§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to take forward the Justice and Home Affairs Agenda of the EU. [64838]
§ Mr. BlunkettI intend to work closely with the incoming Danish Presidency with a view to taking forward the justice and home affairs work programme. Consequently, I met with Lene Espersen, the Danish Minister of Justice, on 19 June to discuss the priorities for the next six months.
My key priority will be to push forward implementation of the conclusions agreed at the Seville European Council on 21–22 June on combating illegal immigration and creating a common asylum policy. Those conclusions were prompted by United Kingdom concerns at the lack of progress on asylum and immigration measures and incorporate specific ideas proposed by the United Kingdom for the purpose of advancing that work. In particular, the conclusions set deadlines for agreeing the instruments which will form the basis of the European Union's common asylum system, and I attach importance to supporting the Danish Presidency in securing agreement to the Dublin II Regulation (on responsibility for processing an asylum claim) by the end of this year.
I also intend to focus greater attention at European Union level on action against drug trafficking as part of the mid-term review of the European Union's Action Plan against Drugs 2000–04. Improved cross-border police co-operation, including the effective use of Europol, is also a priority, as is progress in implementing the programme of measures on mutual recognition of court
1060Wdecisions and judgments. In particular, I would like to see completion of the negotiations on the mutual recognition of financial penalties. which was a joint initiative tabled by the United Kingdom, Belgium and Sweden.