Evaluation of EU Policies on Freedom, Security and Justice

1. INTRODUCTION

1. The Hague Programme(2004) [1] states that «evaluation of the implementation as well as of the effects of all measures is, in the European Council’s opinion, essential to the effectiveness of Union action». The Action Planimplementing The Hague Programme (2005) [2], which sets out a policy framework for the European Union activities on freedom, security and justice over the next five years, provides for the adoption, in 2006, of a general Communication from the Commission on how to develop an evaluation mechanism at EU level in this area [3].

2. The Heads of State and Government had identified evaluation of implementation as a key tool to ensure that the significant results achieved by the Union and its Member States on the development of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice are properly implemented and constantly reviewed, where appropriate, in order to respond to the real expectations of European citizens.

3. By underlining the importance of evaluation, The Hague Programme aimed at (1) further improving the way policies, programmes and instruments are set up, by identifying problems and obstacles encountered when implementing them, (2) laying down more systematic rules on the financial accountability and scrutiny of policies, (3) favouring learning and exchanges of good practice and (4) participating in developing an evaluation cultureacross the Union.

In view of (1) the mandategiven to the Commission by The Hague Programme and its Action Plan, (2) the fragmentation of existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and (3) the need to transmit extensive information to all stakeholders on the implementation and results of policies, the Commission considers that the time has come to work towards setting up a coherent and comprehensive mechanism for evaluation of EU policies on freedom, security and justice, in a spirit of partnership with Member States and EU institutions.

Such a mechanism will include monitoring implementation (as detailed in the Communication on "Strengthening Freedom, Security and Justice in the European Union: report on the implementation of The Hague Programme for the year 2005", hereafter the "Scoreboard plus") [4] and evaluating the results of the policies.

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Evaluation of EU Policies on Freedom, Security and Justice