INFORMAL JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS SUMMIT IN DUBLIN

Javier Zarzalejos, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), took part on 16 and 17 July in the Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers at Dublin Castle. At the meeting, organised by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and chaired by Minister Jim O’Callaghan, Zarzalejos led the European Parliament’s representation under the delegation format established for the institution. The forum sought to facilitate direct debate among European leaders on security, competitiveness and the values of the Union.

During the first day, devoted to home affairs, the sessions focused on combating transnational crime and developing a new visa policy that would allow targeted restrictive measures to be imposed in response to threats from third countries. Participants also examined data flows with trusted foreign partners through systems managed by eu-LISA. The day concluded with a meeting of the European Ports Alliance and an on-site inspection of Dublin’s port facilities.

The second day, focused on justice, addressed the possible EU-wide harmonisation of data-retention laws in order to prosecute serious crimes in a manner compatible with fundamental rights and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Discussions also covered child protection through the inclusion of children’s voices in family proceedings under the Lundy Model, as well as efforts to combat the dissemination of extreme and violent pornography online. Zarzalejos’s participation in these informal sessions was particularly important in view of the future legislative proposals that will be considered by the European Parliament.