| Author (Corporate) | Council of the European Union: General Secretariat |
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| Series Title | Meeting |
| Series Details | 12-13.03.15 |
| Publication Date | 12/03/2015 |
| Content Type | News |
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Managing migratory flows: Ministers welcomed the progress achieved so far in the implementation of the operational actions identified by the Task Force Mediterranean and in the Council Conclusions of 10 October 2014 on 'Taking action to better manage migratory flows'. Ministers agreed to strengthen surveillance at external borders and to reinforce the resources and the operational capacities of Frontex. They also stressed that, in order to protect migrants and save their lives, the fight against the criminal networks of smugglers and traffickers should remain a priority. The reinforcement of cooperation with third countries remains essential for the efficient management of migratory flows. Fight against terrorism: The Council discussed the implementation of the measures contained in the recent counter-terrorism statements issued after the latest terrorist attacks in Europe. Ministers provided political guidance on areas where results can be achieved in the coming months: reinforced application of the Schengen Framework, combating radicalisation on the internet by setting up internet referral capabilities, fighting the illicit trafficking of firearms and stepping up information sharing and operational cooperation. Rihards Kozlovskis, Latvian Minister for the Interior and President of the Council, said: "The terrorism threat, and in particular the threat caused by foreign terrorist fighters, is one of the biggest challenges for the EU. The Latvian Presidency is highly committed to continue the work already begun by ensuring prompt and effective implementation of the agreed measures. It is important to ensure the reinforced use of those instruments that are already at our disposal, in particular within Schengen framework, information sharing and operational cooperation." Ministers also highlighted the importance of the Council making progress in all the areas mentioned in the European Council Statement and in the Riga Joint Statement. They will return to all these issues at their next meeting, with a view to reporting to the European Council in June 2015. Secondary sources reporting on the discussions on migration issues on the 12 March 2015 tended to highlight discussion on a proposal to set up transit camps in northern Africa for Europe-bound asylum seekers. The European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, did confirm that he was going to visit Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt to create a zone in the area to fight smuggling and irregular migration. EUObserver reported on the 16 March 2015 that EU Foreign Ministers discussed the subject at the Foreign Affairs Council on that day, and that a meeting between Foreign Affairs Ministers and Interior Ministers on the topic might take place in July 2015 after further consideration of the concept. Data protection Ministers agreed that the 'one stop shop' mechanism should only play a role in important cross-border cases and will provide for cooperation and joint-decision making between several data protection authorities concerned. The text clarifies that the jointly agreed decision will be adopted by the data protection authority best placed to deliver the most effective protection from the perspective of the data subject. As regards to the general principles of data processing, Ministers have established a set of principles for lawful, fair and transparent data processing. |
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| Source Link | http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/jha/2015/03/12-13/ |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs, Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Greece |
