Justice & Interior Ministers
01 January 1991
Justice & Interior Ministers
artdoc June=1994
Before the meeting of the Council of Justice and Interior
Ministers on 23 March began a special session had to be held to
consider a written request from the US government for lists of
`hooligans' travelling to this summer's World Cup. The seven
countries involved, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland and
Greece, agreed to set up a sub-committee to consider the
question. The handing over of lists however presented a problem
to some. Maire Geoghegan Quinn, the Irish Justice Minister, said
there would have to be some arrangement `but I don't see us
handing over lists'.
The meeting itself considered reports on: 1) the Commission's
proposal on immigration and asylum: generally welcomed and added
to the work programme of steering group 1 of the K4 Committee.
Germany and the UK expressed reservations about the sections
dealing with `integration'; shutting the borders and expelling
`illegal' immigrants was their first priority. 2) the European
Information System (EIS, the EU-wide computer system covering
policing, immigration and criminal matters): a draft is expected
to be ready for the meeting in June. The outstanding question is
whether or not to include more detail on the interface between
this convention and that on Europol. 3) Europol: the Convention
is still expected in the autumn. No decision was made on the
permanent appointments to head the European Drugs Unit. 4)
telecommunications: under the rubric of combatting `organised
crime' it is planned to use information gained through `tapping'
as evidence in court in another state. 5) cooperation on
terrorism: a system of liaison officers is to be instituted
backed by more systematic meeting and specialist seminars. 6)
extradition: discussion of a new convention - one which allows
the extradition of nationals and removal of `political' offences
- is ongoing. Greece and Portugal, for example, are forbidden by
their constitutions to extradite their own citizens. 7) European
Convention of Human Rights: the question is whether this can be
incorporated by the EU, the problem is that it is not a `state'
and therefore cannot be the subject of a legal action. They have
asked the European Court of Justice for its opinion. 8) EU fraud:
Michael Howard, the UK Home Secretary, attending his first
meeting, presented a draft decision on fraud and money-laundering
which was `welcomed'.
Justice & Interior Affairs Council press release, 23.3.94; notes
from the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament
meeting with Mr Perakis, President-in-office of the K4 Committee,
24.3.94; Statewatch contributor.
Statewatch Vol 4 no 2, March-April 1994