Dear Members of the Riksdagen,

Fellow Europeans,

Our work on security must start with a clear vision – what do we want to achieve? For me the answer is clear: we want to create safe and secure conditions, so that our citizens can stay free.

Free to walk the streets; to surf the net; to travel across the EU and beyond. To have different opinions and express them openly. To practice whatever religion they choose.

Everything we do starts with that simple vision.

It is the vision behind our new internal security strategy, ProtectEU.

Because today, we face a wide range of new security challenges.

Challenges that threaten the basic freedoms our citizens enjoy.

Powered by technology and global instability, criminal networks have become more sophisticated, more international, and – above all – more ruthless than ever before.

They operate across borders and in cyberspace, moving drugs along complicated routes and changing production sites. They use social media to recruit new members – often children – and they order hits on their enemies online. They use AI, drones and soon they will be using quantum computers to support their operations.

Another worrying trend are the links between state actors outside our borders, and the criminal networks inside them. We are seeing an increase in ‘gig economy links to criminal gangs to carry out hybrid attacks in the EU. Not only does this increase the reach of Russian aggression, but it injects more cash into the EUs criminal economy.

I know that all these concerns are high on the agenda here in Sweden, and I know you are stepping up the fight nationally. I especially welcome your new rules on seizing unexplained assets.

But when you look at the scale of these challenges, it is also clear to me that no single country, working on its own, can face down these threats.

We need to bring our security cooperation to the highest level – just like we have done in other areas, like the Single Market itself.

Under ProtectEU, we will be putting forward a series of ambitious measures to do just that:

A new strategy to fight organised crime, including harmonised definitions and a new, tougher approach to ‘follow the money.

A new EU Ports Strategy to improve the seizure of illegal drugs entering the EU.

And new rules on the trafficking of firearms.

Of course, these changes must be supported with more resources. We are planning a significant expansion of Europol – to give the agency more operational capacity to help Member States and improve coordination.

But we also need to improve access to data for law enforcement. I know this is a contentious point, but in a world where digital evidence becomes more and more important, our investigators and prosecutors have their hands tied.

Crimes that could be stopped are being committed. Criminals that are caught are being released instead of convicted.

So we need to make progress. But we need to proceed with caution, taking into consideration the legitimate concerns about privacy and security that some have. We will be coming forward with a Roadmap on Data Access very soon that will plot out our course.

Above all, our ability to make ProtectEU a success will depend on how well we – as a Union – can work together on all levels – that means the EU-level working with national governments and parliaments; but it also means working with cities and regions; with educators; with Tech companies and Port operators. Security must be a whole of society approach.

The good news is, everywhere I go, I see that the willingness is there. I am optimistic, that we can make our vision a reality: safer streets, with fewer illegal drugs; a safer internet and safer travel.

In other words, more freedom for our citizens.

Thank you.