Brussels, 17/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 20 and Friday 21 January in Budapest and Gödöllõ, European Union ministers for justice and home affairs will meet for a first informal meeting under the Hungarian Presidency. So far, there are six dossiers on the agenda, ranging from cooperation in the fight against organised crime, justice and home affairs (JHA) in the next multiannual financial framework, border management, European Commission proposals on fundamental rights, European citizenship, and the training of legal practitioners in the EU.
Unofficially, however, discussions are likely on Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area (the official timetable was set for the end of March this year, but is being challenged by France and Germany) and the Greek government's project to build a wall at its land border with Turkey. One source has indicated that “we do not see how” these two subjects could be tackled. At the beginning of January, the European Commission had expressed doubts about this Greek-Turkish partition and ministers “might request Greece to give them more details”.
In the meantime, with regard to the “official” subjects, ministers will begin their work with a discussion about the new forms of organised crime in the EU. They will focus on itinerant groups and the sale of arms and trafficking from the Balkan countries. The discussion will concentrate on how to enhance cooperation between the 27 member states of the EU. It will directly follow the conclusions adopted on these two aspects last November and December, by the Belgian Presidency and EU ministers for justice and home affairs.
The discussion on border management is expected to focus on assessing conditions and needs of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex). Discussions are also expected to take place on the 2013-2020 financial framework and will focus on the role of JHA policies, which currently account for 1.3% of the EU's total budget. According to one source, ministers are also expected to examine the action they are hoping to carry out in non-EU countries but which are still exclusively funded through development aid. Exchanges of views are also likely to focus on how to provide greater flexibility and autonomy to JHA programmes. (S.P./transl.fl)