Brussels, 05/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - Developing a European system for the taking of evidence will be a Justice and Home Affairs priority for the Belgian Presidency. The aim is to make it easier for member states to make use of evidence taken as part of a criminal investigation elsewhere in the EU. The initiative is the brainchild of eight member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Hitherto, member states which wanted to use evidence taken in another EU country have had two decisions at their disposal: the 2003 framework decision on freezing assets and the framework decision of 2008 on the evidence warrant. Unfortunately, these decisions do more to complicate than simplify cooperation between states. In the Stockholm Programme, which sets out the broad thrust of EU action on justice, freedom and security for the period from 2010 to 2014, the European Council calls for a universal system to replace all existing instruments in this area and to cover, as far as is possible, all types of evidence, time limits for use and restricting to as great an extent as possible grounds for refusal.
Still in the area of Justice, the Presidency will continue to work on the instruments which seek, on the one hand, to prevent and counter human trafficking and to protect victims, and, on the other, to tackle the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and child pornography. Working with the Commission, the Presidency will seek to make progress with the implementation of the roadmap aimed at reinforcing the protection of suspects and persons pursued within the context of criminal proceedings. Negotiations on the improved regulation of judicial competence and law applicable to wills and testaments will be pursued, as will the examination of a European instrument establishing closer cooperation in matters of cross-border divorce and separation law (ROME III). Negotiations will be launched with the United States on a comprehensive data protection agreement, and talks will be opened with the Council of Europe on the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. In the area of home affairs, the first step to be taken will certainly be agreement between the European Union and the United States on the transfer of banking data as part of the US Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP). The European Parliament vote is scheduled for Thursday of this week. The development of a coherent European policy (analysis of criminality, determination of priority phenomena and the monitoring of Action Plans) is also a central objective of the Presidency. The Belgian Presidency will also launch projects relating to problems such as international criminal gangs, illegal trade in large-calibre firearms in major European cities, identity fraud, soccer violence and security of rest areas along Europe's motorways. Discussions will also be continued on the use of data from passenger files (Passenger Name Records: PNR) within the EU, based on a new Commission proposal. In addition, the strengthening of Frontex, the European agency for the management of operational cooperation at external borders, is a priority on the agenda. The Presidency will work to make progress in the difficult area of asylum, the aim being to put in place a common asylum procedure and to determine the minimum standards of qualification for international protection. (B.C./transl.rt)