ABSTRACT
In the last decade, the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) has been the most dynamic field of European integration. This chapter provides answers two main questions: what is the dominant mode of Member State cooperation in this area, and is this changing; is the external dimension of the AFSJ becoming more Europeanized or more nationalized over time. The Stockholm Programme was the most recent iteration of the full AFSJ programmes. Entitled 'An Open and Secure Europe Serving and Protecting the Citizens', the Stockholm Programme stated that external action should concentrate on five areas of action: migration and asylum, security, information exchange, justice and civil protection and disaster management. The chapter describes interplay between the EU institutions and the Member States in terms of shaping the external dimension of counter-terrorism and internal security policy is complex.
