§ 23. Mr. StringerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the priorities of his Department for the United Kingdom presidency of European Union in respect of co-operative measures. [24635]
§ Ms QuinThe United Kingdom Presidency in the Justice and Home Affairs field will be concentrating particularly on practical co-operation to tackle organised crime including drugs, terrorism and illegal immigration. Key objectives will be to get Europol up and running, and to take forward other uncompleted tasks in the Action Plan on organised crime agreed at the Amsterdam European Council. Priorities here will include work on the draft European Union Convention on mutual legal assistance and on measures to tackle fraud and corruption. As President I shall carry forward preparatory work on incorporation of the Schengen agreements into the European Union framework, and promote justice and Home Affairs issues in the context of enlargement of the European Union. We shall also take action to follow up the European Year Against Racism 1997.