EU Justice and Home Affairs Council Meeting

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, met with his EU counterparts this week in Brussels to discuss a range of security, migration and justice related issues.

On Thursday, views on a number of migration related issues were exchanged, including engagement on transit countries, incentivising voluntary returns of migrants with no legal permission to be in the EU, and the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Ministers also exchanged views on the external dimensions of migration and the EU’s engagement with key countries of transit. The conversation focused in particular on EU supports to Lebanon and Libya as countries of strategic interest, given the volume of migrants who transit through there to European countries.

Conclusions on the EU Drugs Strategic Framework, which comprises the recently published EU Drugs Strategy and its implementation framework were agreed.

Further, there was a briefing on the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and discussions on the potential impacts on the EU's internal security. The future mandate of Europol was also discussed, where Ministers provided strategic guidance to the Commission on the future structure and mandate of Europol.

On Friday, Justice Ministers agreed to a general approach for the Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of measures and cooperation in matters relating to the protection of adults. The proposed Regulation covers adults who, “by reason of an impairment or insufficiency of their personal faculties, are not in a position to protect their own interests”.

Ministers exchanged views on recent challenges affecting the independence and safety of lawyers and judges, and the potential impact of such challenges on access to justice, mutual trust and the rule of law.

Views on addressing the threats arising from activities of organised crime groups within prisons were also exchanged.