There is little need to explain the source of inspiration for this thematic issue; the debate as to where the balance between liberty and security should be struck seems ever present and more ferocious than ever. Interestingly, it is more difficult to find a debate that does not focus upon the US Patriot Act. Whilst there can be no question that developments in the United States and the American rhetoric bear huge impact for Europe, it was, however, felt that this thematic issue should have a distinctive European flavour and that it should attempt to reflect the debate in Europe. Naturally this aim is greatly restricted by time and space constraints, even in this double-volume issue. Nowhere is the need to shift the balance and to trade liberty for security proclaimed more strongly than in relation to the prevention of terrorist plots. The very parameters of the debate have changed, with open statements that there can be no balance, that this has been fundamentally flawed so far, or indeed that there is no liberty without security, being commonplace. It is as if the dialogue entertained thus far were wrong, or must be regarded as wrong given the threat we now face in Europe from terrorism, in particular Eur J Crim Policy Res (2007) 13:3–12 DOI 10.1007/s10610-007-9036-5