Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The meetings of the Ministers of the Interior and Justice of the European Union countries will begin tomorrow, Monday, in Brussels, which will continue for two days, headed by Belgium, which holds the current rotating presidency of the Union. A European statement distributed in Brussels said, “The fight against drug trafficking and organized crime will take a central role in the meeting of the Ministers of the Interior, with the adoption of a recommendation on the best Practices of Member States. The ministers will also discuss the security situation in light of the conflict in the Middle East and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The legislative proposal to combat migrant smuggling and judicial cooperation to combat drug trafficking and organized crime will be among the main issues of the meeting of justice ministers.
Internal affairs agenda
Schengen area
The Ministers will exchange views on the general situation of the Schengen Area, the European Free Travel Area, and the recently presented assessment of the EU law establishing Frontex (the EU border and coast guard system).
The Commission and eu-LISA, an EU agency dealing with IT systems in the field of migration, security and justice, will inform ministers on the current status of ensuring the interoperability of EU information systems for fighting crime, border control and managing migration flows. .
Explanation of the Schengen Area (basic information)
First assessment of the Frontex Regulation provides a generally positive assessment despite challenges (European Commission, 5 February 2024)
Asylum and migration
Because of the migration situation, the external dimension of migration – that is, EU policies designed to address migration challenges that the EU shares with other countries – became recurrent at the Interior Ministers' meeting.
Legislative agenda
In a public session, the Presidency will update the Prime Minister on the current status of two legislative proposals to combat child sexual abuse. One proposal, on which a political agreement was reached between the European Parliament and the Council on 15 February 2024, would extend until 3 April 2026 the exception to data protection rules in the electronic communications sectors that allows internet companies to detect online child sexual abuse. Their services, to report and remove. The second proposed European Union law would require internet companies to alert authorities about online child sexual abuse on their platforms.
Combating drug trafficking
Combating drug trafficking and organized crime will play a prominent role in the meeting of interior ministers. First, ministers are invited to adopt a resolution containing a recommendation on the application of best practices to Member States' capabilities in combating drug trafficking. This recommendation comes against the backdrop of an objective evaluation to verify the Member States’ implementation of the relevant parts of the Schengen Acquis. The Presidency will also brief the Council on the current status of various priority actions to combat drug trafficking and organized crime, and will report on a high-level meeting on this topic between GRULAC and the European Union.

justice
Legislative files
In November 2023, the Commission proposed a Directive on minimum rules to prevent and combat the smuggling of migrants. Its objectives are, among other things, to make the prosecution of smuggling networks more effective by clarifying the definition of the crime of smuggling and harmonizing penalties. The ministers will exchange views on key aspects, including the definition of the crime of smuggling.
Drug trafficking and organized crime
The fight against drug trafficking and organized crime is among the main priorities of the Belgian presidency. In the justice sector, the main focus is on improving judicial cooperation, which was discussed during the informal meeting of justice ministers in January. The Presidency will give a status presentation during the Council meeting on 5 March.
In the context of regular discussions on rule of law topics, Ministers of Justice will exchange views on the resilience of judicial systems in the face of threats posed by organized crime.
Ukraine – Fighting impunity
As part of the Council's ongoing engagement in the fight against impunity in Ukraine, the Presidency will invite the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Mr. Kostin, to participate in a discussion (lunch) on developments in the prosecution of war crimes and efforts in the European Union and the Security Council. Member state level.
Fundamental rights
Ministers will be invited to agree on conclusions regarding the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The focus of the conclusions will be on enhancing trust through effective legal protection and access to justice.