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#Juncker: On Her Majesty’s Service - Julian King given new 'Security' portfolio

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160802Bond2Jean-Claude Juncker has, after much ‘meditation’, decided that the most appropriate portfolio for the incoming British Commissioner Julian King is the Security Union. King will work under the guidance of the respected First Vice President Frans Timmermans, in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and support the work of the Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Vera Jourova.

The choice of portfolio is a clever one. It is a field in which European and international co-operation is critical and it is an area (one of many, it might be argued) in which co-operation will continue to be important post-Brexit. The UK still holds one of the five permanent seats on the UN’s Security Council, it will still be a NATO partner and, as any fan of the James Bond franchise can tell you, it still has a very large security service.

Prime Minister May will also be comfortable with this portfolio; as a former Home Secretary, May will be fully briefed and attend the Justice and Home Affairs Councils. Indeed, one of the reasons May gave for voting ‘Remain’ was the importance of security co-operation.

The Privacy Shield, which became fully operational on 1 August, was introduced to replace the 'Safe Harbor' agreement, which was struck down by the European Court of Justice in October 2015 for failing to prevent the US government from gaining routine access to European citizens’ data.

That judgement didn't confine itself to the US programme of mass surveillance, it also said that any such system - both outside and within the EU - would be illegal under EU law. Edward Snowden made allegations that GCHQ, the UK government communications headquarters, was also collecting data on citizens in a similarly indiscriminate fashion. Some will be concerned by giving this sensitive portfolio to a British commissioner.

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The European Commission launched a European Agenda on Security in April of last year.

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