Brussels, 06/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - Clarification and simplification are required. This is the basic message of the European Convention's Praesidium in its document on security and home affairs, prepared for this Thursday's debate (see pages 4 and 5). The "challenges" for the Praesidium are coherently sharing power between the EU and Member States; providing the EU with effective legal instruments; stepping up political and judicial control; dealing with the huge complexity of the system; establishing genuine mutual confidence between Member States. The Praesidium stresses the legal complexity of sharing power between various pillars and the fact that 3rd pillar instruments either require a long and uncertain ratification process (Convention) or don't have any direct effect (framework decision). It also focuses on problems with organising the right of initiative shared between the Commission and Member States, the UK and Ireland 's opting in and Denmark's special status. In terms of judicial cooperation, its notes genuine progress, commenting that many people criticise a lack of overall coherence. The balance sheet is mitigated in terms of police co-operation (the document gives the example of Europol, that finds it difficult to find its place because Member States don't cooperate with it very much). It notes delays over asylum and immigration, that numerous observers put down to Member States' reluctance to change their legislation.
The Praesidium posed several questions for the Members: What expectations do Europeans have in these domains? In which areas is closer European level co-operation required? Do the Union's JHA instruments need to be clarified and simplified? Do JHA structures and procedures need to be changed? How can greater democratic legitimacy be achieved? What role for national parliaments? Are new common bodies for border protection and an operational role for Europol required? With what political and legal controls? The document notes that according to April's Eurobarometer, EU citizens put the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking third in their list of priorities. They favour EU decision-making in such domains (85% for terrorism, 80% for human trafficking, 72% for organised crime and 71% for drugs trafficking), 58% oppose EU decisions on justice issues and 63% oppose EU decisions in terms of policing (see EUROPE of 14 and 18 December and 6 and 10 November 2001).