On Tuesday 5 March, representatives of the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union reached an interim agreement on the broad lines of the ‘Justice’ Programme for 2021-2027 aimed at promoting the establishment of a European zone of justice based on mutual trust (see EUROPE 12030).
The previous day, Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, Finland), Parliamentary rapporteur for this programme, welcomed the excellent negotiations with the Council of the EU and the Commission, including on the two crucial issues for Parliament, namely gender issues in the legal system and the role of civil society (see EUROPE 12206).
"I welcome today's agreement on this important programme [...] We want to invest where our priorities lie: supporting judges and prosecutors, promoting the use of technology and, ultimately, improving the trust of citizens in their justice systems and fostering trust between Member States”, said the European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová, in a statement.
The budgetary aspects have yet to be resolved in the horizontal negotiations on the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027. MEPs also suggested a total appropriation of €356 million at current prices, compared to the €305 million proposed by the Commission (see EUROPE 12186). The interim agreement must now be validated within both institutions. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)