JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS : MIGRATION, SECURITY AND JUDICIAL COOPERATION ON AGENDA.

Migration, security and judicial cooperation: EU action in these sensitive areas will soon be given a new framework, which will guide action between now and 2020. To kick off the debate - which will come to a close at the European Council on 26-27 June - the European Commission will present, on 11 March, a communication on the 'post-Stockholm' programme, with reference to its predecessor from 2009 to 2014.

For the occasion, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will join Commissioners Cecilia Malmström (home affairs) and Viviane Reding (justice). The watchword? Fewer draft legislations to instead concentrate on implementing what is already on the table. However, not everyone shares the same priorities. London, in particular, is pushing for the adoption of an "EU-PNR" draft, which involves collecting air passengers' details in a bid to combat terrorism. The Mediterranean countries are demanding, on their end, more intra-European aid for immigration.

In two letters addressed to the Council, the commissioners have outlined their ideas. Malmström would like to revisit an old idea, which has never materialised, and believes that the EU28 should, for example, work on a European border management system. Or - another highly controversial topic - implement joint responsibility for processing asylum applications at times of emergency.

Reding is pushing for - beyond creating a European Public Prosecutor's Office to combat fraud against the EU budget, which will not be an easy feat - reinforcing procedural rights in civil, commercial and family law. On the same occasion, Reding will also detail her monitoring project on rule of law in the EU which promises to cause quite a stir (see Europolitics 4817).

The two letters are available at

Justice and home affairsMigration, security and judicial cooperation on agendaBy Nathalie VandystadtÂáMigration, security and judicial cooperation: EU action in these sensitive areas will soon be given a new framework, which will guide action between now and 2020. To kick off the debate - which will come to a close at the European Council on 26-27 June - the...