Swords Shielding Security? The Use of Databases in Criminal Cooperation within the European Union: Challenges and Prospects

The Chapter analyses the changing scenario of information technology cooperation for law enforcement purposes in the EU. It proposes a taxonomy of existing information cooperation tools, based on two criteria: the cooperation techniques and the institutional settings governing information exchange. On this basis, the analysis briefly addresses the increasing involvement of private (economic) actors in contributing to cooperation in criminal matters and the quest for a higher degree of interoperability among various information systems. While highlighting the risks connected to prioritizing security concerns, the Chapter also underscores the integrative potential of information cooperation in a common European space without internal borders.