Brussels, 19/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Council of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, which met last week in Brussels under the joint chairmanship of Thomas Bodström (justice) and Maj-Inger Klingvall (asylum-immigration), resulted in an agreement on European crime prevention policy comprising, in particular, the setting in place of a European crime prevention network. The network, proposed by France and Sweden, will collect maximum information including measures to prevent crime, and will encourage Member States to cooperate in this field. The Fifteen also approved the Commission's proposal on the attribution of economic support to crime prevention projects. The work will mainly continue on the basis of the conclusions of the Sundsvall conference, in February (see EUROPE of 22 February, p.12), the Commission's proposal on a financing programme (Hippocrates programme) and the future Europol and Commission report on organised crime.
At the end of its debate on cybercrime, the Council agreed to take the priorities defined in the Commission's communication (EU instrument guaranteeing effective sanctions against child pornography on the Internet, a law for fighting against high tech crime, the promotion of creating specialised police units against information technology crime) as a basis for continuing its work. Commissioner Antonio Vitorino, for his part, recalled the aims of the European forum on cybercrime to be held under Belgian Presidency.
The Council also adopted without debate a framework decision proposed by Portugal to guarantee that the victims of criminal infringements are listened to, protected by justice and also that they may play an active role in the legal procedure concerning them. The Member States, for their part, must adjust their legislation in order to guarantee them a very high level of protection.