The first results of the informal meeting of the justice and home affairs ministers
© Ministère de la justice, C. Lacène
- On: 07.07.2008
- In: Cannes
The French Presidency presented a draft European pact on immigration and asylum to its partners at the informal meeting in Cannes on 7 July 2008.
It also made a series of proposals aimed at strengthening operational cooperation between police forces and civil protection capabilities. The justice ministers will meet on 8 July.
Towards renewed political engagement for asylum and immigration
The French Presidency proposed a draft European pact on immigration and asylum to its partners. The text is a strongly expressed political objective to commit Member States to adopting common principles to guide the European Union's immigration policy within a spirit of solidarity and responsibility.
Under the direction of Brice Hortefeux, the French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Mutually-Supportive Development, the proposals and underlying principles of the French Presidency's initiative received a warm reception in the initial discussions between the 27. Indeed, some Member States have already expressed their full support for the current version of the text.
Discussions will continue over the coming weeks with a view to the pact being adopted during the European Council in October.
Towards a more secure and citizen-centric Europe
The French Presidency is advocating intensified operational cooperation between the police services of the 27 Member States to step up the fight against organized crime and international terrorism. Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Minister of the Interior, Overseas France and Territorial Communities, and her European counterparts reaffirmed the necessity for the European Union to improve the daily security of its citizens, envisaging greater convergence of their respective services, through a realistic, balanced approach to strengthening security while safeguarding civil liberties. Ms Alliot-Marie has proposed developing a European platform to signal illegal sites and setting up 'European police stations' in tourist areas and in times of major events. With regard to the fight against drug trafficking, Alliot-Marie proposed the creation of a centre to coordinate the fight against maritime trafficking in the Mediterranean.
The French Presidency also wants to endow the European Union with a voluntary solidarity action plan to respond to the disasters, natural or not, that affect our countries each year. To this end, it proposes that the Member States voluntarily make available the people and resources necessary to intervene wherever necessary in the event of a major crisis.
With regard to civil protection, the ministers decided that European solidarity should be strengthened by the pooling of the Member States' resources on a voluntary basis to help the EU to better anticipate, prevent and manage crises. The work from this meeting will be presented to the Council mid-way through the French Presidency. Lastly, Ms Alliot-Marie presented the conclusions of the report of the 'future group' on internal security issues, an informal group comprising eight Member States, which has been set up to produce suggestions for the period 2010-2014.
Gallery- Updated: 23.12.2008
