§ Mr. BatesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held on 23 March.
§ Mr. HowardThe meeting on 23 March was the second Justice and Home Affairs Council held under the provisions of the Treaty on European Union. The main points dealt with were as follows.
The European Commission gave a presentation on its communication on immigration and asylum policies. The Council agreed to consider how best to take forward this communication, and will discuss it again at its informal meeting in May.
The council noted progress on the draft European information system convention. It called for further work on the convention, in particular on the question of what provisions it should include on police and judicial co-operation, with a view to agreement being reached at the June Council.
The Council noted progress on the Europol convention and urged member states to work towards meeting the previously agreed deadline of October 1994. It remitted to a future Council a final decision on senior appointments to the Europol drugs unit.
The Council decided to ask the Telecommunications Council to ensure that developments in telecommunications took account of the need for legally authorised interception of telecommunications.
It approved a report on operational co-operation in combating terrorism.
It discussed a report on progress in simplifying and improving co-operation in the field of extradition.
The Council heard a presentation from the United Kingdom on its proposal for a legally binding joint action under title VI of the treaty on European Union to combat fraud against the Community budget, and expressed the 946W hope that an interim report on fraud, to include consideration of the United Kingdom initiative, would be ready for discussion at the June Council.