The Minister of Justice and Public Order, Mr. Ionas Nicolaou, departed today, Wednesday December 3, 2014, to Brussels, in order to participate in the deliberations of the last Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU held under the Italian Presidency of the EU Council. The Ministers are going to evaluate the progress of works performed during the last six months and define their political target on issues that remain open, which will be part of the discussions amongst member states under the Latvian Presidency that takes over next semester.
A significant part of the deliberations is expected to be spent on the fight against terrorism. The Ministers are going to discuss the course of the implementation of the EU Strategy on the prevention of terrorist radicalization and recruitment, as well as the measures taken concerning foreign fighters, and the means for improvement in prosecuting terrorists and in justice cooperation. In relation to this the Ministers are going to exchange views on the proposal for a Directive on the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and other serious crimes.
The Council is also going to examine a number of law proposals amongst which is the proposal for a Regulation of the Council and the EU Parliament on the insolvency proceedings, on which the Ministers are expected to reach a political agreement. In addition, the Council is going to discuss the Proposals on the international jurisdiction, the applicable law, the recognition and execution of decisions made on matrimonial property of spouses and the Proposal for a Regulation on the establishment of a European Prosecutor’s Office which aims at creating a framework for the protection of the financial concerns of the member states and the EU in general, through criminal law.
Mr Nicolaou is also going to have a meeting with the Cypriot EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Mr. Christos Stylianides, in order to discuss, inter alia, the implementation of the solidarity clause among member states. Furthermore, he is going to meet with the EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, in order to discuss the enhancement of the member state borders, so as to protect the EU citizens from terrorist threats. In this framework, they are going to exchange views concerning the Council’s funding for the supply of electronic means of control, as well as the proceeding of works at the European Parliament relating to the promotion of the proposal for a Directive in keeping the Passenger Name Record.
In addition, the Minister is going to have a meeting with the Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Mrs Věra Jourová, in order to analyse the Republic’s positions on important proposals discussed at the Council’s level. He is also going to discuss the measures taken on improving the access of citizens to justice, with emphasis on e-justice, as well as the funding programs for the training of judges and lawyers.