Franco Frattini Vice-President and EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security

The European Commission today launched its 5 year Action Plan for Freedom, Justice and Security – with detailed proposals for EU action on terrorism, migration management, visa policies, asylum, privacy and security, the fight against organised crime and criminal justice.
This is a major policy initiative and a cornerstone of the Commission’s Strategic Objectives for 2010 - built around prosperity, solidarity and security.

Presenting the Action Plan, Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Security and Justice, said: “We live in a world where threats to security and personal freedom are ever present in citizens’ mind. In a globalised world no Member State can respond effectively to these threats alone. But European co-operation offers new possibilities for success. This 5 year plan maps out concrete measures to strengthen citizen’s security, to tackle terrorism, to strengthen the Union’s external borders and the fight against illegal-drugs, people-trafficking and organised crime. At the same time it builds in measures to safeguard fundamental rights, to increase judicial co-operation and to enforce access to justice across the Union. This is an ambitious and balance proposal for action. With this Roadmap, the European Commission is responding directly to citizen’s concerns and putting their demands for security, justice and freedom at the heart of its agenda for the next five years.”

The Action Plan takes the overall priorities for Freedom, Justice and Security set out in the The Hague Programme - endorsed by the European Council in November 2004 - and turns them into concrete actions, including a timetable for their adoption and implementation. It identifies 10 key areas for priority action:

(1) Fundamental rights and citizenship

Ensure the full development of policies enhancing citizenship, monitoring and promoting respect for fundamental rights.

Special attention will be devoted to the rights of the child: in 2005, the Commission will present a Communication on the protection of the rights of the child and consequently promote an International Conference to allow Member States and appropriate stakeholders to launch various form of collaboration. It is also relevant and necessary to set up one single emergency telephone number for missing and abused children applicable in the whole Union.

(2) The fight against terrorism

Focus on different aspects of prevention, preparedness and response in order to further enhance, and where necessary complement, Member States capabilities to fight terrorism.

The reduction of access to financial and economic resources by terrorists is a strategic objective for the Member States and the EU: a number of different concrete measures is foreseen in the coming years aiming at enhancing transparency of legal entities and information exchange among relevant actors at national, EU and international levels.

(3) Migration management

Define a balanced approach to migration management developing a common immigration policy at Union level, while further strengthening the fight against illegal migration and trafficking in human beings, notably women and children.

By the next five years, a common immigration policy will be put in place. To this end, the Commission will present a policy plan by the end of this year, notably on the basis of current findings and discussions on the Green Paper on legal immigration for employment purposes.

(4) Internal borders, external borders and visas

Further develop an integrated management of external borders and a common visa policy, while ensuring the free movement of persons.

One of the most tangible achievements will be the lifting of internal borders of the ten Member States that joined the Union in 2004: the freedom of movement will become a reality for all Union citizens.

(5) A common asylum area

Work towards the establishment of a common asylum area taking into account the humanitarian tradition and respect of international obligations of the Union and the effectiveness of a harmonised procedure.

In five years, the Union should agree on a true common asylum procedure and a uniform refugee status valid throughout the Union. This will better guarantee refugees’ rights but also combat abuses of the asylum system. EU Regional Protection Programmes will be developed, in full partnership with third countries, to ensure that more refugees can access better protection sooner and closer to their homes.

(6) Integration: the positive impact of migration on our society and economy

Adopt, support and incentive measures to help Member States deliver better policies on integration so as to maximise the positive impact of migration on our society and economy.

Exchange of best practices will be developed, concerning introduction courses for newly arrived immigrants (for example, a UK company supplying casual labour that has developed a training scheme for employees who are mostly recently arrived immigrants) and civic participation (in order to develop intercultural competences, religious dialogue and participation in political processes).

(7) Privacy and security in sharing information

Strike the right balance between privacy and security in the sharing of information among law enforcement and judicial authorities, fully respecting fundamental rights of privacy and data protection, as well as the principle of availability of information.

Effective exchange of information within a Member State and across Member States is a key element for police and judicial authorities to be able to track and crack down criminals. In the next years, the information should be available at European level at the same condition under which this is done nationally. However, a strong protection of personal data needs to be guaranteed.

(8) The fight against organised crime

Develop and implement a strategic concept on tackling organised crime at EU level, including knowledge of the phenomenon, law enforcement cooperation, judicial cooperation, legislative and non-legislative initiatives, and cooperation with third countries and international organisations. Make full use of and further develop Europol and Eurojust.

Further development and implementation of a comprehensive EU anti-corruption policy, together with actions aiming at fostering public sector transparency, should prevent organised crime from infiltrating licit markets.

(9) Civil and criminal justice: an effective European area of justice for all

Guarantee an effective European area of justice by ensuring an effective access to justice for all and the enforcement of judgments.

A number of measures will be adopted to facilitate the access to justice of European citizens and to pare down administrative procedures, particularly for those who move and reside in a Member State different to their own. This is the aim of initiatives such as the adoption of a Payment Order Regulation and the Green Papers on divorce, respectively succession.

(10) Freedom, Security and Justice: sharing responsibility and solidarity

Give meaning to notions of shared responsibility and solidarity between Member States by reviewing the type of policy and financial instruments that can meet the objectives of Freedom, Security and Justice in the most efficient way.

The Framework programme ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows” will support national actions:

on the basis of a European External Borders Fund, such as upgrading infrastructure at the 6.000 km of land border and 85.000 km of coastline that constitute the external border of the EU, and preventing undocumented from boarding planes and entering the EU, while ensuring smooth crossing of the external borders by bona fide travellers

on the basis of an European Integration Fund, such as funding civic orientation courses and migrant platforms to make newcomers feel at home in our societies, and intercultural training and handbooks preparing local government officials to welcome newcomers;

on the basis of the European Refugee Fund such as providing adequate material reception conditions for persons asking for international protection in the EU as well as a fair and efficient examination of their request for asylum

on the basis of an European Return Fund such as counselling for unsuccessful asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to return with dignity to their country of origin.

This Action Plan needs to be read in conjunction with other Plans and Strategy papers regarding specific policy issues in the area of freedom, security and justice (such as the EU Action Plan on Drugs, and the Communication Developing a Strategic Concept on Tackling Organised Crime). A particular focus will also be given to the monitoring of the implementation of legislation. The Action Plan has to be flexible and adaptable in order to allow for new priorities which may emerge in the course of the coming years. Moreover, a mid-term review of the Action Plan will take place in November 2006.