UK proposes new security treaty with EU after Brexit

LONDON - The United Kingdom was scheduled to propose on Monday signing a new security treaty with the European Union after Brexit to maintain and intensify cooperation to thwart "evergrowing and increasingly cross-border threats".

In its sixth policy paper setting out its vision for ties with the EU after it quits the bloc in March 2019, the government will say the new treaty "would be underpinned by our shared principles and should make sure our partnership has the agility to respond to the everchanging threats we face".

The proposal came just days after a blast on a packed commuter underground train in west London, the fifth major attack this year.

The bomb went off on Friday morning in a crowded carriage and although the device is thought to have malfunctioned, it still wounded 30 people. On Sunday Britain downgraded the nation's terrorism threat from its highest level following the arrest.

"We already have a deep level of collaboration with the EU on security matters and it is in both our interests to find ways to maintain it," Brexit minister David Davis said.

"A new security treaty with the EU would be underpinned by our shared principles, and should make sure our partnership has the agility to respond to the everchanging threats we face."

Britain has published a series of "future partnership "policy papers to try to nudge talks with the EU forward, after they stalled over the divorce settlement, especially over the so-called Brexit bill.

Security cooperation is seen by government officials as one of their strongest arguments to gain leverage in the complicated talks to unravel more than 40 years of union.

Amber Rudd, the interior minister, said Britain was one of the leading EU contributors to a range of measures, such as data and evidence sharing, extradition measures and to Europol.

"Recent events in the UK and across Europe have shown the criminal and terrorist threats we face are varied and increasingly international. The long-standing collaboration we have with our European partners allows us to jointly address these threats and keep our citizens safe," she said.

"As we prepare to leave the EU it is therefore vital that we agree a new way to ensure continued security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation."

Reuters - AFP

(China Daily 09/19/2017 page12)