During its six months at the helm, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council will focus on strengthening the security of European citizens, in particular by examining criminal networks and their methods.
“To combat these threats more effectively, the Presidency commits to enhancing our understanding of criminals’ tactics, operations, and relationships. The Presidency aims to address drug trafficking as it relates to other forms of crime, causes violence within society, and remains a major source of income for criminal organisations”, it states in its programme.
It also declares that “the fight against human trafficking will be a priority, with a focus on detecting and protecting victims”.
Particular attention will be paid to “preventing and tackling terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, as well as its latest evolutions in the online world”.
Another area of work will be the “the follow-up of prison leavers” and the “Member States’ travel intelligence capabilities“.
The emphasis will be placed “advance passenger and passenger name records, which offer opportunities for strengthening border control and the internal security of the Union in the fight against terrorism and serious crime”.
Negotiations will then have to be launched with the European Parliament, which adopted its position at the end of November (see EUROPE 13302/13).
The Belgian Presidency will also have to continue work on preventing and combating the sexual abuse of children, at a time when the Member States remain very divided over the Commission’s proposal for a regulation to be presented in May 2022.
Finally, it will seek to improve the functioning and resilience of the Schengen area and strengthen Schengen governance through better preparation of Schengen Council meetings.
“By improving the annual cycle, the Presidency will work towards addressing the identified priorities. The emphasis will lie on strengthening external border controls to increase security within the Schengen area”.
An informal meeting will be held in Brussels at the end of January.
Link to the programme: https://aeur.eu/f/a4i (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)