Brussels, 26/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - At the informal Council from 27 to 29 January in Luxembourg, the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers will pave the way for their work over the next six months (EUROPE of 25 January, p.13), especially on such delicate issues as asylum policy outside the EU's borders, internal security, and police records. They will tell the European Commission what they wish to see included in the action programmes to be added to The Hague Programme for the years 2005 to 2009. They will also discuss the financial perspectives for justice and home affairs. The meeting, to be chaired by the Luxembourg minister for justice, Luc Frieden, and immigration minister Nicolas Schmit, will start with a dinner on Thursday evening and end early on Saturday afternoon.
Police records: the Member States will comment on the Commission's White Paper (yesterday's EUROPE, p.11), which proposes the creation of a European register for people found guilty of a criminal act, the revocation of rights and that of transfers on the part of such people. The Council “will enable us to see how far the Member States are prepared to go”, Mr Frieden told journalists.
Internal security: ministers will discuss the creation of an internal security committee, provided for by the Constitution, and the role they wish it to play. An initial discussion at expert level showed that great differences of opinion exist, some wanting its role to be legislative, others operational, and yet others strategic. The Council will also discuss Europol and Eurojust.
Tsunami: in a meeting to be attended by the Secretary General of Interpol, Ronald K. Noble, ministers will discuss European cooperation in identifying victims of the tsunami. Mr Noble will ask them for help in terms of human and financial resources (EUROPE of 19 January).
Asylum: discussions of the external dimension of European asylum policy will be held in the presence of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers. After the row caused by German and Italian statements regarding refugee camps last summer, after a tense informal Council under the Dutch Presidency, the Luxembourg Presidency will try for a less impassioned debate. The aim is to provide the Commission with indications on what the Member States expect from the communication it is set to present in June or July on pilot refugee protection projects in their region of origin. The Member States will indicate which measures and which regions could feature in a pilot project, and who- the HCR or another body- will oversee their implementation. They will also discuss their availability to take part in so-called “reinstallation” projects, in other words receiving refugees present in third countries on their territory. The Presidency feels that reinstallation is an essential instrument to show third countries that the EU is prepared to take on its share of the responsibility.
Europol: ministers will discuss the appointment of the director of the European police office, an issue which has remained unresolved for a year. Mr Frieden told journalists that he has “set the objective of funding a candidate who will have unanimity” during his or her presidency. “The Presidency will use all its diplomatic and linguistic talents to do this”, he stressed. The subject will be on the agenda of the JHA Council of 24 February. As we revealed on Tuesday, the four candidates are: the deputy director of Europol, Mariano Simancas (who has been the acting director since 30 June); the Italian Emanuele Marotta, former deputy director of Europol and already a candidate; the Frenchman Gilles Leclair, former deputy director of Europol and head of the French anti-terrorist coordination unit, and Mr Ratzel, a high-ranking German police chief.