EU Policy Areas

Justice & Home Affairs and Community Saftety

The 1997 Amsterdam Treaty and the 1999 Tampere European Council set out to establish the EU as an area of freedom, security and justice. The 'Tampere Agenda’ set out the basis for the EU's goal of constructing an 'Area of Freedom, Security and Justice' across the EU for the period up to 2004. The main elements were as follows:

• A common EU asylum and migration policy, focusing on immigration (legal and illegal), repatriation and aid to countries of origin and transit
• Policy on borders, visas, etc. This includes the management of external borders, a common visa identification system and developing the Schengen information system for sharing data between Member States
• A European area of justice, in both civil and criminal matters. This covers areas such as individuals’ access to justice and the mutual recognition of court judgements from one Member State to the next
• The EU-wide fight against crime, including terrorism. Eurojust, a unit consisting of prosecutors, judges and police officers, will be set up. Europol’s powers are to be increased. Cooperation is also stepping up against attacks on information systems and financial crime and money laundering. Finally, the EU is increasing police and judicial links with third countries
• Cooperation against drugs, in particular to control chemical precursors (chemicals sometimes used in the manufacture of drugs) and to combat illicit trafficking in drugs

The Tampere Agenda ended in 2004. In November 2004 EU heads of state and government agreed a new five-year programme for closer cooperation on freedom, security and justice at their meeting in the Hague. Asylum and migration policy top the agenda. The main elements of the Hague Programme are:

• Developing a common European asylum system with a common asylum procedure and a uniform status for those who are granted asylum or protection by 2010
• Developing measures for foreigners to work legally in the EU in accordance with the needs of the labour markets
• Reinforcing partnerships with third countries to tackle illegal immigration better
• Establishing a policy to expel and return illegal immigrants to their countries of origin

Setting up a European framework to guarantee the successful integration of migrants into host societies is also a key feature of the programme. In this context, the importance of involving stakeholders at the local and regional level is underlined.

The Hague Programme, can be downloaded here:
http://www.eu2004.nl/default.asp?CMS_TCP=tcpAsset&id=5438C5AAB16E4CE38B8689603E7435BEX1X52750