Security and cooperation EU-USA, in the ministers of Justice and Home Affairs meeting
The informal meeting of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the EU (JHA) that begins today in Toledo will devote most of the first day to analysing, jointly with the United States, the progress made and problems that exist in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
The Spanish Minister for Home Affairs, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, reminded that one of the key objectives during the Spanish Presidency of the European Union is to strengthen transatlantic relations and increase police coordination and cooperation in security matters.
Radical Islamic terrorism, drug trafficking and slavery are some of the issues that the Ministers for Home Affairs of the 27 will deal with today jointly with the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.
During a press conference before the meeting, Rubalcaba acknowledged that air security is “without a doubt going to be the centre point of the discussion”, and he declared that the meeting will deal with these issues “generally” and will not make specific decisions on issues such as the use of scanners at airports.
Nor is it planned to discuss specific agreements on data exchange between the EU and the United States issues, as there is already a “great deal of reticence” in Europe, given the different treatment people receive on either side of the Atlantic, especially regarding bank codes and aeroplane passenger lists.
In addition to terrorism and cooperation with the United States, today's meeting will also look at the new Interior Security Strategy, the objective of which is to define the bases of common European policy following the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Stockholm Strategy.
As well as the EU Ministers of Home Affairs, Justice and Immigration, the meeting will also be attended by representatives from the candidate countries -Macedonia, Croatia and Turkey- and the countries associated under Schengen -Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland- as well as representatives from the major European organisations in this field, such as Frontex and Europol.