JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

The Justice and Interior Ministers of the EU Member States meet regularly, roughly every two months, at the meetings held by the Justice and Home Affairs Council, where they coordinate cooperation on judicial, police, asylum and migration issues.

The goal set out in the EU Treaty is the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice in Europe, in which individuals' fundamental rights and civil liberties are respected. The JHA Council usually discusses and adopts decisions on the basis of proposals from the European Commission. Great importance is attached to the Hague Programme, adopted by the European Council in 2004, which sets out the EU's goals in the field of Justice and Home Affairs for the period up to 2010.

Unanimity is required for Council decisions on most issues. However, in some areas (visas, asylum and judicial cooperation in civil matters), a qualified majority is sufficient. The European Parliament is involved in the decision-making process through either the co-decision procedure or consultation.