§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made under the scoreboard to review progress on the creation of an area for freedom, security and justice in the European Union. [138085]
§ Mrs. RocheThe European Council meeting in Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999 decided that it would keep under constant review progress made towards developing the Union as an area of freedom, security and justice in line with its own conclusions ("the Tampere milestones"). It called on the Commission to come forward with an appropriate proposal for a scoreboard to that end. The Commission presented its scoreboard at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 27 March 2000, at which it was discussed by the Council. The scoreboard was designed to be regularly updated. The Commission produced a revised version of the scoreboard at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 29 May 2000. A further revised version is expected for the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on30 November-1 December 2000.
There has been progress on a wide range of issues covered by the Tampere conclusions over the past year. Developments range from the establishment of the Police Chiefs Task Force to the adoption of the European Refugee Fund. The first ever joint meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs and ECOFIN Councils took place on 17 October to consider measures to combat money laundering to implement Tampere conclusions 51–58.
748WMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary regularly reports to the European Scrutiny Committee on the outcome of Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings, in correspondence and in response to Parliamentary Questions. Copies of this correspondence are available in the Library.