As the picture of contemporary criminality has developed in scale and complexity, so the structure of policing in the EU is transforming to counter emerging threats. Echoing wider developments in European politics, institutions are emerging in support of greater police cooperation. The Lisbon Treaty and the Stockholm Programme stand to drive further centralisation, building on resources that already exist in, for example, CEPOL, Europol and Schengen.

The development of strong transnational institutions will be essential to delivering an effective response to the contemporary criminal landscape. But the construction of a European policing infrastructure poses problems of cost, transparency and accountability. The challenge is further complicated by divergent attitudes towards surveillance and data retention across the polities of member states. Exploring the barriers to interoperability and partnership working, this paper tracks the development of European policing institutions and seeks to determine the shared values which underpin the emerging framework for cooperation.