Justice Ministers today discussed pre-trial detention, children's rights and the European Public Prosecutor's Office

Met dank overgenomen van Sloveens voorzitterschap Europese Unie 2e helft 20211, gepubliceerd op donderdag 7 oktober 2021.

The meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council that took place today in Luxembourg was chaired by Minister Marjan Dikaučič. The ministers discussed the issue of pre-trial detention and the conditions in detention facilities.

Minister Dikaučič said, "Detention is at the heart of the criminal justice system, but differences in detention conditions can affect mutual trust and could therefore hamper cooperation in criminal matters across the EU2. Today's productive debate reflected our shared commitment to continue to improve detention conditions and will serve as a guide for the Commission's further work in this area."

The Council took note of the current situation regarding the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which became operational on 1 June this year. Together with the Commission, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi presented the state of play over the first months of its operation. The work of the EPPO has recently seen progress, especially in developing relations with third countries and international organisations, with a view to ensuring that, in this initial phase, all participating EU member states recognise the EPPO as the competent judicial authority under the European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters from 1959.

At the meeting, the justice ministers failed to reach a consensus on Council conclusions on the strategy on the rights of the child, which, in addition to children’s rights in the justice system, also address children’s rights relating to the use of digital tools, and the right of all children to social inclusion and non-discrimination. "The Slovenian Presidency worked hard to reach a compromise, but unfortunately it could not be achieved at this meeting. We are determined to continue negotiations with EU member states at the technical level with the aim of reaching a compromise solution."

At a working lunch, the ministers discussed the issue of strategic lawsuits to prevent public participation (SLAPP). Together with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Věra Jourová3, they shared the experience of EU member states in combating these abuses, discussed the existence of their cross-border dimension and possible future initiatives in this area at the EU level. Minister Dikaučič said that media freedom and pluralism were "essential for the functioning of European democracies and key factors of the rule of law". He continued by saying, "Within the European Union, member states have a general duty to ensure that journalists and representatives of civil society are protected from any harmful interference in their daily mission of informing citizens."

Justice and Home Affairs Council, 7-8 October 2021

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  • 1. 
    Van 1 juli tot en met 31 december 2021 vervulde Slovenië het voorzitterschap van de Raad van de Europese Unie. Slovenië vormde een trojka met Duitsland en Portugal. In de eerste helft van 2022 is Frankrijk voorzitter; het vormt een trojka met Tsjechië en Zweden.
     
  • 2. 
    De Europese Unie (EU) is het belangrijkste samenwerkingsverband in Europa. De deelnemende landen hebben voor deze Unie een aantal organisaties opgericht waaraan zij een deel van hun eigen bevoegdheden hebben overgedragen. Dit zijn onder meer het Europees Parlement, de Europese Commissie, de Raad en het Europese Hof van Justitie.
     
  • 3. 
    De Tsjechische Vera Jourová (1964) is sinds 1 november 2014 lid van de Europese Commissie. In de Commissie-Von der Leyen is zij belast met waarden en transparantie. In de Commissie-Juncker was zij belast met justitie, consumentenrechten en gendergelijkheid. Mevrouw Jourová is lid van de liberaal-populistische partij ANO 2011 (Burgeractie). Sinds januari 2014 was zij minister voor regionale ontwikkeling, daarvoor was zij onderminister