Justice and Home Affairs state of play: Greek Presidency results before the European Parliament LIBE Committee

The Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Patroklos Georgiadis, presented yesterday (1.4.2014) before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament the results of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council in the field of Justice and Home Affairs.

The Greek Presidency has in particular thanked the European Parliament for the efforts taken to conclude the adoption of the Home Multiannual Financial Framework Regulations. By means of these Regulations, the Home funding instruments will be overhauled.

In the area of asylum and illegal immigration, all five recast proposals adapting the legislative framework of the CEAS have already entered into force: Qualification Directive, Reception Conditions Directive, Asylum Procedures Directive, Dublin Regulation and EURODAC Regulation. The aim of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) is to establish an area with high protection standards and solidarity based on a common asylum procedure that is both fair and effective.

The Presidency has attributed special attention to the protection of the EU external borders. Great progress was made in negotiations on the “smart borders  package. The relevant legislative proposals were submitted by the Commission in March 2013. A considerable amount of work has since been devoted to examining them in depth and the first reading of the proposals has been completed by the competent Council preparatory body.

The European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the draft Regulation regarding the Sea Borders Operations coordinated by FRONTEX. The Regulation is expected to contribute significantly to an effective border management at the sea external borders of the member states. The Regulation also caters for the promotion of solidarity towards those member states which, for geographical reasons, are most involved in sea external borders operations.

The Greek presidency attached the greatest importance to the follow-up of the work of the Task Force Mediterranean (TFM). Therefore, the Greek presidency decided to inscribe this item on the agenda of the JHA Council meeting, on 3 March 2014, where the Commission reported on the implementation of the thirty seven operational actions identified in its communication. Thereafter, the Council invited all the stakeholders - the EU and its agencies, the member states and relevant international organisations - to continue their active participation in the implementation of such actions.

The European Parliament and the Council have recently agreed on the legislative acts in the field of visa policy, which constituted another high priority for the Presidency. The legislative acts refer to the draft Regulation lifting the visa requirement on Moldova and the draft Regulation lifting the visa requirement for a number of Caribbean countries, for the United Arab Emirates and for Colombia and Peru. The Greek Presidency will continue to keep a close eye on the final steps of the procedure with a view to a quick entering into force of the legislative acts.

The Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a specific visa (touring visa) and the Proposal for a Regulation of the EP and of the Council amending Regulation and establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) will be dealt with as a matter of priority by the Greek Presidency.

Another important file for the Greek Presidency, which is also provided for in the Lisbon Treaty, is enhancing Europol. The Council on 3 March 2014 discussed the future of CEPOL. An overwhelming majority of member states agreed to the need to "lisbonise" CEPOL's legal basis so as to update its tasks and its outreach not only to senior officers and not only to police but also other law enforcement services. The Council therefore invited the Commission to present a corresponding legislative proposal as soon as possible. Apart from the need to update CEPOL's tasks and "lisbonise" its legal basis, the Council also had to find a solution as regards the relocation of CEPOL's seat. On the basis of member states' initiative the Council and the EP reached an agreement on the draft Regulation on the relocation of CEPOL's seat from Bramshill (UK) to Budapest (HU).

The Stockholm Programme has been and continues to be an extremely useful guideline to accompany and direct EU's efforts to build a comprehensive and ambitious vision regarding the JHA area. On the Council part, since the Athens Informal Ministerial meeting in January 2014, two full-rounds of COREPER discussions and the recent March JHA Council, the Greek Presidency is able to outline the main ideas and proposals of the member states for the future development of JHA. The Presidency is now reflecting on how to bring things further in view of the June Council and in view of the European Council.