Brussels, 11/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 11 December, heads of state and government unanimously adopted the new quinquennial programme for the period from 2010 to 2014, known as the Stockholm Programme, on Justice and Home Affairs. “The Stockholm Programme will have a direct impact on millions of citizens,” said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. The 80-page programme relates to the areas of justice, freedom and security which are seen to be of key importance to European cooperation (see EUROPE 10037). The final text might have been much more ambitious, if credence is to be given to those who worked on the project. However, given that many of the projects undertaken in the preceding programme (The Hague, 2004-2009), particularly in cooperation in criminal justice, were incomplete, lost ground has, necessarily, to be made up. This work will be made much simpler by the new rules put in place by the Lisbon Treaty, which will see decisions on several issues taken by qualified majority and in co-decision with the European Parliament Good rules are not enough, as Commissioner Jacques Barrot is in the habit of saying. The Area of Justice, Freedom and Security will not be a real success without the will on the part of member states to strengthen “mutual confidence” and “solidarity”. The Stockholm Programme sets out six main points: promoting citizenship and fundamental rights; a Europe of law and justice; tackling crime, terrorism and other threats, visa and border management policy to guarantee access to the EU; responsibility, solidarity and partnership on immigration and asylum; and, finally, Europe's international role: its justice, freedom and security rules must be valid in its external policies. The programme makes mention of some 170 initiatives to be completed over the next few years, for example, on data protection, strengthening the criminal and civil justice area, tackling terrorism and crime, and harmonising asylum system rules in Europe. The Commission will bring forward an action plan for implementing the programme, which will be adopted by the European Council in June 2010. The text of the Stockholm Programme is available at: http: //http://www.se2009.eu/polypoly_fs/l.26419 !menu/standard/file/Klar_Stockholmsprogram.pdf (B.C./transl.rt)