Area of Freedom, Security & Justice Interest Section

Established in October 2012 by action of the EUSA Executive Committee.

Section Co-Chairs

• Christian Kaunert (University of Dundee)
• John Occhipinti (Canisius College) 

Section's next formal meeting:

The next formal meeting of the section will be at the 2017 EUSA Conference in Miami.

Working mission statement

The EU's Area of Freedom, Security & Justice (AFSJ) has its roots in the old "third pillar" on "justice and home affairs." The recent development of the AFSJ has been paralleled by increased scholarly research on this wide-ranging policy area. The small group of researchers who have been following the AFSJ since the 1990s have now been joined a new generation of scholars who have published a many fine PhD theses, books, articles, and chapters. The broad aim of this interest section is to connect these scholars to each other and promote more and better scholarship and teaching on the AFSJ. Specific goals will be established after the new section meets for the first time.

The AFSJ interest section seeks participation from scholars and practitioners from a variety of perspectives interested in the following topics:

• Asylum policy and refugees
• Migration policy in the EU
• Border management and the Schengen zone
• Agencies in the AFSJ
• Civil Law
• Criminal law
• EU Institutions and the AFSJ
• External dimensions of internal security
• Fighting transnational organized crime and terrorism
• Protecting fundamental rights, EU founding values & citizenship-related rights
• Transatlantic relations and internal security

To become a member of EUSA and join the AFSJ Interest Section, check out the membership page.