This meeting was a continuation of the discussions initiated by previous Presidencies and aims to consolidate a strategic vision for the area of freedom, security and justice, in preparation for the guidelines to be defined by the European Council under Article 68 of the TFEU.
Article 68 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) gives the European Council a key role in defining the strategic guidelines for legislative and operational planning in the area of freedom, security and justice. According to a working document consulted by Agence Europe, based on this framework, the aim of the Budapest meeting was to identify future issues and seek political guidance on future priorities.
Discussions focused on a number of issues, including competitiveness, the fight against organised crime and ensuring the safety of citizens online.
The Hungarian Minister of Justice, Bence Tuzson, said at the press conference: “It is necessary to clearly define the main objectives of European legislation in the future, and we agreed that this first discussion was a step in that direction. We have started to think in this direction, considering competitiveness as an essential issue for the transparency of the legal system”.
The ministers also discussed ways of improving the regulatory environment for justice in order to promote economic growth. The introduction of simplified European procedures was welcomed as a step forward.
The importance of respecting the constitutional traditions of the Member States while responding to new challenges was also reiterated.
According to the Hungarian Presidency, the EU must ensure that its ambitions are backed up by sufficient and readily available resources. Ministers agreed on the need to strengthen judicial cooperation, particularly with third countries, and to adopt appropriate measures to combat organised crime and ensure security in the digital space. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)