Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Security, Étienne Schneider, will today be chairing the extraordinary 'Justice and Home Affairs' (JHA) Council session in Brussels.
The meeting was convened by the Luxembourg Presidency, in consultation with the French authorities, in order to discuss and develop a European response to the terrorist attacks in Paris. The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), agencies such as Europol, Eurojust and Frontex and Interpol officials will be in attendance at the meeting, which will assemble European Ministers of Justice, of the Interior and of Internal Security.
The meeting will be primarily devoted to the European Passenger Name Record (PNR) system, discussed earlier this week by Deputy Prime Minister Schneider and President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. Other central topics will include arms trafficking, the strengthening of external border controls and the fight against terrorist financing.
"This meeting should produce concrete results and decide concrete measures," stated Étienne Schneider ahead of the Extraordinary Council. "More than ever, the EU must demonstrate its ability to act and therefore establish its credibility, without sending the ball back and forth between the Commission, Parliament and Council".
Photo by Sarah Graham (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Security, Étienne Schneider)
