The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice Ten Years on

This book brings together the views of key practitioners and policymakers who have played a prominent role in shaping an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) in the European Union. Ten years ago, the member states transferred competences to the European Union for law and policymaking in the fields of immigration, asylum, and border controls and are now beginning the same process for criminal justice and policing.

This decade of European cooperation on AFSJ policies has experienced dynamic convergence, the enactment of a large body of European law, and the setup of numerous EU agencies working in these domains. The dilemmas that lie ahead relate to an effective institutional framework under the Treaty of Lisbon, stronger judicial scrutiny through a greater role for national courts and the Court of Justice in Luxembourg, better mechanisms for evaluating and monitoring the implementation of EU AFSJ law, and a more solid fundamental rights strategy.

Elspeth Guild is Jean Monnet Professor of European Migration Law at Radboud University of Nijmegen, Netherlands. She is also a CEPS senior research fellow and a partner at Kingsley Napley. Sergio Carrera is a CEPS research fellow and visiting lecturer at the University of Kent in Brussels. Alejandro Eggenschwiler is a CEPS research assistant.