Brussels, 29/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) to be held on 1 and 2 December will largely focus on the preparation of the terrorism and immigration chapters of the European Council on 15 and 16 December.
Firstly, ministers are expected, on Thursday, to approve the broad lines of a new European counter-terrorism strategy and a strategy for combating radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism, as well as the establishment of an action plan against terrorism. They are also expected to adopt the report by EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gijs de Vries, who recommends creating a non-permanent structure bringing together the EU Council's president-in-office, High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana, the president of the European Commission, and the representative of the Member State concerned by a crisis situation (terrorism, natural disasters, industrial accidents, flu pandemic). The aim of such a structure would be to allow the EU to communicate more effectively in the event of internal crisis. It is expected that the JHA Council will also adopt a strategy on the external dimension of the area of freedom, security and justice, which defines terrorist threat, organised crime and the management of migratory flows as priorities. Ministers are to support increased European aid for combating drug trafficking and production in Afghanistan and for the action plan against people smuggling. Further to the discussions at the informal summit of Hampton Court on 27 October (EUROPE 9059), ministers will again examine the problem of immigration with a view to the European Council. This will also provide an opportunity for the European Commission to present the Council with its package of concrete measures for combating illegal immigration.
On Friday, the Council will tackle the issue of telecoms data retention in the context of codecision procedure (EUROPE 9032). The British Presidency is expected above all to take stock of its contacts with the European Parliament and seek to find a common position on the proposal for a directive on this subject. Nonetheless, European sources consider a consensus will not be reached between States on this issue mainly because of the position adopted by the European Parliament Committee on Citizens' Freedoms (EUROPE 9076). If no compromise is reached, the draft directive could be buried to the benefit of the framework decision proposed on the same question (EUROPE 9023 and 9024). The JHA Council is also expected to reach a general approach on a framework decision on the European Evidence Warrant (EEW), and hopes to also agree on the definition of offences within the framework decision on the fight against organised crime. Other subjects discussed by ministers will not necessarily be the subject of agreement. They are: the European order for payment procedure, small claims procedure, mediation in civil and commercial matters, and procedural rights in criminal proceedings throughout the EU.