The justice ministers of the EU Member States will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 5 March for a Justice and Home Affairs Council. The focus of the debates will be the fight against impunity in Ukraine, international judicial cooperation against drug trafficking and organised crime, and the protection of the rule of law in the face of threats from criminal organisations.
Fight against impunity in Ukraine The Council lunch will be attended by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin. The discussion will focus on progress in the prosecution of war crimes and the joint efforts of the EU and its Member States to combat impunity.
This initiative is a continuation of the Council’s commitment, since the start of the Russian invasion, initiated on 4 March 2022. Initiatives include sending forensic experts to Ukraine, setting up a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) (see EUROPE 12956/5) and Eurojust’s development of a database on international crimes (see EUROPE 13214/10).
Strengthening judicial cooperation against drug trafficking and organised crime. Discussions will also cover ways of effectively combating drug trafficking and organised crime, with particular emphasis on judicial cooperation with third countries.
The ministers will build on previous exchanges (see EUROPE 13336/2) and on the efforts of the Swedish and Spanish Presidencies to strengthen, in particular, the network of specialised prosecutors and international judicial cooperation.
Protection of the rule of law. In the afternoon, the Council will address the pressing issue of protecting the judicial system from intimidation and interference by criminal groups.
With threats against the judiciary on the rise in several Member States, this discussion should enable the ministers to exchange best practices for ensuring both the protection and independence of judges and prosecutors.
This session will conclude with the adoption of a set of conclusions on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, to affirm the importance of access to information for citizens, the digitalisation of judicial systems and support for victims of crime. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)