European Parliament resolution on the Council report on European Union priorities and policy objectives for external relations in the field of justice and home affairs (7653/2000 – C5-0102/2001 — 2001/2051(COS))
Date: 2001-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU migration policy, area of freedom, security and justice, fight against crime, judicial cooperation, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, organised crime

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25.7.2002

Wednesday 12 December 2001

case of a ‘fast-track’ judicial procedure, the right to be defended by a lawyer of their choice, according to
the fundamental right of access to justice;

*

*

*

Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council and, for information, to the

6.
Commission, as well as the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

19. Justice and home affairs (external relations)

A5-0414/2001

European Parliament resolution on the Council report on European Union priorities and policy
objectives for external relations in the field of justice and home affairs (7653/2000 * C5-0102/
2001 * 2001/2051(COS))

The European Parliament,

% having regard to the Council report (7653/2000 % C5-0102/2001),

% having regard to Article 37 of the EU Treaty,

% having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

% having regard to the report of the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home
Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and
Defence Policy (A5-0414/2001),

A. having regard to the conclusions of the Tampere European Council of 15/16 October 1999, calling

for stronger external action in the area of justice and home affairs,

B. having regard to the worrying development of organised crime in all its forms (trafficking in human

beings, forgery, drug trafficking, cybercrime, etc.),

C. whereas the establishment of priorities for external relations in the area of justice and home affairs
must above all give impetus to a deepening of the European area of freedom, security and justice, inter
alia through firm support for moving forward preparations for the introduction of the instruments
provided for in these areas at Tampere,

1.
Stresses the importance of the external dimension of EU policy in the area of justice and home
affairs, in establishing an area of freedom, security and justice, and reiterates the need to integrate justice
and home affairs issues into the implementation of other Union policies, most notably in the protection of
human rights;

2.
Considers, as a matter of extreme urgency, that a synergistic approach should be taken in inter-
national cooperation in order to create a common front with effective operational means to combat inter-
national terrorism, which constitutes a global threat to peace and democracy;

3.
Notes that, mainly as a result of the diversity of the legal bases and the multiplicity of institutional
players and procedures involved, the EU has hitherto restricted itself to isolated measures and has proved
incapable of implementing a genuine external strategy in the area of JHA;

4.
Considers it essential, therefore, to take the measures needed to establish a coherent, coordinated and
proactive European strategy in this area and to integrate justice and home affairs issues into the definition
and implementation of other Union policies and measures;

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Wednesday 12 December 2001

5.
Considers it important, despite the inherent complexity of distributing competencies in this area
between the first, second and third pillars, to seek greater coherence between international activities in
the area of JHA, particularly between initiatives of the Member States in accordance with Article 37 of
the Treaty on European Union and the Commission’s action programme;

Takes the view that it is also necessary rapidly to undertake a simplification of the existing adminis-

6.
trative structures, inter alia by reducing the excessive number of committees involved;

7.
Supports, therefore, the suggestion made in the report of mobilising all the human resources avail-
able in the EU institutions and the Member States (diplomatic and consular missions, Commission del-
egations) and of making them aware of JHA issues;

8. Wishes these administrative reforms to be put in place rapidly so that the EU can develop an external
strategy in the area of JHA in accordance with clearly defined priorities;

Is of the opinion that this external strategy must be based on measures meeting the criteria of sub-
9.
sidiarity and Community added-value and forming part of a long-term plan, while nevertheless being
capable of implementation within a reasonable time;

10.

Takes the view that the priorities of the external JHA policy should include:

% coordination between the Member States and candidate countries as regards training for the judiciary

and police in the candidate countries and countries undergoing transition to democracy;

% reinforcement of the dialogue between Member States and third countries examining the causes of
migration, readmission clauses and external border controls, in addition to addressing the needs of
asylum seekers; with this in mind, consideration could be given to establishing a policy of codevel-
oping and expanding information measures and campaigns in and with countries of origin and transit;

% support for the development and implementation of a broad and coherent anti-discrimination policy
on the basis of Article 13 of the EC Treaty, to include measures against racism and xenophobia, in
cooperation with the NGOs working in these areas;

% preventing and effectively combating organised crime in all its forms (trafficking in arms, drugs and

human beings, cybercrime, etc.);

% enhanced cooperation in aiming to prevent all forms of organised crime, especially trafficking in

human beings;

% establishing close forms of cooperation with third countries in fighting racism, xenophobia and all

forms of discrimination;

% extending the competence of Eurojust in coordinating anti-terrorist cooperation with third countries;

% developing joint efforts to protect children’s rights, with a view to the full application of the Inter-

national Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989;

11.
Considers that the EU’s external policy is an important tool for exerting a positive influence over
the development of non-Member State partners in the area of justice and home affairs and calls on the
Commission to make full use of all the possibilities for judicial and police cooperation available within the
various agreements (association agreements, partnership and cooperation agreements, Stability Pact, Coto-
nou Agreement); also hopes that these measures will be supplemented by other forms of flexible coop-
eration in which civil society is involved (citizens’ and workers’ organisations) in order to combat effec-
tively scourges such as organised crime, trafficking in human beings, money laundering, illegal trafficking
and fraud, which are a threat to the European Union, the States concerned and their societies;

12.
Considers it vital to establish a strong link between the European Union’s immigration policy and
development aid policy by attempting to reduce, through international agreements, potential conflicts of
interest between countries of origin, transit and destination and by promoting the economic and social
development of the least developed countries;

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13.
Supports the idea of a European initiative to encourage the return of skilled immigrants working in
the European Union to their countries of origin and of preventing, as far as possible, the ‘brain drain’ from
these countries, particularly through the use of various instruments such as the integrated development aid
programmes;

Stresses the need to adopt a common asylum policy containing minimum standards for the recep-

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tion and temporary protection of asylum-seekers;

15.
Notes with concern that a certain level of corruption persists in the administrations of the candidate
countries, which, if care is not taken, may compromise the efforts made by these countries to achieve
reform and also the impact of the Community’s financial aid; in this respect, supports the joint initiative
launched by the Council of Europe and the Commission (the Octopus project);

16.
Considers that the fight against money-laundering at international level must be waged on all fronts
simultaneously (legal, educational, political) and at all levels (national, European, international) in order to
be effective;

Stresses the need to strengthen non-military aspects of security through police cooperation with

17.
regions in crisis.

Takes the view that it is the job of the European Parliament to exercise effective controls over

18.
external JHA policy, inter alia by means of:

% periodic consultation regarding the overall strategy pursued, priorities and results;

% specific democratic oversight of the activities of Europol;

% reinforcement of the role of Members of the European Parliament in EU delegations to international

conferences;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission and the parlia-

19.
ments of the Member States.