Key priorities of Ireland’s EU Presidency will be debated at the Justice
and Home Affairs Council taking place in Luxembourg on 6-7 June. Justice
for Growth, Fundamental Rights and the fight against terrorism are among
issues which will be addressed by the Council, chaired by Ireland’s
Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter.
On the first day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Justice Ministers
aim to make progress on a range of justice for growth measures which
include data protection, insolvency, the European account preservation
order and the protection of the EU’s financial interests against fraud.
Justice for Growth, a term used to refer to the legal and regulatory
measures in the justice sector which can be used to boost economic growth
and stimulate job creation, is one on the main priorities of Ireland’s EU
Presidency. In particular, Ireland has prioritised advancing data
protection proposals aimed at enhancing the data privacy rights of
consumers and streamlining regulatory obligations for businesses across the
European Union.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, also
seeks to make progress on insolvency proposals through the agreement of
broad political guidelines. The guidelines proposed will ensure that
viable businesses which get into difficulty would get a “second chance” and
that measures are taken to reduce abusive forum shopping by those facing
insolvency.
Minister Shatter said “Many legal and regulatory issues which impact on
businesses and consumers fall within the scope of the Justice and Home
Affairs Council. We, as Justice Ministers, must continue to do all we can
to support businesses struggling to survive in the difficult economic
conditions we currently face. It is for this reason that I will seek the
support of my colleagues to significantly advance important measures on
data protection, insolvency and debt recovery.”
Minister Shatter will also brief his EU counterparts on the successful
conclusion of negotiations on EU Accession to the European Convention on
Human Rights and will present Council Conclusions on the EU Charter of
Fundamental Rights and the EU Action Plan on Drugs, for adoption.
The second day of the Council will focus on home affairs, immigration and
asylum issues. The fight against terrorism will be a particular focus for
debate. Ministers will hear a presentation from the EU Counter-Terrorism
Coordinator on the issue of foreign fighters in Syria and elsewhere and
discuss issues that arise of relevance to the EU and how they should be
tackled. The Irish Presidency will seek the support of Member States in
calling on the EU to update and strengthen its fight against radicalisation
and recruitment to terrorism.
Minister Shatter commented “Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism has
manifested itself again in tragic and appalling attacks in a number of
Member States in recent weeks. The problem of foreign fighters returning
from conflicts abroad poses particular risks for Member States. There is
an urgent need to tackle this phenomenon quickly and comprehensively
covering all relevant aspects of the issue ranging from prevention to
prosecution and assistance upon return.”
Interior Ministers will be asked to agree the EU’s priorities for the fight
against serious and organised crime between 2014 and 2017 which will
include the issues of trafficking in human beings, drugs and firearms,
facilitating illegal immigration and cybercrime among others. The
Commission will also present their recently published proposals on Europol.
The presentation will be followed by a debate on some of the more
significant aspects of the draft Regulation.
Finally, the Irish Presidency will update Ministers on a number of
significant achievements in the area of border security and asylum, most
notably agreements reached with the European Parliament on the completion
of the Common European Asylum System and Schengen Governance.