In 2025, the European Union saw an intensification of the digitalisation of European security policies, which did not, however, neglect fundamental rights guarantees, according to the 2025 annual report of the network of EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies.
Published on Friday 20 February, the document refers to the meeting on 3 and 4 December 2024 in Tallinn (Estonia), where the nine agencies in the network, including EU-Lisa, Europol, Frontex and the European Union Agency for Asylum, adopted the priorities for 2025 as part of their trio presidency.
The responsible use of digitalisation, innovation and artificial intelligence, and the strengthening of European internal security were among the guidelines that underpinned all the work carried out over the year.
The EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security has coordinated work on emerging technologies. Organised into five working groups (‘clusters’) devoted to artificial intelligence, biometrics, encryption, foresight and unmanned aerial systems, it has enabled a number of tools to be put in place by 2025.
This same year of 2025 has also seen major advances such as the gradual launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES) on 12 October, the introduction of the Biometric Matching Service and preparations for the establishment of the ‘European Travel Information and Authorisation System’ (ETIAS) in 30 European countries.
In addition, nine thematic workshops and seven working groups focused on compliance with the AI Act, impact assessments on fundamental rights and cybersecurity. The report argues that fundamental rights have guided cooperation between the agencies, with the heads of agencies renewing their commitment to apply the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in all their activities.
Criminal threats. More than 600 operations carried out as part of the ‘European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats’ (EMPACT) have also led to hundreds of arrests, the seizure of assets worth tens of millions of euros and the identification of victims in all areas of cross-border crime.
Despite this progress, the report warns of the challenges linked to “digital sovereignty” and the increase in cyber attacks. It called for a strengthened long-term budget to overcome the current “financial limitations”.
The full report: https://aeur.eu/f/kvh (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry and Justine Manaud)