«The Hague Programme: a Partnership for the European Renewal in the field of Freedom, Security and Justice»

Following the terrorist attacks in London, Europe has become more aware of the need to speak with one single voice. This conviction stems from the strong contribution in the fight against terrorism, but also from the need to participate with more determination in the development of global security.

Security is the cornerstone of our freedom. Today we discuss one of the most important issues concerning the everyday life of our citizens, the very same themes and actions which the Hague Programme aims at promoting.

The Hague Programme involves policy areas which are central to citizens, as they have a direct impact on their daily lives. In particular these are asylum, immigration and integration policies; EU citizenship and the promotion of fundamental rights; the fight against terrorism, corruption and organised crime, including the hideous trafficking of human beings; the development of police cooperation; criminal and civil justice.

I am therefore very pleased to be here today to discuss the Hague Programme with you. This Programme clearly sets out the political orientations for the next five years and aims to strengthen further freedom, security and justice in Europe.

As you may know, the priorities contained in the Hague Programme have been detailed in the Joint Council/Commission Action Plan adopted by the Council on the 3rd of June. The realisation of these priorities requires now the collective efforts of the Institutions, Member States and civil society. Achieving these priorities will breathe new life into the construction of a European structure, which should have democratic values and human rights as solid foundations.

Achieving these priorities should become our common goal. In a nutshell, the Hague Programme represents our future, or should I say more valuable investment in democratic stability and democratic security. The building of Europe once started with a generation that said «no» to the horrors of the Second World War. Today we should say «never again» to the tragedies brought about by terrorist attacks and genocides. We should renew our commitment to democracy, human rights, tolerance and fundamental values.

We must enlist the support of our citizens, especially of young people. We must translate our political ideas into notions which are more understandable to the public. We must make our young people proud of European heritage and culture.

Fundamental rights are at the core of the Union’s values and this should be the first priority. Fundamental rights are essential for the building of a more stable society, which is based on well-functioning political institutions and efficient legal systems.

We know the difficulties encountered by the ratification of the Constitution, although I am much more confident after the positive outcome of the referendum held in Luxembourg last Sunday. In any case, there are concrete steps which can be taken already now with the existing Treaties to better guarantee the protection of vulnerable people. In this respect, I intend to focus on important issues such as the protection of women and children and the fight against racism and xenophobia.

Another important right which needs to be defended is the right to life and physical integrity. The recent Council of Europe Summit which took place in Warsaw on 16-17 May adopted an Action Plan whereby Heads of State and Government strongly condemned terrorism as a threat and a major challenge to our societies. We must reinforce the everyday security of our citizens and weed out corruption and crime from our political systems.

The principles of Freedom and Security are inextricably linked. The symmetry among these concepts is in fact at the very basis of the creation of an Area of Justice, Freedom and Security.

In this context, fighting terrorism aims to protect fundamental rights: those to life, security and freedom. It is equally imperative that the tools used to fight terrorism respect fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and privacy protection. According to our Eurobarometers, citizens’ expectations are very high as regards the EU’s capability of working towards a global response to fight terrorism. Even before the attacks in London, security was already by far the first preoccupation of the European citizens.

This is and will remain a key challenge for us, as reaffirmed by the European Council the 16th and 17th of June and, lastly, by the extraordinary JAI Council held yesterday. The focus of the EU should be put on prevention, preparedness and response in order to further enhance, and where necessary complement, Member States’ capabilities to fight terrorism. Recruitment, financing, risk analysis, protection of critical infrastructures and consequence management are our main areas of activity. This implies reinforcing the existing mutual trust with Member States and enhanced financial resources.

For the fight against terrorism - and also organized crime - to be effective, the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities within a Member State and between different Member States is vital. The Hague Programme indeed asks for the development of the principle of availability. The Commission intends to promote better cooperation and is doing everything possible to come up with a proposal by the end of 2005.

Striking the right balance between privacy and security in sharing information amongst law enforcement and judicial authorities will require in parallel an instrument on data protection in the law enforcement field, which I am also committed to putting forward by the end of 2005.

A European area of justice needs to be guaranteed and developed by ensuring better access to justice for citizens and enterprises. I am thinking here of proposals which have already been presented in the field of civil and commercial matters, such as the possibility of recovering credits from one State to another or measures easing legal aid, or others which we are about to be discussed concerning small claims or mediation.

The mutual recognition principle certainly also remains the key element directing our work in the criminal justice field. Several actions must be carried forward in order to ensure efficient and timely action by law enforcement authorities, such as mutual recognition of non-custodial pre-trial supervision measures, or recognition and execution of prison sentences.

Last but by no means least, I believe that the Hague Programme offers an excellent basis to develop a Common Immigration and Asylum Policy, as well as to make possible the integrated management of external borders and to develop visa policy.

When it comes to migratory issues the Commission has two very different faces. The fight against illegal immigration, including the trafficking of human beings, demands a tough stance. To this end we are going to further our cooperation with third countries. We have also adopted the Visa Information System, which will prove a powerful tool in controlling our borders and in minimising the phenomenon of «visa shopping». I believe that fighting effectively against illegal immigration at EU level is only possible with a «policy mix» which contains measures designed to enhance coordination among Member States.

Our approach to legal, or economic, migration focus on admission procedures and integration policies. In January 2005 we started a debate with all concerned stakeholders. The aim is to have a strategy completed by the end of the year, which takes into account the ideas and suggestions put forward during the course of this consultation exercise. Migration issues are no longer viewed as the exclusive responsibility of Member States, but require a common European approach.

No policy objective can be reached without adequate financial resources and on this the Hague Programme is clear. The three Framework Programmes which the Commission presented in April aim to give meaning to such notions as shared responsibility and solidarity between Member States.

Negotiations on the programmes have just started. The European Parliament asked for an increase in the funds allocated for issues such as the promotion of fundamental rights and the fight against crime. But we all know that negotiations on the new Financial Perspectives for the period 2007-2013 are difficult and the final outcome of which is not easy to foresee in advance. I hope that the funds eventually allotted to this policy field will be sufficient to answer to the high expectations of the European citizens.

All these political priorities, underlined in the Hague Programme, need to be translated into specific and concrete measures. The Commission therefore submitted an Action Plan detailing the concrete actions which were needed and presenting specific deadlines to be respected. As I already told you, at the beginning of June, this was adopted by the Council as a joint Council/Commission Action Plan and was transmitted to the European Council, which took well note of it.

The joint Action Plan, which now includes the contribution of the European Parliament, constitutes an important step in this difficult phase of EU integration.

With the Action Plan, the three EU Institutions and the Member States are trying to meet the high expectations of citizens in very sensitive areas. I am confident that visible improvements, such as the full application of the principle of free movement; a well-managed migration strategy; better access to justice and a more effective and coherent response to the existing threats to our security will demonstrate that the European Union does constitute real added value for its citizens and is capable to speak with a single voice.

That is why we have decided to make serious and long-term investments in democratic stability and security, which do not happen of their own accord. They require perseverance, commitment and the participation of civil society. If we succeed, we will bequeath to future generations a better Europe than the European Union that we inherited from our ancestors and we will have created a new generation of Europeans. That is why we spoke of a Partnership for the European renewal.

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Franco Frattini Speech 140705

Franco Frattini is Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security

Intervention at Centre for European Policy Studies Brussels, 14 July 2005