SWEDEN HOSTS INFORMAL EU JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000488 STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, S/CT DHS FOR MCALLAHAN, LSAADAT, MSCARDAVILLE, SBALLARD JUSTICE FOR BSWARTZ, TBURROWS, NLIBIN SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KJUS PGOV PREF PREL EUN SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN HOSTS INFORMAL EU JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERIAL, JULY 15-17 REF: Stockholm 00452 ¶1. Summary: On July 15-17, Sweden hosted an informal EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) ministerial outside of Stockholm. The ministerial devoted its discussions to the future "Stockholm Program", a five year program on continued cooperation within the JHA area. The Ministers met in different sessions on interior, migration and justice issues and jointly discussed the Commission's proposal for the Stockholm Program for the first time. A broad support for a more citizen-focused program, a common European asylum system and the need for enhanced cooperation with third countries on cross-border issues, such as trafficking in persons, was noted by the Swedish Presidency. End summary. -------------- Interior Ministry Issues -------------- ¶2. Embassy representatives covering the meeting noted that the EU for the first time was able to discuss the Commission's proposals for the Stockholm Program, which is intended to replace the 2004 Hague Program for JHA issues. On the first day, Ministers discussed a range of topics, including: enhanced EU cooperation on trafficking in persons, child protection, organized crime, economic- and cybercrime. Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask said the general agreement among Member States "to focus more clearly on the citizen" entails strengthening individual rights, taking a "holistic approach to information exchange," and "data protection and integrity issues are key to this work." Additionally, Ask stressed the need for a clear strategy of cooperation with third countries (e.g. the U.S. and Russia,) especially when fighting the types of cross-border crime. ¶3. The Canadian-Czech visa controversy drew much attention during the first day, but no public positions were stated. Currently, Member States are waiting for the Commission to negotiate with Ottawa and offer guidance to all members on the advisability of retaliation. The Swedes were also unwilling to comment or act on the matter until the Commission has ruled. -------------- Migration issues -------------- ¶4. Both Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billstrom and EU JHA Commissioner Jacques Barrot welcomed the broad support among the Member States for developing a common asylum policy by 2012 and for agreeing on the principle that the EU needs continued migration. Billstrom stressed the importance of ensuring equal treatment of asylum seekers, arguing for procedural uniformity regardless of where the asylum claim is made. Billstrom also said there is a need for solidarity and responsibility on migration within the EU and a joint strategy for resettlement would be one way to show solidarity, not only towards each other but also towards the refugees. ¶5. Commissioner Barrot noted support among the ministers for a stronger FRONTEX and its cooperation with third countries. He pointed to the working relation between FRONTEX and Turkey, which has decreased illegal immigration to Greece. Barrot also said that the EU will establish a common entry and exit system to monitor visa-holders and overstays. Finally, he stressed that migration has to become a part of EU's foreign policy and he urged Javier Solana and the EU's foreign ministers to give it priority. ¶6. Barrot and Billstrom strongly welcomed the Commission's visa liberalization proposal towards Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, which Billstrom hailed as a concrete way of bringing these countries closer to the EU. -------------- Justice issues -------------- ¶7. The discussions on the last day focused on justice issues, but continued many of the themes from the first day's session on interior issues. Minister Ask highlighted the support among Member States to take measures that would benefit EU citizens and build confidence among various EU legal systems. In particular, she emphasized more support for victims of crime, better training on EU cooperation for judges and prosecutors, and better access to interpretation and translation services for criminal defendants. However, Ask noted that because of a general lack of progress on these issues, the Swedish Presidency would mostly focus on the, issue of interpretation and access to translation. ¶8. For detailed information on the discussion topics for the STOCKHOLM 00000488 002 OF 002 ministerial, see the three working documents issued and distributed to the delegation prior to the meetings at www.se2009.eu. SILVERMAN