David Davis accuses EU of legalistic approach to post-Brexit security

UK ‘decided that Europe’s safety was far too important to be negotiated away,’ Brexit secretary said.

The U.K. Brexit secretary accused the European Union of putting “the protection of legal precedents” above the capability to catch criminals in its approach to security arrangements post Brexit.

In a bullish speech in London on the U.K.’s future security relationship with the bloc, David Davis said Britain had made an “unconditional offer to the EU” but had been met with a legalistic response.

“[Terrorists] don’t check the passports of their victims” before they carry out attacks, he said, adding that the U.K. had “decided that Europe’s safety was far too important to be negotiated away.”

Davis said the U.K. was willing to make “appropriate contributions” to the costs of running programs such as the European Arrest Warrant, and would “respect the remit of the European Court of Justice” so long as the U.K.’s “unique status with our own sovereign legal order” was also recognized.

“It is sometimes said that the limits of our cooperation have been set by the U.K. … that we are the only one with a choice,” he said. “I don’t agree.”

He said the EU was also making a choice with its legalistic response and sometimes appeared to put “the protection of legal precedents above operational capability.”

“The institutional architecture of the EU is a means to an end, not an end in itself,” said the Brexit secretary.

Click Here: Tienda de boca juniors

The U.K. released a 39-page slide deck last month laying out its vision for future security cooperation.