Inrichting Agentschap voor fundamentele rechten krijgt vorm (en)

Finland and the future holders of the Presidency of the EU meet today 20 September in Tampere to discuss the continuity of the preparatory work on matters of justice and home affairs. The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Justice, Ms Leena Luhtanen and the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kari Rajamäki, was attended by the German Minister of Justice, Ms Brigitte Zypries and the political State Secretary of the German Ministry of the Interior, Mr Peter Altmaier, the Portuguese Minister of Justice, Mr Alberto Costa, and the Slovenian Minister of Justice, Mr Lovro Sturm and Minister of the Interior, Mr Dragutin Mate. Commissioner Franco Frattini, in charge of EU Home and Justice Affairs, and Mr Ivan Bizjak, Secretary-General of Justice and Home Affairs of the Council Secretariat.

Issues discussed at the meeting included the framework decision on data protection, intended to regulate the protection of personal data considered within the EU police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The aim is to ensure that the different levels of data protection prevailing in the Member States will not hamper the exchange of information. The project also aims at ensuring that the fundamental rights of EU citizens, above all the right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data, will be respected in the consideration of these data.

The need for data protection will become even more pronounced when, at the beginning of 2008, the principle of availability will be applied to data in the possession of law enforcement authorities. As a result of this principle, the exchange of information between the Member States will increase. At present, there are no common data protection provisions in the EU Justice and Home Affairs cooperation.

The objective is for the framework decision to be adopted during the Finnish Presidency.

Another topic discussed by the Ministers was the agreement between the EU and the United States on the transfer of passenger data. Finland, the holder of the Presidency, and the European Commission will endeavour to complete the arrangements for the agreement by the beginning of October. The EC Court of Justice annulled the previous agreement last May.

Additional information:EU Coordinator Sebastian Sass (Ministry of Justice), telephone +358 50 525 2672, Director General, Head of Department Pekka Nurmi (Ministry of Justice), telephone +358 50 514 8755