On 17 February 2018, Theresa May got her chance to speak about security post Brexit at the Munich Security Conference.
The Prime Minister insisted that the UK would maintain the global relationships that it has built over the years and would cooperate with the EU as the UK leaves.
She said that “it has always been the case that our security at home is best advanced through global cooperation, working with institutions that support that, including the EU”.
UK’s commitment to Europe’s security
“Europe’s security is our security” – the main message from Theresa May’s speech at the Munich Security Conference. The Prime Minister confirmed that whatever the outcome of Brexit, the UK is “unconditionally committed” to Europe’s security agenda.
There may be structural changes after Brexit but the UK will continue to work with Europe to maintain the common aim between European countries – “the protection of our people and the advance of our common interests across the world.”
Brexit security agreement
Theresa May was very clear that if an agreement cannot be reached, it could be extremely damaging to both the UK and the EU. She urged the other EU leaders at the conference not to let this happen.
The UK could lose access to the exchange of data as the country will no longer be part of Europe’s agencies and frameworks, including Europol, the agency through which the EU co-ordinates security and antiterrorism policy.
How will this be resolved?
The Prime Minister has proposed a new Treaty that will cement Europe’s internal security relationship post Brexit. The treaty will secure Europe’s operational capabilities and will respect both the EU and UK laws.
Investment in internal security
For defence suppliers looking for security tenders, one thing is for sure. The UK will continue to invest money into internal security. It may be almost a year on from the Westminster, Manchester and London attacks but Theresa May reminded her audience that counterterrorism efforts are key to destroying those who “seek to attack and defeat”.
It will not just be physical attacks that the EU and UK will continue to fight: cyber threats were also a hot topic of discussion between Europe’s leaders.
Theresa May stated that the UK will continue to monitor “Russia’s hostile actions, whether in Ukraine, the Western Balkans or in cyberspace. This will be a mean focus of the new treaty between the UK and EU that will be introduced post Brexit.
Counterterrorism and Security Tenders
We offer packages for suppliers that want to find and win security tenders. As security and counterterrorism tenders are issued by various bodies across the UK and Europe, it can be difficult to find opportunities that are suitable for your business.
For more information on this, visit our Counter Terrorism and Security Tenders page.
Security & Counter Terror Expo
We will be attending the UK’s leading national security event on 6-7 March 2018. If you are attending the event and would like to discuss the future of security tendering after Brexit, a member of our team will be at Stand: H1 during both days of the event.
In the meantime, if you would like to find out more about cyber security, you can sign up for our next Cyber Essentials webinar, which will be held on 14 March 2018.
If you would like to find security tenders with DCI, book a demo today.