Speeches, Interviews

Presentation of the Presidency Programme by Federal Minister Liese Prokop, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

(cehck against delivery)

Mr President, members of the LIBE Committee,

Ladies and gentlemen, Members of the European Parliament, it gives me great pleasure to be here in Brussels today to give you an overview of the priorities of the Austrian Council Presidency in the field of home affairs.

One of the key demands made of the EU by its citizens is to ensure greater security for every individual and thereby develop further the area of freedom, security and justice.

In order to fulfil those expectations on the part of our citizens, we need to find specific ways of dealing with the threats posed to our security by terrorism, organised crime, corruption, drugs and illegal migration.

• Today, all of those threats are international problems.
• Consequently, the only effective means of countering such threats and protecting European citizens is through cooperation with all the parties concerned.

This situation is reflected in the increasing importance of the European Parliament:

• Never before has the EP had such wide-ranging powers in the field of justice and home affairs as it has today.
• This fact, together with the EP's particular expertise in matters relating to internal security and protection of fundamental rights, makes the EP a key institution

with which we wish to continue to work intensively and in full confidence!

• We therefore sought contact with representatives of the LIBE Committee well before the official start of our Presidency
• and forwarded our programmes in the fields of asylum, migration and border management (SCIFA) and police cooperation (CATS) to all Committee members on completion.

Naturally, our plans in that connection are aligned closely with the fundamental EU documents which define the objectives for work in future years. These include:

• the "Hague Programme" and the action plan for its implementation,
• the EU's Counter Terrorism Strategy,
• or the new external strategy in the field of justice and home affairs.

Against that background, we have identified six focal points for the Austrian Presidency in the field of home affairs:

1. Implementation of the external JHA strategy
2. Combating organised crime and corruption
3. Combating terrorism
4. Completion of SIS II and Schengen evaluation
5. Asylum and migration
6. Crisis and disaster management

In the course of this brief presentation of the Presidency's priorities, I will also inform you about the discussions on that subject which took place during the informal ministerial meeting held in Vienna from 12 to 14 January 2006.

re (1) Implementation of the external JHA strategy

The Austrian Presidency will be focusing on implementation of the Strategy for the External Dimension of JHA adopted in December 2005

• given that the EU's internal security is heavily influenced by the security situation in neighbouring countries.
• The development of an area of freedom, security and justice can only be successful if it is underpinned by a "partnership with third countries" which – as explained in the External Strategy –  includes strengthening the rule of law and promoting respect for human rights and international obligations.

At the informal ministerial meeting in Vienna we discussed how these partnerships for security should be implemented, and by what means.  There was broad agreement on the approach suggested by the Presidency and the European Commission:

• Accordingly, following on from the UK Presidency's achievements, we should first like to turn our attention to producing three "action-oriented papers", on
  • the western Balkans and relevant ENP countries;
  • Afghanistan (drugs);
  • and countries of origin and transit in Africa as regards immigration, although during our Presidency we plan to concentrate on the Euro-Med area.

It is also important to mention that the action oriented papers must build on existing instruments and forms of cooperation between the EU and third countries.

On this basis we shall – after further internal EU discussion – involve selected third countries, as partners, in implementing the external strategy

• at the major Ministerial Conference in Vienna on 4 and 5 May 2006.
• We should like to focus especially on the Western Balkans and relevant ENP countries,
  • because these countries are the EU's immediate neighbours and are therefore particularly important for our internal security,
  • and because we believe it is quite feasible to include third countries if it is done gradually and pragmatically.

re (2) Combating organised crime and corruption

Secondly, the Austrian Presidency will be focusing on the fight against organised crime and corruption, which can only be successful if it is conducted on both fronts, since organised crime in general is closely linked with corruption.

We shall therefore

• work on forming an "Anti-Corruption Network " in the EU
• and strengthen those elements of the internal security architecture needed to combat organised crime (and other threats), in particular through discussion
  • on the future of EUROPOL and
  • work on improving operational cooperation across the board.

At the informal meeting, Ministers

• made a clear commitment to strengthening Europol
• and to improved coordination within the "internal security architecture".

The Presidency will therefore be holding an expert conference in Vienna in February, at which an "Options report" on the future of Europol is to be prepared.

We shall also prepare a comprehensive internal security paper, listing priorities, institutions and instruments as well as identifying deficiencies in the "internal security architecture".

re (3) Combating terrorism

The fight against international terrorism is another internal security priority.  No country is immune.

All cultures and religions are affected: New York, Djerba, Madrid, Istanbul, Bombay and London all provide sad illustrations of this simple truth.

The lessons we have learned are:

1. We must work together to protect our citizens and use our united strength to undermine terror.
2. We must strike the right balance between security and freedom, between the basic right to security and other basic rights and freedoms.

If we do not want just to re act, what we need most of all is to open a broad dialogue between cultures and religions, both inside and outside our own countries:

• On this subject too, we shall be holding a special event in Vienna on 19 May 2006.

During the Austrian Presidency, anti-terrorism efforts will be focusing especially on three areas:

1. improved cooperation, both between Member States and at EU level.  For example, Europol and the "Situation Centre" (SITCEN) are to work together more closely in future.
2. work on the EU programme for critical infrastructure protection and – last but not least –
3. initial steps to implement the EU strategy for combating radicalisation and recruitment, chiefly through the abovementioned dialogue between cultures and religions.

re (4) Completion of SIS II and Schengen evaluation

Continued work towards dismantling border controls for the new Member States – while keeping up quality standards – is also high on our agenda.

We all know that along with implementation of the Schengen acquis, getting SIS II up and running is an essential pre condition for the abolition of border controls for the new Member States.

Accordingly, we want to

• work towards adoption of the legal acts needed for the new SIS II Schengen Information System
• and forge ahead with evaluation missions, unrelated to SIS II, to assess the quality of the new Member States' border controls (10 evaluation visits planned).

Getting SIS II ready on time is a major challenge for our Presidency:

• In order to meet the Council's deadline of 1 April 2007, Council work on the three legal acts must be finished in the first half of 2006 if they are to be referred to Parliament in time.
• In our eyes, SIS II is a further technical development of SIS I+.  The purpose of the SIS remains unchanged: It is the central police cooperation tool.  The SIS was created to compensate for the removal of internal borders by increased information sharing between police forces.  This has been the case since 1995 and will not be changed by the new legal bases.
• If SIS II is to be ready on time, joint efforts will be needed from the Presidency, the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament.

The Austrian Presidency is prepared to work together with the European Parliament on SIS II in an atmosphere of openness and trust.

re (5) Asylum and migration

Asylum and migration is the EU Presidency's next priority.  Recent events in Ceuta and Melilla have demonstrated once again the importance of concerted action within the Union.

At the informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers from 12 to 14 January 2006 some fundamental strategy decisions were taken:

It became clear that Member States want to achieve a unified European asylum procedure as quickly as possible, in line with the aims of the Hague Programme:

1. Extending cooperation within the Union

• As a first step, the quality of asylum procedures should be improved, by ensuring that asylum decisions are taken, as far as possible, on a unified basis, for example, using joint documentation on home countries.
• In a spirit of European solidarity, many Member States committed themselves to mutual support in the event of exceptional asylum pressure, for example through rapid intervention teams.  Community resources, especially from the Funds, should be made available for these measures.
• At the informal ministerial meeting, a number of delegates called for foreigners who have been refused leave to stay in Europe to be able to be repatriated on joint charter flights, subject to strict observance of human rights.

The Austrian Presidency will draw up a strategy for this, in which training the officers charged with carrying out these expulsions up to European standards will form a major component.

2. Extending cooperation with neighbouring countries

• It is clear that the main aim of any refugee policy must be to offer protection to those who need it as quickly as possible and as close as possible to their homelands.
• This is the only way to prevent worldwide movements of refugees and the human tragedy they cause.
• There was therefore overwhelming support at the informal meeting for the planned regional protection projects in the Western Newly Independent States and in Africa/Tanzania.  The Austrian Presidency would like to set them up quickly together with the Commission and the UNHCR and launch at least one of the projects in June 2006.
• Before I come to our final priority, I should like to touch on the Visa Information System (VIS):
• This database for sharing data on visas between Member States will provide significant added value as a means of carrying out the common visa policy, preventing visa shopping and combating illegal immigrant smuggling.
• The Austrian Presidency will continue work on the legislation for the VIS, in close cooperation with the EP, to ensure that is operational by the end of 2006.

re (6) Crisis and disaster management

The sixth and last area on which our EU Presidency will be focusing is crisis and disaster management.

Here too sad events, especially those of last year (the tsunami, earthquakes, floods) have shown that coordinated cooperation is essential for coping with crises and disasters at European and international level.

Austria will therefore

• work towards framing integrated EU rules on crisis management
• and press ahead with a new legal and financial instrument for disaster protection.

In addition to the priorities, I should like to emphasise the following with regard to current developments on the financial perspective:

• Although the exact sums still have to be worked out with the European Parliament, it will be clear to us in this forum that we must press ahead with the CONTENT of the financial programmes as a matter of urgency.
• I can assure you that my experts will cooperate with you on this matter.  Together we must find the resources needed for integration, for securing our external borders and dealing with return and refugee problems.
• The implementation of these financial instruments is intended as a means of giving due weight to the principle of solidarity between Member States.
• For example, Member States will be able to take the following measures with co financing from Community funds:
  • Reception and integration of refugees (Refugee Fund)
  • Visa administration and measures to implement a common visa policy (External Borders Fund)
  • Border infrastructure and buildings; (External Borders Fund)
  • Vehicles for patrolling external borders (External Borders Fund)
  • Exchange and training programmes for border guard authorities (External Borders Fund)
  • Implementing reception programmes more efficiently: it should be easier to integrate quickly and smoothly (Integration Fund)
  • Putting introductory programmes and measures into effect: the early stages of third country nationals' residence are particularly important (Integration Fund)
• So you see that, depending on Member States' geographical positions, national measures taken in the Community interest will receive corresponding support on a basis of solidarity.

Mr Chairman, members of the LIBE Committee,

In order to make as much headway as we can on these priorities, we are seeking on going cooperation with all the relevant EU institutions and bodies.

Close cooperation with you, the members of the European Parliament, is especially important to me.  Accordingly, we have already begun intensive dialogue, both at political level and between officials.

We all have the same goal, to enable future generations throughout Europe to live in an area of freedom, security and justice.

We hope that the Austrian Presidency of the Council will contribute to that goal.