JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL (JHA) IN BRUSSELS ON MONDAY

At their meeting in Brussels on Monday 24 July, the EU Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs are to hold an exchange of views on the Commission's Communications concerning the review of the Hague Programme, a global approach to migration and management of migration flows.
 
Monday's meeting will be the first in a series of three Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings during Finland's EU Presidency. The meetings of the JHA Council will be chaired by Minister of Justice, Leena Luhtanen, and Minister of the Interior, Kari Rajamäki.  

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) usually meet every two months bringing together Justice Ministers and Interior Ministers. During its Presidency, Finland will hold three meetings of the JHA Council and they will be chaired by Minister of Justice, Leena Luhtanen and Minister of the Interior, Kari Rajamäki.

At this meeting, an evaluation of EU Policies on Freedom, Security and Justice is expected to be done, as well as a review of the Situation in the Mediterranean Region/Africa especially with regard to illegal immigration.

Other items at the agenda will be two communications from the Commission – on Policy Plan on Legal Migration and on Common Policy on Illegal Immigration.

In the margins of the Council will take place a meeting of the Mixed Commitee at Ministerial Level.

Among its planned topics are – a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment, operation and use of the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), as well as the access to SIS II by the
services in the Member States responsible for issuing vehicle registration certificates.

Another important issue that is at the agenda, is a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council in view of setting up the powers and the financing of teams of national experts of Member States to provide technical and operational assistance to Member States in the activities dealing with the control and surveillance of the external borders in the framework of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union.

The open session, due to start at approximately 10.00 Brussels local time (GMT+2), and the press conference, time to be confirmed on the website, can be viewed live on this website.