Counter-terrorism Mechanism And Dilemma Analysis:A Case Study Of European Police Office

Terrorism is no longer an abstract issue,but a real,tangible threat.Howard Berman,former US Senator,reminds us that terrorism has become one of the most complicated non-traditional security challenges that human beings are dealing with currently.The immigration,refugees and border control issues have made European Union,from member states capitals to small villages,expose to terrorism attacks of various kinds.Different countries and regions have implemented beneficial policies and strategies regarding counter-terrorism governance.Counter-terrorism policing and intelligence cooperation,along with relevant policing cooperation organizations have a vital but often underestimated role to play in combating terrorism.European Police Office(Europol),designed to enhance such cooperation between European Union member states,has been perfecting its counter-terrorism mechanism by building counter-terrorism databases,forming European Union terrorism situation and trend relevant reports and leading relevant counter-terrorism supporting teams.From TREVI to an official EU institute,Europol has been enthusiastic about pursuing an efficient and effective counter-terrorism role.Unfortunately,the interaction between Europol and member states have been confined by the member states’ concerns about state sovereignty,the sensitivity of policing cooperation and intelligence exchange as well as many problems that Europol is confronted with.The author,therefore,holds that Europol has to function as a smooth intelligence sharing platform instead of struggling to set the counterterrorism agenda,thus genuinely advancing the policing cooperation between member states.Meanwhile,a clearer and more justified counter-terrorism role could be enhanced by focusing on long-term counter-terrorism and security strategies as well as related threats assessment.To seek a more comfortable and convincing role,Europol is supposed to keep a lower profile and function as an effective and efficient intelligence exchange platform,thus improving policing cooperation between member states.China,while advocating the Belt and Road Initiative,should learn from Europol and focus on counter-terrorism policing cooperation,legal system construction and security situation evaluation.