COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

Press material Thursday 3 February 2022

● Council of the EU   03/02/2022 11:41 | Press release | Presidency event: Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers   The informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers will be held in Lille on 3 and 4 February 2022. The ministers for home affairs will meet on 3 February, along with the European Commission, representatives from Frontex, Europol and the Agency for Asylum. The justice ministers will meet on 4 February. The informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers will be held in Lille on 3 and 4 February 2022. The ministers for home affairs will meet on 3 February, along with the European Commission, representatives from Frontex, Europol and the Agency for Asylum. The justice ministers will meet on 4 February. Informal Meeting of Ministers for Home Affairs (3 February) Discussions will focus on four subjects: The Schengen reform The Schengen Area is one of the primary achievements of the European Union. The challenges faced over the last few years (migration crises, terrorist attacks, the pandemic, etc.) have demonstrated the need to reinforce the means of protecting our external borders. Several current reforms, presented by the European Commission as part of its “Schengen Strategy” last June, contribute to strengthening Schengen cooperation in terms of: evaluating the proper application of the acquis by the Member States; clarifying the framework for reintroducing internal border controls, responding to the instrumentalisation of migration by third countries, and lessons from the pandemic; and introducing exhaustive checks on irregular arrivals at the external border. The French Presidency is encouraging the Member States to move these negotiations forward quickly and to provide more political and responsive governance to the Schengen Area, in order to effectively bring about a reform of all of Schengen. The future of civil protection in Europe European civil protection policy has been broadly strengthened in recent years. At its core is the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, an instrument for mutual assistance and solidarity created in 2001 and strengthened in 2019 and 2021. In light of climate change and the new risks confronting Europe, the ministers will discuss the best use of these reinforced resources, drawing on the expertise of each Member State as well as the resources offered by citizen engagement, such as volunteers and organisations. The fight against radicalisation During a working lunch, the ministers will address how to curb the development of ecosystems within our societies that run counter to our values. Gilles Kepel, a specialist in Islam and the contemporary Arab world, and professor at the Paris Sciences et Lettres University and Sciences Po, will launch these discussions, which will cover the issue of the financing of radical entities. The Pact on Migration and Asylum The European Union continues to face major challenges in terms of migration and protecting its external borders. These challenges call for a European response to improve our collective control over migratory phenomena and to strengthen our area of free movement. With this aim, the European Commission presented a Pact on Migration and Asylum on 23 September 2020. The French Presidency believes that given its complexity, this series of reforms calls for a process of gradual negotiation, while maintaining a high level of ambition. The ministers will thus discuss the content of a first phase of negotiation, capable of leading to rapid results on both a legislative and operational level, in terms of partnerships with third countries, border control, support for the most affected Member States and controlling inflows of secondary movements. The principle of balance between solidarity and responsibility remains central to this initial phase, as well as those that follow. Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for Justice (4 February) The discussions will focus on three themes. Protecting European citizens against hate crimes and speech The fight against hate speech and crime is one of the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In a context where serious incidences of online hate is growing, the European Union is considering new means of action in close connection with digital platforms, to fight against these direct threats to its founding values. The discussion will include the European Commission’s proposal reminding Member States of their commitment to upholding the values of the EU by adding “hate speech and hate crime” to the list of European crimes defined in Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The meeting will also be an opportunity for discussion with representatives of major internet companies (Google, Meta and Twitter) who will be participating. The discussions will focus on the relationships of these operators with judicial authorities, the difficulties identified and the areas for potential improvement, especially through strengthening the European legal framework on obtaining digital evidence. Laure Beccuau, Paris public prosecutor, will also speak about her experience. The director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights will also participate in the morning’s working session. Strengthening the efficiency of abduction alert systems Discussions will then turn to alert systems for warning the public in the case of child abduction. Currently, there is no European alert system for abduction and not all Member States are equipped. And yet, child abductors are not limited by borders where more than 35% of Europeans live in border areas and where everyone can move freely. The ministers responsible for justice will discuss the issue of extending the alerts across borders and coordinating national systems with a view to strengthening their effectiveness. Considering the procedures for recognition of parenthood between Member States Lastly, the discussions will focus on the recognition of parenthood between Member States. While extensive cooperation exists regarding family matters, be it for divorce, separation, parental responsibility or succession, there is currently no EU legislation for applicable law or recognition of documents and decisions regarding links of parentage, as these are governed by the national laws of each Member State. However, the lack of recognition by a Member State of a link of parentage established in another Member State can have significant consequences for children. EU-wide recognition of links of parentage established within a Member State and upholding the rights of children vis-à-vis their parents within the European Union must therefore be safeguarded as matters of major importance, while respecting the legitimate differences between legislation on the establishment of parentage links. A legislative initiative on the recognition of parenthood between Member States may be proposed by the European Commission. The ministers responsible for justice will be invited to jointly discuss this opportunity and the shape that such an initiative could take. ● Conseil de l'UE   02/02/2022 22:11 | Communiqué de presse | Afrique de l’Ouest: Déclaration du Haut représentant, au nom de l’Union européenne, sur la situation au Mali   L’Union européenne a été informée de l’invitation faite par les autorités de transition maliennes à l’ambassadeur de France au Mali, M. Joël Meyer, de quitter le territoire sous les 72h. L’Union européenne, qui est pleinement engagée pour la paix et la stabilité au Sahel, à la demande des Etats et en soutien aux populations, fait part de son soutien et de sa solidarité avec la France et déplore vivement la décision des autorités de transition maliennes. L’Union européenne appelle les autorités maliennes à la retenue plutôt qu’à la répétition de comportements inacceptables vis-à-vis de ses partenaires européens, comme le Danemark, dont le contingent vient de faire l’objet d’une décision de renvoi sur la base de motifs infondés. Cet isolement est préjudiciable à l’objectif commun de lutte contre le terrorisme ainsi qu’à la situation humanitaire et, à terme, de développement et stabilité durables. L’Union européenne invite les autorités de transition maliennes à la désescalade en adoptant des gestes concrets et en reprenant le dialogue. L’Union européenne rappelle par ailleurs sa solidarité avec les positions prises par la CEDEAO et rappelle également que l’adoption de mesures restrictives contre ceux qui font obstacle à l'achèvement de la transition politique au Mali est en cours de finalisation. Nous allons communiquer aux autorités maliennes notre protestation concernant cette décision.