Cybercrime As A Component Of European Security Policy

An Analysis Of The Securitisation Of Digital Threats In Europe

Abstract

This article analyses cybercrime as a component of European security policy, examining how digital criminality is constructed as a security threat within the political discourse and governance practices of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Rather than approaching cybercrime as a purely legal or technical problem, the article conceptualises it as a politically constructed issue embedded in broader processes of securitisation and security governance. The main objective is to explore how cybercrime is framed as a transnational and systemic threat and how this framing legitimises specific models of security intervention at the European level. The research is guided by the question of how cybercrime is securitised by different European institutions and what political implications follow from these securitisation strategies. Methodologically, the article employs a qualitative interpretative approach grounded in securitisation theory, combining political discourse analysis with a comparative institutional perspective. The analysis demonstrates that the European Union advances an integration-oriented model of securitisation based on regulatory harmonisation and resilience-building, while the Council of Europe promotes a norm-driven approach centred on treaty-based cooperation, human rights safeguards and capacity-building.