As of 21st December 2007, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will become part of the Schengen area. Controls at internal land and sea borders between these countries and the current 15 member states will be lifted.
Vice-President, Franco Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Justice, and Security declared: "An area of 24 countries without internal borders is a unique and historical achievement. I feel very proud and privileged to have been involved in making it happen. Joining the Schengen space is not an easy undertaking. I give enormous credit to these Member States. All the new member countries, who have put in place significant, state of the art border security systems. Indeed, the extension of Schengen demonstrates the EU's commitment to facilitating legitimate travelling within and into the EU whilst at the same time reinforcing the security of our external borders and thereby strengthening the safety of all EU citizens ".
Following enlargement, all citizens of the enlarged Schengen space will benefit from quicker and easier travelling. From 21 December onwards, a citizen can travel from the Iberian Peninsula to the Baltic States and from Greece to Finland without border checks. This is symbolic of a united Europe and underlines the basic right of European citizens to move freely.
Lifting internal border control is also a question of trust between the Member States. It is through a rigorous peer evaluation process that Member States have ensured each member state is equipped to guard the external borders on behalf of all other members and issue visas valid for the whole Schengen area.
The connection of the new members of the Schengen area to the Schengen Information System - which shares information on wanted and missing people, those refused entry, and lost and stolen property - was assured before membership could be agreed.
A third country national will be able to travel in the whole area on the basis of one Schengen visa and will not need separate national visas.![[more]](../img/more.gif)
Schengen enlargement - abolition of internal border control
(PDF 785 Kb)Vice-President Frattini congratulated Mr Lopes da Mota on his appointment. They went on to discuss the challenges ahead for Eurojust. They agreed that any debate about the need for a body like Eurojust had been settled. Having opened its 1000th new case this year ( compared with 192 in 2002).
Eurojust now plays an integral role in facilitating the investigation and prosecution of serious cross-border crime by national bodies in the 27 Member States. Vice-President Frattini also acknowledged the consequence of the increased involvement of Eurojust in tackling cross-border crime, necessitating an increase in budget, personnel and expertise. Vice-President Frattini underlined his preparedness to offer his, and the Commission's, support to its work.
Finally, the Vice-President also welcomed Eurojust's involvement in the imminent enlargement of Schengen. By connecting to the SIS network, Eurojust will have access to information that will increase detection of criminal activity and assist in prosecution. Thus making the Schengen space and Europe more secure.
The Vice-President wished Mr Lopes da Mota him every success in taking Eurojust from strength to strength.
"The European Union and non-discrimination" 2007 competition open to all young peoplein the EU: the Commission announces the winners' places
“The European Union and non-discrimination” 2007 competition open to all young people in the EU: the Commission announces the winners’ places
"The Integration Fund aims to create a new form of solidarity to promote Member States' efforts in enabling immigrants of different economic, cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds to fulfil conditions of residence and to facilitate their integration into European societies. Access to employment and enabling newcomers to acquire basic knowledge of the host society's language are critical for successful integration. The Integration Fund will also help Member States to share their best practice and reinforcing cooperation at EU level," Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission has said today as the EC has publishes the 2007 call for proposals designed to promote the integration of third-country nationals. 4,543 million euros have been allocated for the Community Actions in 2007; grants will cover up to 80% of the total eligible costs of the projects.
The actions covered should pursue the following three priorities: enhance interaction between third-country nationals and Member State citizens, promote integration strategies and measures targeted at different immigrant groups and reinforce the complementary linkage between migration and integration policies.
The minimum grant per project is 80.000 euros. The maximum grant per project is 500.000 euros. The deadline for the submission of the proposals is 31 January 2008.
Overall budget for 2007 - 2013 of the Integration Fund is 825 million euros, 768 million euros for National Programmes distributed among the Member States based on a distribution key expressing solidarity on the basis of the number of legally staying third-country nationals and 57 million euros for Community Actions.
Integrating third-country nationals: the Commission launches the 2007 call for proposals under the new Community Actions of the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals
"We must all be very careful not to be complacent and to keep vigilant. There are areas of concern and we must stay one-step ahead to fight the danger illegal drugs poses to the very fabric of our society. At the same time, we are tackling head-on all elements of the very damaging aspects of the illegal trade in drugs. Importantly, the Communication today shows we are making important wins," Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the area of Justice, Freedom and Security has said today as the Commission issues its annual Communication reviewing the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Drugs (2005-2008). The Communication concludes that the EU's balanced approach in tackling the drug problem is becoming increasingly effective.
In 2006 EU law enforcement agencies continued to be very active in detecting and preventing the trafficking of both drugs and drug precursors, resulting in an increasing number of seizures and stopped shipments. Member States, with the support of Europol and the Commission, work together in initiatives such as the Maritime Analysis and Operational Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N). Thanks to sustained investment in independent monitoring and assessment of the drug problem by bodies such as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the EU gains a more accurate picture of the true nature of the drug problem. At international level, with a total value of some 760 Million Euro, the EU is now the biggest player in the global effort against drugs, cooperating with governments and organisations all over the world, including production and transit countries. Major achievements have been made in recent years in reducing health risks to individuals and society. Harm reduction is now accepted as an important element of drug and public health policies in all EU Member States.
In spite of the progress that is being made, the EU Institutions and the Member States therefore need to continue to invest in effective approaches, the exchange of high-quality data and in closer cooperation. In 2008, the Commission will publish the final evaluation of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2005-2008 and propose the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012.
Update on EU Drugs Policy: progress across the board
"This is an important piece of legislation both for the completion of the European Area of Justice and for the proper functioning of the internal market. With the adoption of this Regulation, harmonising the rules concerning the law applicable to contractual obligations, the European Union is providing citizens and companies operating in its territory with an ambitious legislative tool box on civil justice matters. This proposal will provide much needed legal certainty, benefiting the increasing cross border nature of trade and commercial transactions." Franco Frattini, the Vice-President responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security said today following the endorsement by the Council (and previously by the European Parliament in November) of a regulation harmonising the rules concerning the law applicable to contractual obligations (to be known as "Rome I").
The Regulation, building on the fundamental principle that the governing law of a contract is that agreed by the contracting parties, provides citizens and companies of the European Union the security to enter into a contract in the knowledge that courts in all the Member States will apply the same principles on the cross-border elements of contractual disputes. Consumers, in particular, will benefit from better protection under the new rules. At the same time, the Regulation will facilitate mutual recognition of court decisions in the European Union.
Europeans citizens and businesses to benefit from greater legal certainty and greater access to justice
"The right to consular protection is a concrete expression of Union citizenship. This Action Plan marks the beginning of a long-term strategy to better inform citizens of their rights and ensure that EU citizens are protected world-wide" Vice-President Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security has stated today as the Commission has adopted an Action Plan for the period 2007-2009 to help to make the right to consular protection a reality for all citizens.
Provided that consular protection is the responsibility of the Member States, with its Action Plan, the Commission aims to assist the Member States with this important task and proposes concrete measures for the period 2007-2009 based on three main objectives, namely ensuring that all EU citizens are informed of their rights, clarifying and reinforcing the scope of protection and enhancing cooperation and burden-sharing between Member States.
EU initiative to strengthen consular protection for citizens outside the European Union
EU initiative to strengthen consular protection for citizens outside the European Union
"The delay in implementing the Directive sends a worrying message. The obligatory provisions of the Directive have brought to the EU asylum acquis a number of procedural guarantees and rights, which are of paramount importance for genuine refugees seeking protection in Member States. These guarantees shall now be recognised, implemented and, if necessary, enforced by courts within the national asylum systems. This should have already become an every day reality for asylum practitioners in Member States. After the delays in transposition of the Reception Conditions Directive and the Qualification Directive, this delay is indeed disappointing, particularly because it occurs at the time when there is a strong political will to complete the second phase of the Common European Asylum System," Vice-President Frattini, the European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security has said today.
This Directive was the last in a series of legislative instruments adopted in the first stage of harmonisation of asylum laws and policies of Member States. The deadline for transposition of the Asylum Procedures Directive (Council Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005, on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status) expired on December 1, 2007.
The proper implementation of the obligatory provisions of the Directive is a vital precondition for moving to a common asylum procedure, as described in the Tampere Conclusions and reiterated in the Hague Programme. The Commission, therefore, will take appropriate procedural steps, according to the power conferred to it by Article 226 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, with regard to those Member States who have not yet notified their complete implementing measures."Violence in sport is clearly destructive and counter-productive. We must strengthen our efforts to prevent violence in particular as risk supporters can and do exploit variations in policing, judicial and in stadia safety and security arrangements. But on its own, no country can find the best solutions for tackling hooliganism and violence in sport. The European Commission has a key role to play in that it can facilitate the active involvement of law enforcement services, judicial authorities, sports federations, supporters organisations and other stakeholders so that ultimately we can all enjoy sport peacefully," Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the area of Justice, Freedom and Security said as the European Commission, jointly with the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, the European Parliament and in association with UEFA, hosted a high-level conference entitled "Towards a European Union Strategy against violence in sport" on 28 and 29 November 2007 in Brussels. In addition to Mr Frattini, the European Commissioner Ján Figel', high ranking representatives from the Member States, members of the European Parliament, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and the UEFA President, Michel Platini participated at the event.
The conference has brought together a range of practical experience from more than 150 delegates from EU Member States. It aimed at delivering a multi-disciplinary approach to the fight against violence in sport, and promoting day-to-day cooperation between all the stakeholders.
The Commission Action Plan for Sport, named the Pierre de Coubertin Plan in honour of the Frenchman who founded the International Olympic Committee, was adopted in summer 2007 as part of the Commission's White Paper on Sport. The high-level conference is one of the first actions in the Plan.
The event was concluded by joint press conference by Mr Platini, Mr Pereira, the Minister of Interior of Portugal and Mr Frattini.
Conference on violence in sport - Franco Frattini's closing speech
(PDF 75 Kb)
Kicking violence out of sport - UEFA and EU host high-level conference against violence in sport
Conference violence in sport - programme
(PDF 682 Kb)"The Directive has been duly transposed in the majority of Member States and has not caused any cutback of national standards of assistance to asylum seekers, despite worries that were originally raised. Creating a level playing field in the area of reception conditions is a priority for the Commission: therefore, I intend to propose amendments to the Directive, in order to limit the discretion allowed with regard to the level and form of material reception conditions, access to employment, health care, free movement rights and identification and care of vulnerable person," Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security said today as the European Commission has issued its report evaluating the implementation by Member States of the Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers.
The results of the evaluation report, along with the conclusions of the consultation on the Green Paper on the future Common European Asylum System, recently launched by Vice-President Franco Frattini, will, by 2010, form the basis of a more harmonised legislative framework relating to reception conditions in line with the Hague Programme.
Achieving common EU standards on reception of asylum seekers: Report on transposition and implementation of the Reception Conditions Directive
Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers
(PDF 134 Kb)"I am glad to note that the cooperation between EU and Russia in the field of Justice, Freedom and Security has become such an important component of our strategic partnership. I am committed to continuously develop this extensive cooperation on the basis of common values." Mr Frattini said on the occasion.
EU-Russia cooperation has made progress in all three chapters of the Common Space on Freedom, Security and Justice, which was agreed upon during the EU-Russia Summit in May 2005. Mr Frattini specifically stressed the continuing cooperation on visa issues and counter-terrorism strategy.
Vice-President Frattini looks forward to further cooperation with Russia in the field of justice, freedom and security
"This year's report brings good news in that the use of cannabis and heroin may have stabilised in Europe and that the EU is better equipped to tackle illegal drug problems than a decade ago as a result of EU and national drug strategies coupled with more investment in drug prevention and law enforcement. However, the worrying increase of cocaine use in some Member States, underlines the necessity for continued European cooperation to stop the criminals behind the large-scale production, trafficking and sale of illegal drugs" Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible the area for Justice, Freedom and Security said today on the occasion of the presentation of the Annual Report by the director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Mr Wolfgang Götz.
The EMCDDA's Annual Report on the European drugs situation presents the latest data on the patterns of drug use, supply, treatment and other interventions across the EU allowing the EU and the Commission to follow an ever changing situation in the use of illegal drugs and to take action based on sound evidence. The EMCDDA's data on the drugs phenomenon is also essential information for the Commission's annual review of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2005-2008 due to be published next month.
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
Today's conference brings together public and private sectors representatives to discuss how technology developments can enhance protection of privacy and at the same time allow law enforcement authorities secure and timely access to information, including personal data.
"The protection of fundamental human rights such as privacy and data protection stands side-by-side public safety and security. There must be lines which cannot be crossed, to protect people's privacy. This situation is not static. It changes, and both values are able to progress in step with technological advances. Today's problems require us to develop dedicated technological solutions. We must be innovative and always be a step ahead of criminals, terrorists or those who try to undermine our privacy and security." Vice-President Franco Frattini, EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security has said on this occasion. Mr FRATTINI closed the conference with a speech at 17.00h and has met with the media immediately afterwards.Conference on "Public Security, Privacy and Technology"
Franco Frattini, European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security Closing speech on Public Security, Privacy and Technology Conference
Public Security, Privacy and Technology: enhancing personal data protection and providing secure and timely access to information
Vice-President Franco Frattini, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, stated: "The prevention and the fight against sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child pornography is at the core of our commitment. No area of freedom, security and justice exists if our most vulnerable citizens are exposed to such offences. The approximation of legislation is the first essential step. But we can do more and better. Now we have to strengthen our action and reach more effective results. Recent incidents in Member States show that we have to be more vigilant than ever, and really protect our children".
Vice-President Frattini congratulated EU Member States which mostly meet the key requirements of the Framework Decision. "However, I am disappointed that so many Member States have not transmitted sufficient information about the real implementation of some essential provisions such as the jurisdiction rule which obliges Member States to prosecute sex tourism, and the special treatment of children as particularly vulnerable victims in criminal proceedings" said Vice-President Frattini.
On the occasion of the International Day of the Rights of the Child the European Commission has approved the report on the implementation by Member States of the Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA of 22 December 2003 on combating sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. The objective of the Council Framework Decision is to approximate the laws of the Member States in the area. Therefore, the Framework Decision introduces the obligation to criminalise sexual exploitation and child pornography, and to establish adequate and dissuasive penalties.The meeting organised by the European Commission on the 15th and 16th November in Brussels represented a next step in implementing the general policy outlined in the Commission Communication of 22 May 2007 "Towards a general policy on the fight against cyber crime". The primary objective was to engage key law enforcement and private sector representatives in discussions to identify concrete actions which can be undertaken at EU level.
Vice-President Franco Frattini pointed out that "the increasing prevalence of cyber crime across Europe, spanning large scale attacks in Estonia, identity theft in Spain, illegal content and high-profile online child abuse incidents in Austria, Germany, Italy and the UK, highlight the need for concerted and coordinated action. Indeed successful operations such as "Operation Koala" and the global hunt for the "Vico" paedophile depends on regional and international cooperation. The conclusions of today's meeting represent an important step by the EU to establish the cooperative links upon which such success is built."
The conclusions focused exclusively on how to translate policy into actions on the ground, and how to take advantage of the growing political and public awareness of threats posed by the increasing sophistication and seriousness of cyber criminality.
The European Commission begins a major reflection on operational cross-border cooperation against cyber crime in Europe
In response to the debate on the application of the Free Movement Directive in the European Parliament this week, I reiterate that I have consistently and continuously stressed, to both the media and the Parliament, and long before the recent events in Italy, the importance and relevance of this Directive in this matter. The Directive contains the principles that are necessary to safeguard the rights of the EU citizens that decide to move, temporarily or permanently, on the territory of another Member State. The Directive however also contains the provisions that allow Member States to protect public order and public security. I have always made clear that the Directive must be transposed correctly by the Member States, relied upon and interpreted by the Courts.
I have stated that whilst the Commission is not prepared to tolerate any form of discrimination or intolerance of EU citizens, it will equally support Member States who lawfully protect citizens - whether their own nationals or citizens of the Union more generally. After all, freedom, justice and security all go hand in hand.
In my capacity as Commissioner responsible for the promotion of and respect for fundamental rights, I hope to meet representatives of the Roma community next week in order to express my support to the wider Roma community, and convey the Commission's aim to tackle the discrimination they encounter throughout Europe.
Under the Call for Proposals "Solidarity in Action - Assistance to Reception Challenges" the Commission has now selected for funding concrete projects to help Malta, Italy, Greece, Sweden and Spain in coping with reception challenges of irregular maritime immigration and the influxes of Iraqi asylum-seekers.
"The result of this Call for Proposals is a success and shows the importance of Community support for Member States experiencing significant migration pressure on their asylum systems. The projects to be co-financed will represent a concrete example of co-operation between Member States and burden sharing in order to deal more effectively with the challenges of illegal immigration." Franco Frattini, Vice President and Commissioner responsible for issues related to Justice, Freedom and Security, has said today.
This new budget line for 2007 was voted in December 2006 by the European Parliament in order to finance a number of actions in the area of migration which are complementary to the general framework programme entitled 'Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows' for the period 2007-2013, and which have the potential to provide additional answers to the challenges posed by migratory flows. The indicative amount available for this call for proposals was € 7.000.000.
Commission selects and support projects to tackle challenge of irregular migration
Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission addresses the Court of Justice on the subjects of the new Treaty, the important steps forward as well as necessary adjustments and the general development of the area of Justice, Freedom and Security.
"On doit d'abord se féliciter de la valeur contraignante équivalente au Traité enfin reconnue expressément à la Charte des Droits Fondamentaux de l'Union européenne....D’une certaine manière, la Cour de justice est appelée a devenir, dans le domaine des droits fondamentaux, la Cour suprême de l’ordre juridique communautaire, " the Vice-President has said. He also added that "Mais c’est à l'égard du "3ème pilier" actuel que le nouveau traité apporte les bouleversements les plus profonds."
With the adoption on 6 June 2007 of the Green Paper on the future of asylum policy, the Commission had launched a wide debate on the shape of the Common European Asylum System. 82 Contributions were received, from UNHCR, NGOs, Member States' governments and the rest from Regions, National Parliaments, academic and lawyers' networks, political parties, etc.
On 7 November 2007, a Public Hearing was organised in Brussels to wind up debate on the written contributions received.
Vice-President Franco Frattini, who delivered a keynote address opening the hearing, said "public consultation is an essential part of policy making and of the legislative process: I therefore welcome the large participation coming from civil society and stakeholders ..."
As for future steps, following the analysis of the contributions to the Green Paper, the public hearing and the evaluations of the existing instruments, the Commission will adopt a Policy Plan in July 2008 detailing the Commission's asylum work programme (both legislative and policy measures) for the upcoming years.
Read full speech of the Vice-President:
Franco Frattini European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security “The future of European asylum policy” Hearing on the Future of the Common European Asylum System
"Our goal remains preserving the right balance between the fundamental right to security of citizens, the right to life and the other fundamental rights of individuals, including privacy and procedural rights," Franco Frattini, the Vice-President responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security said today as the Commission adopted a new package of proposals aimed at improving the EU's capabilities in the fight against terrorism.
The package contains a series of proposals dealing with the criminalization of terrorist training, recruitment and public provocation to commit terrorist offences, the prevention of the use of explosives by terrorists and the use of airline passenger information in law enforcement investigations as well as the second report on the implementation of the Framework Decision on combating terrorism.
Mr Franco Frattini continued to state that, "terrorism remains a threat to the political foundations of the European Union as well as to the life and well-being of our citizens". The territory of the Union was violently attacked in Madrid (March 2004) and in London (July 2005). Many other plots were recently foiled, in Austria, in Denmark, in France, in Germany and in the UK...None of our fellow citizens is immune from this threat and terrorism may also strike at European citizens and interests abroad. Terrorists will strike whenever, wherever and with whatever means to make the most impact". He went on to say that "we cannot be complacent, we have to continue striking the right balance between being aware of the threat and taking adequate and proportionate measures, both at European and national level, to prevent it."
To watch the press conference where Mr Frattini will present the counter-terrorism package in real time, select live transmission of the press conference at 13.15 PM today from the Europe by Satellite website.
Fight Against Terrorism: stepping up Europe’s capability to protect citizens against the threat of terrorism
Annex to the Report COM 2007 681
(PDF 456 Kb)
Communication from the Commission on Enhancing the Security of Explosives
(PDF 228 Kb)
Communication from the Commission "Stepping up the fight against terrorism"
(PDF 151 Kb)
Proposal for a Council Framework Decision on the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) for law enforcement purposes
(PDF 188 Kb)
Proposal for a Council Framework Decision amending Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism
(PDF 151 Kb)
Report from the Commission based on Article 11 of the Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on combating terrorism
(PDF 131 Kb)Mr Frattini also mentioned that: "This new convention shows the mutual trust we have in each other's judicial systems and allows for more flexible provisions between Members States and Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, aligned with current EC practice."
This new Convention will replace the 1988 Lugano Convention on the same subject matter. It aims to align the Convention provisions with the present European Community legal framework (i.e., the "Brussels Regulation"). As a result of it, the rules for determining jurisdiction of the courts will now be similar in the EU and the EFTA States concerned. Moreover, the judgments delivered by EU national courts and those of EFTA Member States will be more easily recognised and enforced.
The signing of the new Convention also marks an important institutional change. As a result of the opinion of the European Court of Justice confirming that these matters come under exclusive Community competence, the Convention is now signed by the Community and will become part of Community law. As Vice-President Frattini pointed out: "This is a landmark step in the development of Community external competence".
"Civil law is omnipresent in the life of all citizens - at work, or when they get married, have children, or buy goods and services," Mr Frattini continued. "European integration in this field is advancing by leaps and bounds. Europe has already adopted laws to tackle the sensitive issue of parental child abduction or, in a completely different area, to ensure the free movement of civil and commercial claims."
The European Civil Justice Day that we celebrate for the 5th time this year is intended to put the spotlight on civil justice and to encourage the organisation of information and awareness-raising events and campaigns to better understand how judicial systems work. This day should also help make people aware of the common judicial area for all Europeans that is now coming into being.
European Day of Civil Justice, a joint initiative of the European Commission and the Council of Europe
"We have to compete against established migration destinations such as Australia, Canada and the USA…Failing this, Europe will continue to receive low-skilled and medium-skilled migrants only. A new vision and new tools are indispensable for reversing this trend. This is what we are proposing today. ” Mr. Frattini continued and then went on to add that "the second proposal ensures that ALL migrants who come to reside and work legally in the EU should enjoy basic, work-related socio-economic rights. There can be no balanced and fair labour migration policy unless Europe is ready and willing to defend the most vulnerable third-country workers".
The first proposal concerns a Directive on a single application procedure for a single residence and work permit for third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment in the EU, creating the EU Blue Card.
The second proposal is horizontal in nature, and seeks to simplify procedures for all potential immigrants applying to reside and work in a Member State. Furthermore, it aims to ensure a common set of rights to all third-country workers already admitted and legally working in a Member State, comparable to those of EU citizens. It does not harmonise admission conditions for labour immigrants, which will remain in the hands of the Member States.
Making Europe more attractive to highly skilled migrants and increasing the protection of lawfully residing and working migrants.
Attractive conditions for the admission and residence of highly qualified immigrants
Simplified admission procedures and common set of rights for third-country workers
Mr Franco Frattini also pointed out that: "Figures show that Member States rely more and more on Eurojust when investigating and prosecuting these types of serious crime. Improvements are needed in order to provide Eurojust with the powers necessary to fulfil its tasks and act more effectively in the fight against organised crime and terrorism."
The Communication includes an overview of Member States' implementation of the Eurojust Decision of 2002. Vice-President Frattini mentioned that "Member States have implemented the Decision very differently. I notice substantial differences in the powers that Member States have attributed to their national members and, for example, the duration of their mandate. I believe that aligning these powers is necessary to guarantee continuity and to ensure that Eurojust can work as efficient as possible in the fight against organised crime and terrorism".
Eurojust's aim is to stimulate and improve coordination and cooperation between the national judicial authorities in the Member States in the fight against trans-national organised crime and terrorism. The Communication presents different options to provide Eurojust with all relevant information necessary to carry out its tasks (spontaneous supply of information from Member States, closer involvement of Eurojust in joint investigation teams, the improvement of the liaison between Eurojust and the European Judicial Network).
The Communication will be discussed with Member States at a seminar in Lisbon 29 and 20 October, organised by the Portuguese Presidency and Eurojust. On the basis of the outcome of this seminar, a legislative proposal amending the Eurojust Decision will be put forward in 2008.
Commission wants to strengthen the role of Eurojust in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.
"We want to send a clear message: zero tolerance for the criminals; full support for the victims. We are determined to promote the establishment of national mechanisms to identify and assist victims in every EU Member State, and will discuss recommendations for this purpose during the anti-trafficking day. Full support for victims is a matter of respect for their human rights and human dignity." Franco Frattini, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the area of Justice, Freedom and Security said on the occasion of the first European Anti-Trafficking Day.
Speech: Trafficking in Human Beings: Time for Action
(PDF 168 Kb)Friday October 12 had been set as a deadline to put into national law the 2005 Directive setting out a specific procedure for allowing third-country nationals into the EU for the purposes of carrying out scientific research, or "researchers' visa". Until today only 6 Member States (Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Portugal and Romania) have notified the Commission of full implementation of the Directive.
European Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini said "I urge those Member States who have not yet transposed this Directive to adopt the necessary legislation and administrative procedures without delay. Political commitment by these Member States to better attract and retain high-quality research talent in Europe has not yet been mirrored by a concrete engagement in setting up the necessary rules and procedures coherent with this goal", he added.
The Commission deeply regrets that so many Member States have not yet transposed this Directive into their national legislation and hopes this situation to be remedied as soon as possible so as to avoid initiating infringement procedures.
IP/07/1499: 15 Member States have not implemented the "Researchers' visa" Directive
As the Commission, jointly with the Presidency of the European Union and the Council of Europe, reaffirms today in Lisbon its unreserved opposition to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances, Franco Frattinini, the Vice-President of the Commission for Justice, Freedom and Security said: "The death penalty is a wild and revengeful parody of justice... We can affirm with pride that it has no place within the European model and confirm our commitment to promote universal abolition."
In line with its common foreign policy objective to develop and consolidate respect for human rights, the EU has become the lead institutional actor in the world against death penalty. In June, the EU tabled a resolution at the UN General Assembly proposing a world-wide moratorium on executions.
A growing number of countries are abolishing the death penalty: 133 countries have done so in practice or in law.
SPEECH/07/612: Franco Frattini European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security “Europe against the Death Penalty” Conference "Europe against the Death Penalty" Lisbon, 9 October 2007
IP/07/1462: The European Union is united against capital punishment
Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission has taken part today in the official opening ceremony of the new hospital in Mestre near Venise. The large new facility represents the most technologically advanced hospital in Italy and one of the most modern ones in Europe.
Read more - in italian
(PDF 28 Kb)"EURODAC is an essential part of the EU's Common European Asylum System" Vice-President Franco Frattini, EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security stated today as the 2006 annual report on the activities of the EU-wide biometric tool, which helps determine which Member State is responsible for examining an asylum claim, was published. "The report shows the effective contribution of this EU-wide fingerprint database in managing asylum applications, helping establish which Member State should examine each of them through the comparison of the fingerprints of asylum seekers and illegal entrants and enting 'asylum shopping'".
In 2006, EURODAC processed 165.958 sets of fingerprints of asylum seekers, 41.312 sets of fingerprints of people crossing the borders irregularly and 63.341 sets of fingerprints of people apended while illegally staying on the territory of a Member State.
Figures show that in 2006, the number of registered asylum applications further decreased while the number of registered irregular entrants increased significantly (+ 64% compared to 2005). The report reveals that in 17% of the total number of cases, the same person had already made at least one asylum application in the same country or in another Member State (known as a multiple application). This percentage is only 1% higher than in 2005, which could reflect that the deterrent effect of the "Dublin system" (system which states that only one Member state can examine an asylum application) starts being effective.
The Commission will submit its next report before 30 June 2008.
EURODAC system
IP/07/1347: EU's biometric database continues to ensure effective management of the Common European Asylum System.
Read more - in italian
(PDF 85 Kb)As the European Commission adopted today its third report on certain third countries' maintenance of visa requirements in breach of the principle of reciprocity, the Commission's Vice-President Mr Franco Frattini, underlined the effectiveness of the new reciprocity mechanism: "Since its establishment in June 2005 – in little more than two years – full visa reciprocity has been achieved or is on the way to be achieved with a number of important third countries. This is the case also despite a new challenge with the notifications by Bulgaria and Romania of their cases of non-reciprocity".
Main conclusions of the report show that full visa reciprocity has now been achieved with Mexico and New Zealand. Consultations are going on with several third countries: Brunei, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Panama, Paraguay and Singapore. The Commission has also proposed a Recommendation to the Council to authorize the Commission to open negotiations for the conclusion of a short-stay visa waiver agreement with Brazil.
On the other hand, visa full visa reciprocity has not been achieved with Australia, Canada and the USA even if some progress has been recorded.
The Commission will submit its next report before 30 June 2008.
Some media have recently reported that I would support the idea of limiting the right of privacy of internet users.
It is important for me to underline the fact that this information is untrue. In fact my idea is to find a balanced way ensuring that web sites are not used as vehicle for exchanging information that would threat public security, in particular exchanging information for making bombs. My idea starts from the assumption that technology can improve the way police/intelligence services oversight the web in order to check whether a terrorist activity is carried out; thanks to these technologies, a site can be detected as carrying out such an activity (this cannot be done by technology itself; you need human intelligence), only at that stage, i.e. when a concrete threat is detected, a technological tool could help blocking access to these websites and only at that stage, if necessary, identifying those who are using the site for clear terrorist purposes. I therefore do not envisage at all limiting our citizens' capacity of web research. The decision to block a web site may be taken where appropriate only when the site has illicit content whose knowledge can run counter public security for instance, bomb-making. Sometimes however, law enforcement authorities may decide, to keep web sites deliberately active for investigating reasons.
On this occasion the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security detailed the challenges Europe is facing in order to manage immigration flows and the tools that are already proposed or that will soon be introduced at European level, e.g. the Centre for Migration Management in Bamako (Mali), two new legislative proposals to be put forward in October 2007 (a general Framework Directive on the basic socio-economic rights of all third-country workers and a Directive on the admission of highly skilled migrants) and a Communication examining the nexus between trade and migration planned for 2008.
SPEECH/07/526: Franco Frattini European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security "Enhanced mobility, vigorous integration strategy and zero tolerance on illegal employment: a dynamic approach to European immigration policies"
The report analyses actions taken on admission and integration of third-country nationals at EU and national level, providing an overview of policy developments and helping to evaluate and strengthen integration measures.
In January 2006, the number of third-country nationals residing in the EU was 18.5 million, i.e. 3.8% of the total EU population of almost 493 million. Immigration is still the main element in EU demographic growth and positive net migration is recorded in most Member States. Net migration, ranging between 0.5 and 1 million per year for most of the 1990s, has increased to levels ranging between 1.5 and 2 million since 2002.
Moreover, the Commission announces in this Report its commitment to put forward new initiatives to further develop this framework. These include exploring how participation and citizenship can foster the integration process and promoting the development of common indicators and indexes that could be used by Member States on a voluntary basis in order to assess integration policy outcomes.
The Third Annual Report on Migration and Integration will be the subject of discussions at the High Level Conference on Legal Immigration, which is being organised by the Portuguese Presidency on 13-14 September.
IP/07/351: Third Annual Report on Migration and Integration: an overview of policy developments on integration of third-country nationals at EU and national level
IP/07/1314: Strengthening and monitoring measures for integration policies in the EU: the Commission adopts the Third Annual Report on Migration and Integration
IP/07/1296: Commission promotes public-private dialogue to improve security of EU citizens.
Declaration
(PDF 8 Kb)In an interview to the Italian press, Franco Frattini asks Poland to reconsider urgently its position against a European Day against Death Penalty. "We cannot run the risk of giving the wrong message to countries where the Death Penalty is still legal. Poland must join the other Member States and sign the Common Declaration that should enshrine the yearly Day in the European calendar. This is crucial" he said.
Corriere della sera - Giorno anti pena capitale - Veto della Polonia all'Ue
(PDF 105 Kb)"Our political goal remains to strike the right balance between the fundamental right to security of citizens, which is first, right to life, and the other fundamental rights of individuals, including privacy and procedural rights," the Vice-President of the European Commission said today during his address to the members of the European Parliament in Strasburg. He talked about the continuing threat of terrorist attacks in Europe and the results achieved in several member states where final stages of such attacks had been successfully intercepted. Mr Frattini then detailed the main elements of the Commission's anti-terrorist policy, namely: EU Action Plan on the security of explosives, a proposal for an amendment of the Framework Decision on terrorism to deal with terrorist use of the internet, and an EU Passengers Name Record (PNR) policy.
"We should not forget that an overwhelming majority of our citizens – 84% percent according to a recent Eurobarometer poll – are strongly in favour of EU action to combat terrorism and organised crime," the Vice-President said in conclusion. On this occasion he also announced his will to submit to the Member States a questionnaire on the effectiveness of the national anti-terrorism measures adopted and how these relate to the human rights framework. "I am ready to share with you the data and the results of this exercise," he declared to the European Assembly.
SPEECH/07/505: Franco Frattini, European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, "EU counter-terrorism strategy", European Parliament, Strasbourg
Declaration
(PDF 7 Kb)The Commission has tabled today a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a European Migration Network (EMN) in order to meet the Hague Programme's request for a more 'effective provision of up-to-date information and data on all relevant migratory developments'.
“The European Migration Network,” the Vice-President of the Commission, Franco Frattini, declared “will be a precious tool to improve our knowledge about migratory phenomena in the EU, thanks to its ability to elaborate and publish policy reports, analyse statistical data, produce specific studies and provide relevant ad-hoc information related to migration and asylum, not only for policy-makers but also for the general public”.
According to the proposal, the Network's objective will be to meet the information needs of Community institutions, Member States' authorities and institutions, and the general public. The Network will be composed of National Contact Points, one designated by each Member State, and of the European Commission.
MEMO/07/328: The European Migration Network.
IP/07/1228: The European Migration Network: Providing up-to-date information and data on migratory developments.
Abolishing discrimination and ensuring equal treatment and equal opportunities for EU citizens and residents, particularly the youngest among them, are objectives common to the European Union and its Member States. By saying NO TO DISCRIMINATION, we are reaffirming one of the fundamental values of Europe." Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, has launched a new competition for European children and teenagers aged 12-18 called "The European Union and non-discrimination" today. The aim of the competition is to raise awareness among young Europeans of the work being done by the EU in the field.
Those wishing to take part in the competition will have to design a poster illustrating the idea of non-discrimination in the European Union. The entries will be judged first at national level, and prizes will be awarded to the three best teams in each age category at ceremonies to be held in each country on 20 November, International Children’s Rights Day.
The winners of the first prize in the national competition will compete in a second round at European level. The winners of the first prize in the national competition will compete in a second round at European level. The three top teams in each age group will be invited to visit Brussels from 15 to 17 December for a tour of the city and the European institutions and to attend a European award ceremony hosted by Vice-President Frattini.
www.europayouth.eu.
IP/07/1190: “The European Union and non-discrimination”: Commission launches competition open to all young people in EU.
In a letter to the Libyan Government on the happy outcome of the case of the Bulgarian nurses, the Vice President of the European Commission proposed greater cooperation between the EU and Libya on the subject of immigration "particularly in view of Libya's strategic geographical and political position".
"Europe is now ready to work towards more effective and deeper collaboration with Libya as part of its 'global approach' strategy towards immigration, a strategy that was approved by the European Council in December 2005 and reaffirmed at the international conference in Tripoli in November 2006."
"In fact", Frattini pointed out, "a Frontex mission has already completed an initial assessment of the technical support Libya needs to enable it to step up controls at what is a real gateway for illegal immigration: the southern border. We must help Libya to monitor hundreds of kilometres of desert frontiers bordering on the heart of Saharan Africa."
"Making better use of ention and surveillance technologies, including satellite surveillance, to combat the trafficking in human beings and illegal immigration", added the Vice-President, "will be a key factor, which is why Libya should accept the invitation to work together on European entive operations in the central Mediterranean. Their objectives are to save human lives and stem the flows of illegal immigrants organised by criminal groups."
In a letter to the Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Vice-President proposes "close cooperation to offer Libya a complete plan of action, involving areas including energy, the environment and education (scholarships), in order to bring about a new era of real cooperation between the EU and Libya on questions of mutual interest, based on the experience acquired through the European action plans that were part of its neighbourhood policy."
Text in italian
(PDF 38 Kb)
For more details on this survey in other Member States
Eurobarometer executive summary
(PDF 194 Kb)The Conference has brought together around 250 experts with a view of discussing the report of the Explosives Security Experts Task Force and the future EU Action Plan Enhancing the Security of Explosives.
Already in 2005 Commission's Communication on "Measures to ensure greater security in explosives, detonators, bomb-making equipment and fire-arms" announced the intention to elaborate an EU action plan for the enhancement of the security of explosives based on recommendation from a group of experts. Consequently, a multi-stakeholder Explosives Security Experts Task Force was formed. The work of the Task Force culminated in June 2007 with the submission of a report identifying 50 recommendations for actions designed to strengthen the security of explosives in the EU.
Explosive devices remain the most used vector in terrorist attacks. They were responsible for 79% of victims of terrorist attacks over the last 50 years. Therefore, enhancing the security of explosives and making the production of explosive devices for terrorists more difficult has been and continues to be a priority for the EU.
MEMO/07/294: The Passenger Name Record (PNR): FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
The Green paper presents concrete policy options and deliverables, seeks views of stakeholders on implementation of existing mechanisms and frameworks, and on identification of possible shortcomings concerning the reduction of biological risks, particularly in relation to deliberate terrorist and criminal activities, and the enhancement of preparedness and response.
The process of consultation launched at European level should involve all relevant stakeholders from national authorities responsible for risk prevention, investigation and response, human, animal and plant health, customs, civil protection, to law enforcement authorities, the military, bio-industry, epidemiological and health communities, academic institutions, bioresearch institutes and others.
Green Paper on Bio-preparedness: COM(2007) 399
(PDF 201 Kb)
IP/07/1065: Commission adopts a Green paper on bio-preparedness.
The Commission has published its second evaluation report on the state of transposition of the Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Commission's second report confirms effectiveness of European arrest warrant. More than 1 700 suspects arrested in Europe in 2005 of whom 1 532 were surrendered. In most countries, one of the most remarkable advances achieved by the European arrest warrant has been the considerable reduction in the length of surrender procedures compared with extradition. On average, where the person concerned does not consent to his or her surrender, a surrender request takes less than six weeks to process. Where the person does consent to his or her surrender, the average surrender period is 11 days, whereas under the old extradition arrangements such requests could take over a year to process.
However as Vice-President Franco Frattini added "It is nevertheless important that the shortcomings which remain in the area of the implementation of the Framework Decision be rectified as soon as possible".
IP/07/1064: More than 1 700 suspects arrested in Europe in 2005: Commission's second report confirms effectiveness of European arrest warrant
Following the adoption of the 2007 Work Programme for the new Preparatory Action: Migration management - Solidarity in action, two call for proposals, accounting for a total of 14.000.000 €, are being launched today for actions in the areas of return of illegal immigrants, employment of returnees, information on immigration and reception challenges.
The programme contains various components which deal with the return of illegal immigrants, employment of returnees, information on immigration and reception challenges. The Return component is a continuation for a third year of the Return Preparatory Actions 2005 and 2006, in anticipation of the launch of the European Return Fund in 2008. It also aims at providing support particularly in view of the challenges being faced by Member States that are experiencing strong pressure on specific borders and on their migration management systems. The component on employment is introduced in this Preparatory Action in conformity with the request made by the European Parliament.
This new budget line was voted in December 2006 by the European Parliament in order to finance a number of actions in the area of migration which are complementary to the general framework programme entitled 'Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows' for the period 2007-2013, and which have the potential to provide additional answers to the challenges posed by migratory flows.
IP/07/1035: Migration Management – Solidarity in Action: new EU financial support to be made available in 2007
The European Commission has adopted today 'The Scoreboard' i.e. the second annual report on the implementation of the Hague Programme on achievements in Justice, Freedom and Security policies.
The report covers 2006. The overall assessment is mixed as progress was not consistent in all policy areas. Progress was recorded in 'First Pillar' areas such as fundamental rights, citizenship, civil justice the European strategy on drugs, asylum and migration, visa and border policies, as well as in the fight against global terrorism. But Justice, Freedom and Security policy is currently divided and there were delays in the areas covered by the 'Third Pillar' (police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters). Here recurrent difficulties and blockages held back progress. At the same time, the Scoreboard highlights that implementation at national level of previously agreed initiatives leaves a lot to be desired. A number of Member States fail to comply with the deadline to transpose legal instruments into national legislation, or have delays in transposition (one or more years).
"I look to the Intergovernmental Conference to reach agreement and set the way ahead for all citizens to live in an area of Justice, Freedom and Security." Mr Frattini said.
Speech 03/07/2007: “Scoreboard 2006 in area of Freedom, Security and Justice”
(PDF 156 Kb)
IP/07/1005: “The Hague Programme- Scoreboard shows for 2006 both good progress and unacceptable delays in area of freedom, security and justice, and underpins the need to end EU-Pillar structure in this area”
SEC (2007) 897: "Commission staff working document - Annex to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Report on the implementation of The Hague programme for 2006 - Follow-up of the implementation of legal instruments in the fields of justice, freedom and security at national level - 2006 Implementation Scoreboard – Table 2"
(PDF 345 Kb)
SEC (2007) 896: "Commission staff working document - Annex to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Report on the implementation of The Hague programme for 2006 (Institutional Scoreboard – Table 1)"
(PDF 282 Kb)
COM (2007) 373: "Communication de la Commission au Conseil et au Parlement Européen. Rapport sur la mise en œuvre du programme de La Haye en 2006"
(PDF 216 Kb)"The EU will have now the necessary guarantees that US Treasury processes data it receives from Swift's mirror server in USA in a way which takes account of EU data protection principles." Vice President Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, said today as the European Union has received a set of unilateral commitments ("Representations") of the United States Treasury Department regarding their handling of EU originating personal data received from SWIFT in the United States under the U.S. Treasury's "Terrorist Finance Tracking Program".
The text of the Representations, that the Commission considers to be adequate, was finalised by the U.S. Treasury following discussions with the Council Presidency and the European Commission.
The Representations constitute only one of the measures to address the infringement of European data protection law due to SWIFT's transfer of data to the United States and possible access to some of those data by the U.S. Treasury under the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program on the basis of subpoenas served by the U.S. Treasury on SWIFT. To make lawful the transfer of SWIFT data for commercial purposes to its server in the United States, SWIFT is in the final stages of discussions with U.S. authorities regarding entry into the "Safe Harbour". SWIFT and the financial institutions which use SWIFT's services are working to ensure that bank customers will be properly informed, including that their personal data will be transferred to the U.S. and could be accessed by U.S. Treasury.
IP/07/968: "USA to take account of EU data protection principles to process data received from Swift"
"I believe the reports maintain the credibility of the enlargement process. They give credit for the substantial reforms engaged and highlight the areas where further efforts are needed. However, the reports are also firm on substance. The agreed benchmarks must be fulfilled as an obligation from the accession treaties." Franco Frattini, the Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security said as the Commission adopted today the progress reports on Bulgaria and Romania to address shortcomings in their judicial systems and the fight against corruption and organised crime.
MEMO/07/262: “Key findings of the progress report on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism with Romania”
MEMO/07/261: “Key findings of the progress report on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism with Bulgaria”
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(PDF 104 Kb)"Cocaine producers and traffickers are now engaged in a major offensive against European markets. This has led to historically high consumption figures. Ten million Europeans take, or have taken, cocaine. That is roughly 3% of the adult population of the European Union. Even if this is still well below the level in the US, these are nonetheless historically high figures..."
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(PDF 55 Kb)"At the start of the 21st century, migration and how to manage it in a true partnership with third countries is one of the key global challenges for the EU, its Member States and countries of origin and transit..." Fraco Frattini has said today as the European Commission launched the new programme." ...The new Thematic Programme for the Co-operation with third countries in the field of asylum and migration will provide the EU with tangible means to underpin and promote its global and comprehensive approach to immigration and asylum policies, as endorsed by the European Council."
The programme will seek to support third countries in their efforts to ensure better management of migratory flows in all its dimensions. The focus will be countries along the Southern and Eastern migratory routes towards the European Union, although other migratory routes will also be covered.
The programme covers all the essential aspects of the migration phenomenon, namely the links between migration and development, labour migration, fight against illegal immigration and readmission of illegal immigrants, protection of migrants against exploitation or exclusion and asylum and international protection.
"The death penalty is a violation of the most fundamental of human rights, namely the right to life. Nothing justifies the death penalty, whether it is considered effective in combating crime or not. Such practice is ethically unacceptable, cruel, legally wrong and can all too often lead to innocent people being killed where no redress is possible," Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security said as the proposal was made for a draft Joint Declaration to establish a European Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October of each year.
Then he added " By creating a European Day against the death penalty we are showing our resolve and commitment to not stop fighting this practice until it is abolished worldwide".
The Joint Declaration is to be signed at a Conference on Death Penalty in Lisbon on 9 October 2007 by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EU Presidency and the Council of Europe.
IP/07/850: "Launching the European Day against the Death Penalty"
“I am very pleased that the agreements on visa and readmission have been signed - this means that Ukrainians will now be able to travel more easily while maintaining the efforts to clamp down on illegal migration”, stated Vice-President Frattini, about the two agreements to be signed today between the EU and Ukraine. “The EU and Ukraine can aspire to a qualitatively higher level in their relationship, and these agreements are particularly important in this perspective: can greatly help in increasing mutual understanding and improving our relations in all fields.”
The agreement on visa facilitation eases the procedures for issuing short-stay visas for Ukrainian citizens. The measures agreed on include among others setting a deadline (10 days) within which a decision of granting the visa or not needs to be taken, simplifying the documents that need to be presented when applying for a visa and limiting the fees applied by Schengen Member States to 35 €. The agreement on readmission sets out clear obligations and procedures for the authorities of both Ukraine and the respective EU Member State as to when and how to take back people who are illegally residing on their territories.
The two agreements will enter into force once both Parties have completed their internal ratification procedures, hopefully before the end of the year.
IP/07/849: "Further strengthening EU-Ukraine bilateral relations: visa facilitation and readmission agreements are signed today"
"We must discourage, everywhere in the world, the culture of death as a punishment instrument. Personally, I am proud of the wide consensus that is recorded in Europe on the abolition of the death penalty."
Read full speech
(PDF 149 Kb)"For the first time, citizens and businesses all over Europe will have a speedy and affordable civil procedure at their disposal which is uniform in all Member States and in all procedural steps from the commencement of the procedure to the final enforcement of the judgement", Franco Frattini, Vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, said today as he welcomed the decision.
The aim of the Regulation is to simplify, speed up and reduce the costs of litigation concerning small claims in civil and commercial matters where the value of a claim does not exceed 2000€. The procedure applies to pecuniary claims as well as to non-pecuniary claims and provides for several procedural simplifications, introducing standard forms to be used by the parties and the court and establishing time limits for the parties and for the court in order to simplify and speed up the litigation.
At the same time, the Regulation abolishes intermediate measures to enable recognition and enforcement of a judgement given in a European Small Claims Procedure. A judgment shall be recognised and enforced in another Member State automatically and without any possibility of opposing its recognition. The new procedure will apply from 1 January 2009.
IP/07/821: "Council adopts common position concerning Regulation establishing a European Small Claims Procedure"
"…the processing of personal data in the framework of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters should be subject to common standards to ensure the protection of individuals" Vice-president Franco Frattini, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security emphasized today.
The Council concluded that the Framework Decision will build upon the Council of Europe's existing minimum data protection principles. The Commission regrets that the initiative has not yet been adopted although tabled since 2005 and intends to reach a political agreement on the Framework Decision as soon as possible and at the latest by the end of 2007.
"The Commission welcomes very much the compromise that was reached on the VIS package. On the one hand, the VIS will offer a new practical tool both for consulates and border checkpoints, and for the police and law enforcement communities of the Member States, in order to prevent, fight and investigate terrorist offences as well as other serious crimes. On the other hand, bona fide travellers will benefit from the VIS, in particular, as regards the issuing of multiple-entry visas." At the same time, Vice-President Frattini pointed out that "it was particularly important for me and for the Commission that from the outset all institutions were committed to ensuring that operational requirements went hand-in-hand with a solid protection of the personal data exchanged via the VIS."
The legislative package on the Visa Information System contains the VIS Regulation that will allow consulates and other competent authorities to start using the system when processing visa applications and to check visas while the VIS Decision that will enable police and law enforcement authorities to consult the data under certain conditions.
The Visa Information System will store data concerning visas for visits to or transit through the Schengen Area on up to 70 million people. This data will include the applicant's photograph and their ten fingerprints. The VIS is meant to become the largest ten fingerprint system in the world.
IP/07/802: "Visa Information System (VIS): The JHA-Council reaches a political agreement on the VIS Regulation and VIS Decision"
Vice-president Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, welcomes integration of the "Prüm Treaty" into EU-legislation: "This is the result of very expedient discussions in the Council with a view to rapidly achieving real progress. Cross-border crime and terrorism demand an effective and efficient cross-border response by police and criminal justice. It is a very important first step in view of the implementation of the principle of availability."
The Prüm Treaty is an international police co-operation agreement signed by Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria on 27 May 2005. Certain of its important provisions dealing with police co-operation and information exchange on DNA-profiles, fingerprints and vehicle number-plates have now become part of the legislative framework of the European Union and will be implemented in all Member States.
After this implementation, designated contact points of the law enforcement agencies in the Member States will have mutual access to each others' DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration information systems.
"This Regulation is an important step towards the improvement of our knowledge of migratory phenomena within the European Union" stated Vice-President Frattini, EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security.
Today the Council adopted a Regulation on Community Statistics on migration and international protection (asylum). The Regulation specifies the collection of statistics relating to international migration flows, foreign population stocks, acquisition of citizenship, asylum applications and decisions, measures taken against illegal entry and stay, returns of unauthorised migrants, and residence permits issued to third-country citizens. The focus of the Regulation is on harmonised statistical outputs, with common definitions based on existing and forthcoming EU measures in the field.
The Regulation had already been approved by the European Parliament in March, under the co-decision procedure. It provides a framework which needs to be completed through adoption of implementing Commission regulations. The European Statistical System will be actively involved in the preparation and carrying out of such measures which are expected to be adopted in 2008.
IP/07/804: "The European Union improves the framework for the collection of migration and asylum statistics"
Vice-ident Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, welcomes integration of the "Prüm Treaty" into EU-legislation: "This is the result of very expedient discussions in the Council with a view to rapidly achieving real progress. Cross-border crime and terrorism demand an effective and efficient cross-border response by police and criminal justice. It is a very important first step in view of the implementation of the principle of availability."
The Prüm Treaty is an international police co-operation agreement signed by Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria on 27 May 2005. Certain of its important provisions dealing with police co-operation and information exchange on DNA-profiles, fingerprints and vehicle number-plates have now become part of the legislative framework of the European Union and will be implemented in all Member States.
After this implementation, designated contact points of the law enforcement agencies in the Member States will have mutual access to each others' DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration information systems.
IP/07/803: "The Integration of the "Prüm Treaty" into EU-legislation - Council decision on the stepping up of cross-border co-operation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime"
"Our answer," said Vice President Franco Frattini "should be balanced. It will seriously and thoroughly determine the quality of our life as from today and in the future."
On that premise, Franco Frattini tried to earmark the European viewpoint with regards to Security, Ideas and Technology. He underlined the need for public and private sector to work jointly both on demand and on offer. He stressed the importance at the European level, of making the most of existing synergies with the EU international partners, the USA in first place, but also Russia, without forgetting the role to play at regional level. Finances, EU interventions, research in the security field with a special reference to the European Forum to be launched in next September, are among the items developped in his speech.
Read full speech
(PDF 119 Kb)In its Communication on children Rights of July 2006, the European Commission has underlined the urgency of attributing at national level one single six digit telephone number available within the EU for child helplines and one for child hotlines dedicated to missing and sexually exploited children.
I very much regret and strongly condemn ETA's announcement. I am deeply concerned with the drama of ETA's terrorism in Spain. More than 800 assassinations as well as acts of aggression, economic extortion and blackmail have become common practice and are the result of four decades of terrorist activity. Law-abiding citizens have learnt to live in fear. Many have been permanently threatened in their daily lives. The announcement by ETA ending its cease-fire is a source of particular concern, though this cease-fire had already de facto been broken with the attack of last December that killed two citizens from Ecuador.
As stated in the EU Counter Terrorism Strategy, in a European area of increasing interdependence that allows for free movement of people, ideas, technology and resources, I am responsible for ensuring a concerted European response, in the spirit of solidarity, indispensable to combat terrorism.
Finally, I express my full solidarity with the constitutional and democratic institutions of Spain and support fully the Spanish Government's commitment to answer this announcement by defending our common values, implementing the rule of law and also relying upon international cooperation.
"Initiatives adopted today testify our commitment in ensuring a fair and effective Common European Asylum System, based on efficient tools, and in promoting the integration of third-county nationals who have found protection in the EU and approximating their legal status to that of Member States' nationals. On this basis, we are ready to launch a broad discussion among all relevant stakeholders on how to further pursue a higher standard and greater equality of protection across the EU as well as a higher degree of solidarity between EU Member States" stated today Vice President Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security.
The Commission has brought forward today a comprehensive package on asylum. The package includes a Green Paper that will set up the basis for a wide debate on the future architecture of the Common European Asylum System. Another part of the presented package is a proposal for a Directive extending the possibility to obtain Long-Term Residence status to beneficiaries of international protection. And finally, the package contains an evaluation report on the Dublin system, determining the Member State responsible for the examination of an asylum application in order to avoid a risk of "Asylum Shopping" – a situation where an asylum seeker claims asylum in a number of EU States as well as potential “Asylum Seeker in Orbit” situations - whereby an asylum seeker is transferred between States with no State willing to take responsibility for examining his/her claim.
"...the protection of children's rights is one of the major priorities of the European Union and the European Commission. The Commission is developing an ambitious, coherent and visible European policy, building on existing European and International law and projects. A prosperous and happy Europe in the future depends on the wellbeing of our children today." Mr Frattini said. He then addressed in detail different policy areas as well as EU initiatives linked to the protection of children from becoming victims or witnesses of crime or getting involved in criminal activities themselves.
'Protecting Children from Crime' Speech for part of closing plenary session Criminology Symposium
(PDF 78 Kb)"Today I will outline that children and the future are interconnected. We cannot think of one without the other. We are not just talking of a future for 'them'. But a future for us all. I will outline the positive role children can play and our duty to protect them. Children must be at the forefront of our minds when we discuss policy. Considered from the start. Not just affected by the consequences of our decisions. They must be fully involved. Their views are valid."
Franco Frattini opening speech at the Children's Forum in Berlin
(PDF 47 Kb)The Forum organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the German Presidency is the first of its kind. It brings together the Member States, the UN, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, Interpol, UNICEF, national observatories on childhood, Ombudspersons for children, civil society and other stakeholders. The aim is to develop strategies to promote the rights of children at national and international levels with special focus on the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Union Strategy on the Rights of the Child. How to ensure children's effective participation in future Forums will also be discussed.
Déclaration en Français
(PDF 16 Kb)
Declaration in English
(PDF 15 Kb)The need for information, the scope of protection, the structures and resources, the creation of common offices to increase efficiency and save costs, the consent of third countries, these are the main Community actions already taken and addressed in detail in the Commission Green Paper on Consular Protection from 28 November 2006.
"The ambition is to strengthen this right, which is a concrete expression of EU citizenship as recognised in Article 20 of the Treaty and enshrined in Article 46 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The right to effective consular protection in third countries will become increasingly important, especially for citizens from the smaller Member States." Franco Frattini explained his views on this regards in a speech to the stakeholders.
SPEECH/07/344: “The right to diplomatic and consular protection of Union citizens in third countries” Public hearing: Diplomatic an consular protection (Centre Borschette)
"As Commissioner of the European Union, responsible for questions related to Justice, Freedom and Security, I want, today, express my deep concern and full solidarity to Madeleine's family... But this story is repeated across the UK and across Europe. Usually without the glare of publicity. Today 25 May is International Missing Children's Day. While many of our thoughts will be with Madeleine and her family, some of us may also spare a thought for the other children missing today across the European Union."
The full declaration
(PDF 9 Kb)
Lettre en Français
(PDF 60 Kb)
Letter in English
(PDF 57 Kb)“The European Patrols Network is a further proof of Europe's added value in managing the EU's Southern sea borders. The challenge posed by illegal immigration calls for innovative instruments and courageous political initiatives." said Franco Frattini on the occasion of the launch of the European Patrols Network by FRONTEX and the participating Member States. The objective is to curb illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea and along the South-West Atlantic coasts and to detect emergencies at sea, thus reducing loss of life. "As shown by the recent tragedy near Malta, involving the likely death of 50 immigrants, all efforts to reduce the loss of life at sea, such as the European Border Patrols Network, are essential, and I am ready and willing to support it" stressed the Vice President. In this first phase of the initiative, FRONTEX together with Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Malta, Greece and Cyprus have opted for a regional approach, based on bilateral cooperation between neighbouring states. FRONTEX , though not financing it yet, helped them drawing up the operational plans and defining the geographical areas to be covered and the intensity and use of resources. At the same time, the FRONTEX operations will continue in high-risk areas where illegal immigration by sea is prevalent (e.g. the Canary Islands, Greece, Italy, and Malta).
The first phase of the EPN's operational activities will last until the end of June. It will be followed by an evaluation of the operation whilst phasing in the EPN to create a permanent operational co-operation.
MEMO/07/203: "European Border Patrols Network to combat illegal immigration along the southern maritime borders of the European Union"
IP/07/702: "Launching operations of the European Border Patrols Network: a new tool to tighten up control and management of the EU's Southern maritime borders"
The development of the internet and other information systems has given rise to new rapid flows of information, products and services across the internal and external borders of the EU. This has had numerous positive effects for consumers and citizens. However, the same development has also opened many new possibilities for criminals. Legislation and operational law enforcement have obvious difficulties in keeping pace, also because of the cross-border character of this new type of criminal activity.
"This policy will eventually include improved operational law enforcement cooperation, better political cooperation and coordination between Member States, possible legislative action, as well as political and legal cooperation with third countries; awareness raising, training and research will also be essential in attaining our goals. This policy will be effective only if a strong dialogue with industry is put in place", declared the EU Vice President who also considers that the European Commission is ideally placed to coordinate this policy, in close cooperation with Member States and other international organisations.
COM (2007) 267: "Communication de la Commission au Parlement Européen, au Conseil et au Comité des régions vers une politique générale en matière de lutte contre la cybercriminalité"
MEMO/07/199: "The commission communication 'towards a general policy on the fight against cyber crime'"
IP/07/689: "Defining the Commission's global policy on the fight against cyber crime"
At the invitation of Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble, the high-level advisory group on the future of European home affairs policy (Future Group) met for the first time in Eltville, Hesse, on 20-21 May 2007.
The group consists of Vice-President Frattini, the six interior ministers of the current and upcoming trio presidencies (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia as well as France, the Czech Republic and Sweden), one representative from the subsequent trio presidency (Spain, Belgium or Hungary), and experts from individual Member States as needed.
High-level group on the future of European home affairs policy after 2010 meets for the first time
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"I strongly believe that facilitating people to people contacts can greatly help in increasing mutual understanding and improving our relations in all field", said Franco Frattini welcoming the visa facilitation and readmission agreements recently initialled with Serbia.
The agreements aim at making it easier for Serbian citizens, in particular those who travel most, to acquire visas for the EU, whilst simultaneously having clear rules on combating illegal immigration. The initialled drafts of the Visa Facilitation agreements ensure to maintain the visa handling fee of 35€ instead of 60 € for all Serbian citizens and a total exemption from the visa fee for certain categories of applicants. For certain categories of persons the necessary documents requested for supporting a visa application are simplified or multi-entry visas with long periods of validity are provided. EU citizens are already exempt from the visa obligation by all Western Balkan countries.
The initialled drafts of the agreements on readmission set out clear obligations and procedures for the authorities of both Serbia and EU Member States as to when and how to take back people who are illegally residing on their territories.
The Commission will now prepare the necessary procedural arrangements leading to formal signature of the agreements and subsequently start the process of ratification. All agreements should be concluded and enter into force before the end of 2007.
IP/07/680: "Agreements on visa facilitation and readmission between the European Community and Serbia are initialled today"
"The possibility of finding work is a key pull factor for illegal immigration into the EU…(it) is thus important to ensure that all Member States introduce similar penalties for employers and enforce them effectively " says Franco Frattini, Commissioner for the area of Justice, Freedom and Security as the Commission presents today a legislative proposal for a Directive on sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals.
Mr Frattini added that "At the same time the EU needs to strengthen its relationships with its neighbours and other countries in an effort to manage better migration. We propose to create with third countries Mobility Partnerships that will enable us to address better the increasing labour needs of the EU while at the same time stepping up joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration." With this aim in mind, the Commission is publishing two communications today.
The first of them - The Communication on circular migration and Mobility Partnerships between the European Union and third countries - reflects on how conditions for legal movement of people between third countries and the EU can be eased to benefit the EU as well as the countries of origin.
The second one - The Communication "Applying the Global Approach to Migration to the Eastern and South-Eastern Regions Neighbouring the European Union" - is looking at applying successful tools and concepts to further dialogue and cooperation on migration issues to new geographic areas.
COM (2007) 249: "Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals"
COM (2007) 248: "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries"
COM (2007) 247: "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions applying the global approach to migration to the eastern and south-eastern regions neighbouring the European Union"
MEMO/07/188: "A Comprehensive European Migration Policy"
IP/07/678: "Towards a comprehensive European Migration Policy: Cracking down on employment of illegal immigrants and fostering circular migration and mobility partnerships"
Mr Frattini welcomed the decision to organise the informal meetings (which began under the Dutch presidency in 2004) and expressed hope that this useful initiative will continue under future presidencies. He emphasized the value of such an exchange of views, both as input into the development of national integration policies and, in particular, in steering the agenda at EU level. He then spoke about the positive results under the Common Agenda on integration, for example the consolidation of National Contact Points on Immigration that now have active participation in all Member States and the launch of the "Integrating cities" initiative. He also stressed the areas where more is to be done to strengthen the EU approach, namely European Modules for Migrant Integration, evaluation and monitoring, promoting inter-cultural understanding, encouraging intra- and inter- faith dialogue, active participation and citizenship.
SPEECH/07/295: "A common approach for European policy on the integration of migrants –European debate"
"This handbook will help those involved in integration - from EU to local level - with practical guidance and ideas. We must ensure that integration also includes the children in our society. The handbook includes ideas for those working in schools and with young people. Children are often more open to integration. They hold the key to successful integration. And are citizens of Europe, today and tomorrow". Declared the EU Commission Vice-President who considers that there is no immigration without integration.
Similarly to the first handbook, the second edition includes a mixture of ‘methodological’ and ‘substantive’ topics: chapters on mainstreaming and on integration infrastructure examine the structures and mechanisms used for implementing successful integration strategies across all policy fields, whereas chapters on housing and on economic integration present practices and lessons learned in these specific areas.
The continuous strengthening of instruments for cooperation and exchange of information is at the heart of the developing European framework on integration along with the transposition and implementation of the relevant instruments of Community law. Therefore, the Commission supported the idea to continue developing the 'Handbook on integration for policy-makers and practitioners' and called for a wide and accessible dissemination of this Handbook, adapted to the intended audience. A decision was also taken to translate the handbook into the Union’s official languages.
IP/07/650: "Strengthening the European approach to integration of third country nationals in EU Member States"
On the eve of the Informal Meeting of the EU Ministers Responsible for Integration to be held in Potsdam on 10/11 May 2007 under the German Presidency, the Commission has selected 12 new projects following the 2006 Call for Proposals for the Preparatory Actions for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
Under 2006 INTI Programme, the EU have supported projects based upon concrete proposals for putting the Common Basic Principles for immigrant integration in the European Union in practice. In selecting the projects, priority has been given to actions that tangibly enhance the empowerment of immigrants and contribute to constructive dialogue.
These projects will be supported through grants for a total amount of 4 million Euros.
MEMO/07/168: 12 new projects for the integration of third-country nationals have been selected under the INTI Programme
SPEECH/07/270: "Helping EU citizens seize opportunities: EU's policies and legislation in the area of freedom, security and justice"
SPEECH/07/271: “The EU as an area of Freedom, Security and Justice” EU policies in the area of Freedom, Security and Justice: state of play and future perspectives (Vienna University)
The Commission adopted today a Communication with the purpose of identifying the benefits of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and laying down the Commission's objectives in this field, to be achieved by a number of specific actions supporting the development of PETs and their use by data controllers and consumers."To ensure that breaches of the data protection rules and violations of individual's rights are not only something forbidden and subject to sanctions under the existing legal provisions, but also technically more difficult, the Commission puts forward a set of actions aiming at developing and promoting the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies." says Vice-President Frattini.
The development of information and communication technologies is constantly offering new services which improve people's life. However, alongside these benefits, new risks also arise for the individual, such as identity theft, discriminatory profiling, continuous surveillance or deceit.The use PETs can help to design information and communication systems and services in a way that minimises the collection and use of personal data and facilitate compliance with data protection rules. The use of PETs should result in making breaches of certain data protection rules more difficult and /or helping to detect them, therefore having a positive impact on consumer trust, in particular in cyberspace, all without losing the functionality of the information system.
IP/07/598: Promoting Data Protection by Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
IP/07/561: The first EU "Common Visa Application Centre" opens in Moldova
Vice-President Franco Frattini, EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, welcomed the Council decision: "The adoption of the programme Fundamental Rights and Citizenship will strengthen the EU action in this field. Thanks to this programme, national authorities and civil society will benefit of the concrete commitment of the European Union for promoting the respect and enhancing the protection of fundamental rights".
The financial instrument Fundamental Rights and Citizenship aims at supporting respect for fundamental rights and at encouraging citizens' participation in the democratic life of the European Union. It fosters civil society and bolsters an open and transparent dialogue between stakeholders. Projects financed under this instrument will also promote tolerance and a better intercultural understanding throughout Europe, fighting racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
IP/07/527: "The European Union allocates € 93,8 millions to promote fundamental rights and democratic participation over the period 2007-2013"
IP/07/528: "Three new protocols will make Europol a more effective institution to aid police cooperation among the Member States"
IP/07/533: "EU-Russia relations: Council approves conclusion of agreements on visa facilitation and readmission of illegal immigrants"
Today in Zagreb, a ceremonial initialling has taken place on the visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Vice President Franco Frattini and the Ministers of Interior of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro. "Today, said the Vice-President Frattini , we have reached an important milestone. The conclusion of the negotiations on these agreements will directly benefit citizens. They are a clear and practical sign of our progressive and increasingly closer cooperation." The conclusion of visa facilitation agreements is to be seen as a concrete step forward along the path set out by the Thessaloniki agenda towards a visa free travel regime also for the citizens of Western Balkan countries. Visa facilitation should encourage the Western Balkan countries to implement relevant reforms and reinforce their cooperation at regional level and with the EU in areas such as strengthening the rule of law, fighting organised crime and corruption, and increasing their administrative capacity in border control and security of documents by introducing biometric data.
The Commission will now prepare the necessary procedural arrangements leading to formal signature of the agreements and subsequently start the process of ratification. All agreements should be concluded and enter into force before the end of 2007.
Readmission agreements
Western Balkans
IP/07/497: "Initialling ceremony for agreements on visa facilitation and readmission between the European Community and 3 Western Balkans Countries by Vice President Franco FRATTINI in Zagreb"
Press cutting: "L'Europa è Grande ora trovi anche la voce"
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Press cutting: Politica e Amministrazione - "Fra qualche anno da Dublino a Gerusalemme"
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Press cutting: "UE: missione in Libia contro i clandestini"
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Press cutting: "Piu rigore verso gli immigrati irregolari"
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Press cutting: "Multiculturalismo visto dalla Ue - Frattini: diamo linee guida comuni"
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Press cutting: "A békecsináló"
(PDF 561 Kb)AGRIGENTO: A FRATTINI E PIERO PELU' ''PREMIO MEDITERRANEO SENZA FRONTIERE'' = L'EVENTO ORGANIZZATO DALLA PROVINCIA
Palermo, 2 mar. - (Adnkronos) - E' stato assegnato a Franco Frattini Vicepresidente della Commissione Europea, responsabile per il portafoglio Liberta', Sicurezza e Giustizia e al cantautore Piero Pelu' il ''7° Premio Mediterraneo senza Frontiere'' che e' inserito nel contesto piu' ampio della manifestazione ''Mediterraneo senza Frontiere'', promossa dalla Provincia Regionale di Agrigento con il patrocinio del Ministero dell'Istruzione, dei Beni e delle Attivita' culturali, della Presidenza della Regione Siciliana.
Il Premio, istituito nell'edizione del 2000, e' destinato a Enti, rappresentanti di istituzioni pubbliche, private e religiose, personalita' della cultura, del volontariato, dell'informazione che attraverso il loro impegno si sono contraddistinti nel promuovere un clima di pace e solidarieta' fra tutti i popoli del Mediterraneo.
Franco Frattini, Vicepresidente della Commissione Europea e' stato premiato per ''il suo impegno finalizzato a migliorare l'accoglienza degli stranieri, a promuovere il dialogo e l'integrazione sociale, economica e culturale tra l'unione europea e le sponde del sud del mediterraneo, per accelerare l'integrazione''.
Piero Pelu' riceve il premio ''per l'impegno teso a debellare la poverta' nel mondo, per far si che i principi fondamentali quali l'istruzione, la sanita', lo sviluppo economico siano garantiti a tutti, senza sfruttamento e sopraffazioni''.
"A Europe that forsakes the defence and promotion of individuals' fundamental rights would be a Europe without head or heart. I refer to some very concrete, daily issues: the freedom of expression and criticism, equality between men and women, right of non discrimination. A Europe that refuses to embrace its values, the values of the charter of fundamental rights, is a Europe that is condemned to loose as it will always be weaker than those 'who are more secure than us in terms of identity,.." said Franco Frattini on the occasion of the opening of the new Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna, today. The objective of the Agency is to provide the relevant institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union as well as the Member States - when implementing Union law - with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights. The Agency will work in synergy with NGOs as well as with the Council of Europe. Over the last years, the need for this Agency within the EU was widely considered and the European Council of 12/13 December 2003 decided to extend the remit of the existing European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna and to convert it into a Fundamental Rights Agency. The Regulation establishing the Agency has been adopted by the Council of Ministries on 15 February 2007. "The task of the agency goes beyond the important but limited task of the EUMC to protect rights. It has also a positive task to promote fundamental rights. It has to be a more active and important part of a Europe in which the culture of rights should be disseminated in the conscience of free men and women with the new belief in integration" has declared the Vice President.
The Fundamental Rights Agency is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2007.
Fundamental Rights Agency
Information dossier - Fundamental Rights Agency
MEMO/07/89: "European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)"
IP/07/266: "European Commission welcomes the opening of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency"
Speech: - Vice-President Frattini's speech on the occasion of the opening of the Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna
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Regulation establishing the Agency
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IP/07/189: "New financial instruments to strengthen security in Europe and promote judicial cooperation in Criminal matters are now adopted"
Press cutting: "Marocco - Condanna a morte per l'assassino dell'italiano. Frattini "La Ue chiede la commutazione della pena""
(PDF 207 Kb)Vice president Frattini paid a visit to the holocaust memorial. At the end of the visit, he hold a joint press conference with Ms Brigitte Zypries, the German minister for Justice. Noting that racism and xenophobia is a growing phenomenon in several Member States, they both declared that they will endeavour to have the 2003 proposal for a EU framework decision on Racism and Xenophobia adopted by June next.
"We must create the conditions to increase mutual trust among the different national legal systems. Mutual recognition allows to reach this objective reducing the concerns about the differences between standards of justice in the EU. If some Member States are not willing to follow this line, he added, the others should not be hampered to go ahead". Franco Frattini, European Commission Vice President for Justice, Freedom and Security spoke in Berlin on procedural rights before an audience of lawyers and decision-makers from all Member States. He underlined the importance of the Commission's proposal of a framework decision on common standards in criminal proceedings which by now is in discussion for adoption in the Council.
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Following the last summer official invitation extended by the hungarian authorities, Franco Frattini went to Budapest for a two days visit. On this occasion, he met with the President Laszlo Solyom, the Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, the Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement Mr. Petrétei, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs King Göncz. He held a meeting with the Parliamentary committees on EU Affairs and Human Rights of the National Parliament and gave a special lecture at the Faculty of Law, in Budapest.
His visit focused on issues of common interests, in particular, Schengen, Racisme & Xenophobia, PNR/Data Protection and more generally the Future of JLS. In relation with the internal political debate about the acts of violence of September/October 2006, he made some suggestions, notably a call for restrictions on the use of rubber bullets, obtaining on that precise point a concrete and positive result.
Speech: Full text of Franco Frattini's statement in Strasbourg on the occasion of the debate on the Fava report on CIA flights.
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Press release: "Declaration on protecting children's rights by Vice President Frattini on Safer Internet Day 2007"
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COM (2006) 367: "Communication from the Commission - Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child"
I welcome the adoption today by the Bulgarian Parliament of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of 1991. This is an important development in meeting the set of benchmarks as outlined in the European Commission's Decision of 13 December 2006 "establishing a mechanism for cooperation and verification of progress in Bulgaria to address specific benchmarks in the areas of judicial reform and the fight against corruption and organised crime".
This amendment will help to improve the Judiciary System and confirms the commitment of the institutions of Bulgaria to the actions necessary for further progress in the area of judicial reform and the fight against organised crime and corruption as outlined in the Commission's Monitoring Report of 26 September 2006.
IP/07/101: "Statement from Vice-president Frattini, on behalf of the European Commission, on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust"
Today, in Paris, the Vice President has met the French Minister for Justice, Pascal Clément. This has been the occasion to hold a common review of important topics such as transfrontier cooperation, preparation of the Dresden Meeting, Eu relationship with the United States, Eu relationship with China, the draft regulation on non contractual obligations in civil and commercial matters (Rome II). Franco Frattini took this opportunity to underline that, based on the priorities set out by the German Presidency, the idea of a High level Group at ministerial level between the Ministries of interior of the recent and forthcoming EU Presidencies as well as the Commissioner in charge of JLS had to be seriously envisaged. The task of such a High level Group would be to reflect on the future of JLS policies as from 2010 and after the implementation of the Hague programme.
He also formulated the wish that the question of exchange of datas between the EU and the United States be solved by next July to pave the way to a kind of " Euro- transatlantic free space". He also mentionned the question of the Italian request for a moratory on death penalty, recalling that on a common will, the 10th of October had been declared european Day against the Death Penalty by the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
Press cutting: "Guai a correre, l'Europa è divisa"
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Press cutting: "Mossa giusta, l'Italia sia unita per per piegare Cina, Iran e Africa"
(PDF 119 Kb)"I am pleased that the EU has honoured its commitment to welcome Romania and Bulgaria in 2007: it is a strong signal to the reformers in both countries that their efforts have paid off. They will continue to have my support for their courageous policies. The cooperation and verification mechanism in the policy areas for which I am responsible will be a key instrument for this purpose. I remain personally committed to assisting with all possible means the two new Member States from which I have received a firm commitment that the reform process will continue after accession" said Franco Frattini who also recalled the importance that this development represents for the EU , notably in the fields of police and judicial cooperation policies in the fight against organised crime and corruption as well as for managing a considerable part of the EU's external borders.
MEMO/06/517: "On the eve of Bulgarian and Romanian accession to the European Union"
