Policemen, Soldiers and Secret Services -
A Look at the Situation in Spain and Europe
Luis Arroyo Jiménez / Nuria Garrido Cuenca
Professors of Administrative Law at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
It is well known that security challenges have dramatically changed in modern societies during the last few decades. And this also has an effect on the way in which public bodies respond to these threats. This paper deals with different topics related to European security, in terms of the interest they hold as elements of comparison. First of all, three general problems of EU and EC action in security matters are studied: the present situation of complexity and incoherence, the scope and limits of judicial review of EU action in security matters and the democratic legitimacy of EU security policies. The system of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters is then faced, and the different models of organisation which are being developed in the EU are studied. Finally, some new trends related to specific security issues both at national and European level are discussed: the intervention of Armed Forces inside national territory, on the one hand, and the proposals related to the reform of the European intelligence services, on the other.
