Justice and Home Affairs Council
Jacques Barrot, Michèle Alliot-Marie
© Le Conseil de l'Union européenne
- from: 27.11.2008
- to: 28.11.2008
- In: Bruxelles
On 27 and 28 November, the last JHA Council under the French Presidency will focus on three subjects: internal security, migration policy and on Friday 28, a session on justice.
The EU’s home affairs ministers will discuss their actions to counter terrorism and how these should be continued. The EU counter-terrorism co-ordinator will present his annual report and his priorities for the period to come.
With regard to combating cybercrime, after obtaining agreement on the creation of a European alert platform, Alliot-Marie is proposing to widen the area of the fight against cybercrime by adopting a concerted strategy and practical measures in order to ensure the consistency of action taken within the EU and reinforce its effectiveness.
Alliot-Marie will highlight the results achieved in the area of civil protection during the French Presidency. The European mutual assistance project, in particular, will enhance the EU’s crisis response capacity. A video of the "Var 2008" field exercise on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threat will be screened during the Council meeting.
The French Presidency will propose that the Council adopt conclusions designed to step up the fight against drug trafficking in West Africa by increasing the European Union’s cooperation with the relevant African States in order to reduce this trafficking.
Lastly, Michèle Alliot-Marie will give her counterparts an overview of the work carried out during the French Presidency on the "European PNR" project. This project, discussions on which will continue after the French Presidency, would allow Member States’ law enforcement agencies to use data on air passengers for fighting serious crime and for counter-terrorism purposes.
In the field of migration, the JHA Council will allow Brice Hortefeux, the French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Mutually-Supportive Development to present the results of the second Euro-African Conference on Migration and Development organised in Paris on 25 November 2008.
The Presidency will also introduce the draft Council conclusions on the implementation of the global approach on migrations and the partnership with countries of origin and transit with a view to their later adoption by the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC).
Minister Brice Hortefeux will then present the progress made at the Ministerial Conference on Integration, which took place in Vichy on 3 and 4 November.
Moreover, the Presidency will report on work on the "single permit" directive, with a view to rapidly reaching a political agreement, and will do its best to conclude negotiations on the directive aiming at extending the benefit of long-term resident status.
On 28 November, in a session chaired by Rachida Dati, the EU’s justice ministers are set to reach a political agreement on the framework decision on the European supervision order in pre-trial procedures between Member States. Thus, judicial measures can be executed throughout the European judicial area to give a full application to the principle of mutual recognition.
During their meeting, the justice ministers should reach a political agreement on the framework decision on the European supervision order in pre-trial procedures between the Member States of the European Union. Thus, judicial measures can be executed throughout the European judicial area to fully enforce the principle of mutual recognition.
Moreover, the justice ministers should adopt a resolution on the establishment of a legislative cooperation network to promote exchanges of information between justice ministries on ongoing reforms.
Following the second child abduction alert exercise with the United Kingdom and the discussions between the justice ministers during their informal meeting in Cannes (7-8 July 2008), conclusions will be adopted to encourage the Member States to adopt a similar system, allowing cross-border alerts to be triggered.
Opening the decision creating the European judicial network in civil and commercial matters to judicial professions will allow judicial cooperation in civil matters to intensify.
Finally, an agreement should be reached on the action plan regarding electronic justice (e-justice). Introduced by the French Presidency, this plan will help structure projects in this field.
First results of the Justice and Home Affairs Council
Pierre Sellal, France’s permanent representative to the European Union, on the JHA Council (FR):
On combating terrorism (FR) :
On Switzerland’s entry into the Schengen area (FR) :
- Updated: 05.12.2008
