The Agency has produced a number of studies in the area of data protection such as a Handbook on European data protection case law, a study on remedy available to individuals in relation to surveillance practices, and is currently working on a study on the fundamental rights implications of the use of biometric data. It is important that the Agency reinforces its expertise and collects data on fundamental rights issues pertaining to the digital world – including media content – and the governance of the Internet and on problems on the ground pertaining to the implementation of EU law in this area. The Agency will closely work with other EU agencies and actors in these fields, such as the European Data Protection Supervisor, the European Data Protection Board, ENISA, eu-LISA and the Joint Research Service (JRC).

- Judicial and police cooperation: In its Communication on an EU Justice Agenda for 2020 the Commission underlined the importance of enhancing mutual trust by building bridges between the different justice and administrative systems of the Member States. This applies to civil, commercial, administrative and criminal matters and implies fostering cooperation between judicial, administrative and law enforcement authorities and developing minimum standards across the EU. It is important that the Agency is able to support by its research and data initiatives aiming at reinforcing judicial cooperation. This thematic area should therefore remain in the 2018-2022 Multiannual Framework.

It is to be noted that judicial cooperation on criminal matters was excluded from the 2013-2017 Multiannual Framework by the Council. The Commission had however included this area in its 2011 proposal. The European Parliament also strongly advocated the inclusion of criminal and police cooperation in the Agency's current Multiannual Framework and deeply regretted the lack of agreement in the Council in this regard. Indeed, since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, judicial cooperation in criminal matters is part of the EU acquis and important EU initiatives have been taken in this area such as for example the creation of a European Prosecutors Office and common standards for the protection of the rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal procedures. The European Council in its Conclusions of 27 June 2014 defining strategic guidelines for the area of freedom, security and justice underlined amongst other things the need to continue efforts to strengthen the rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings. A call was made to mobilise the expertise of the Agency in this context. Furthermore, end 2014 the transitional phase set out in the Lisbon Treaty for the area of justice came to an end. This lifted limitations to the judicial control by the Court of Justice of the European Union and to the Commission's role as Guardian of the Treaty over the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. Data and information on the situation on the ground is thus important for the Commission to carry out its monitoring role. The Agency's work in the area of criminal justice already proved useful, on the basis of ad hoc studies made at Commission's request (on children in criminal proceedings, transfer of prisoners, right to interpretation, translation and information in criminal proceedings). It should now be fully part of the thematic on judicial cooperation. This was strongly supported by the Agency's Management Board in its opinion and raised also in the external evaluation of the Agency carried out in 2012.

This also applies to police cooperation which should be expressly mentioned in the 2018-2022 Multiannual Framework. The importance of strengthening police cooperation was already underlined by the European Council in its conclusions of 27 June 2014 and made all the more clear following the terrorist attacks that struck EU member States in 2015. The fundamental rights dimension is crucial in this respect. This was highlighted by the Commission in its communication on a European Agenda on Security. Also in this domain the Agency provided valuable support on the basis of ad hoc requests from Commission services. For example, it developed "Twelve operational fundamental rights considerations for law enforcement when processing Passenger Name Record (PNR) data" in the context of assisting Member States in developing the appropriate fundamental rights standards when processing PNR data. Strengthened police cooperation is also needed in the light of the refugee crisis which brings about an increase in trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. It is important that the Agency can support through reliable and comparable data and the collection of best practices, initiatives in areas such as for example fight against smuggling of migrants, organised crimes and terrorism.

- Migration, borders, asylum and integration of refugees and migrants: Due to the sharp increase of the numbers of asylum seekers in the last years, migration has become a high priority for the Commission, as emphasized by President Juncker in his speech on the State of the Union on 9 September 2015 and as demonstrated by the adoption of the European Agenda on Migration in May 2015 and the numerous initiatives already taken by the Commission in this field or still to come. In this context and considering the increasing migratory flows towards the EU, the work carried out by the Agency is crucial in highlighting issues on the ground. The Agency should continue to work on the collection of data on this topic in close cooperation with other EU agencies, in particular EASO and FRONTEX. The Agency has already published a number of reports in the last years (e.g. "return/transfer of children at risk who are EU nationals", "social inclusion and migrant participation in society", "alternative detention for asylum seekers and people in return procedures", "costs of exclusion from healthcare – the case of migrants in irregular situation", "fundamental rights at land borders: findings from selected European union border crossing points", "legal entry channels to the EU for persons in need of international protection: a toolbox", "fundamental rights at airports and land borders", "handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration") and took part in training activities on fundamental rights for border guards in cooperation with FRONTEX. It is also publishing regular data collection on the current migration situation in the EU. As far as the integration of migrants (including refugees) is concerned, the Agency will conduct in 2016 and 2017 two major projects on migrants' integration. First, the second wave of the EU Minorities and Discrimination survey (EU-MIDIS II) which will enable to identify trends. Second, the collection of information on national and regional/local policies on social inclusion and migrant participation in society through the Agency's research network FRANET (SIMPS). This important work on discrimination towards migrants and on social inclusion will have to be continued beyond 2018. Stakeholders are largely supporting the Agency's continued work on migration issues. A call for the Agency to further work on these issues was also made by its Management Board.

- Racism, xenophobia and related intolerance: this thematic area must be included in the Multiannual Framework as prescribed by Article 5 (2)b if the Regulation itself. Racism, xenophobia and other expressions of intolerance are on the rise in the EU, both on and off line. Growing challenges are brought on by the fight against terrorism and radicalisation and in the area of migration. The EU has availed itself of a common framework on combatting racism and xenophobia which is being closely monitored by the Commission. The Commission's first Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights resulted in a list of actions to fight hate crime and hate speech and foster a culture of inclusive tolerance in the EU. During the Colloquium the lack of reliable and comparable data on hate crime was underlined. It is therefore important that the Agency focusses its work in helping Member States to progress in this area, including by developing a common methodology to record hate crime. It should do so in cooperation with Eurostat. It will furthermore be important that the Agency regularly reiterates its large scale studies such as the one on antisemitism in order to identify trends, and develops a body of data on anti-Muslim hatred and a separate body of data on xenophobia in light of the migration context.

- Rights of the child: The promotion and protection of the rights of the child is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and is a priority for the EU. It was a major area of focus for the Agency's work under the Multiannual Framework 2013-2017. The Agency has published a wealth of research on rights of the child of relevance also to a number of other policy areas such as asylum and migration, social inclusion, justice, non-discrimination, racism and xenophobia, violence against children, child protection and child welfare. The Commission organises an annual European Forum on the rights of the child and has recently taken steps in the area of child protection systems and children in migration. Child-rights focused research and data is essential to support and inform EU and national initiatives. It is important that rights of the child remain an area of focus for the Agency for 2018-2022 in order to allow it to continue to collect data and track progress and trends over time on issues such as child-friendly justice and children in vulnerable situations, making operational the indicators on the rights of the child developed by the Agency. This was strongly supported by the Agency's Management Board.

- Roma integration and social inclusion: Roma integration constitutes a clear priority for the EU. The ‘EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020’ requests the Agency to collect data across the Member States on the situation of Roma with respect to access to employment, education, healthcare and housing, as well as to work with Member States to develop monitoring methods which can provide a comparative analysis of the situation of Roma across Europe. The Agency has developed an expertise in the collection of data on Roma issues over the last years, as shown by its reports on the situation of Roma in 11 Member States, the situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States and the EU Minorities and Discrimination Survey. Keeping Roma as a key thematic priority was called for by stakeholders as shown by the results of the public consultation carried out by the Agency. It was also clearly supported by the Agency's Management Board. The Agency should therefore continue its efforts to provide data for all Member States, based also on the set of Roma integration indicators to be developed by the Agency in complementarity with the online reporting tool developed by the Commission. Social inclusion deserves strengthened focus in this context in light of the importance of the fight against poverty and social exclusion which is one the EU's five targets in the Europe 2020 growth strategy. The Agency's experience in collecting information on the social inclusion experience of Roma and other minorities and vulnerable groups (for example through surveys such as EU-MIDIS: the EU Minorities and Discrimination Survey or projects such as SIMPS: the collection of information on national and regional/local policies on social inclusion and migrant participation in society) could also be beneficial for future work of the Agency, such as for example in the context of the upcoming Fundamental Rights Survey or in light of EU priorities linked to the future European Pillar of Social Rights. Complementarity and synergies should be sought with the work of other actors such as EUROFUND or Eurostat, strengthening existing cooperation. It is to be noted that a reinforced focus on social inclusion in the Agency's Multiannual Framework was called for by stakeholders in the public consultation carried out by the Agency in 2015 and by the Agency's Management Board in its opinion on the next Multiannual Framework. It was also called for by the European Parliament.