisation in rule of law reforms in Kosovo – are faced with value dilemmas as a consequence of the complex political situation. The third leg of the research focused on shifts in ethical values and ethical dilemmas in EU Member States new security practices. The research bifurcated into two case studies, namely the implementation of anti-terrorism/radicalisation measures in the Netherlands and the UK and the recent interception of migrants in the central Mediterranean Sea undertaken by the Italian authorities.

Keywords: EU internal-external security nexus, security sector reform, Kosovo, ethics