The Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños, attends the informal meeting of European Union justice ministers
The Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños, has taken part in the informal meeting of European Union justice ministers. The meeting kicked off yesterday in Brussels with a reception hosted by the Belgian presidency at the Museum of Fine Arts.
The meeting focused on two priorities: the fight against organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism as a threat to European societies and democracies; and responses to current challenges in the rule of law, the improvement and consolidation of good governance in the EU and the defence of common values and fundamental rights and freedoms.
Response to organised crime
In the first working session, they discussed the EU's judicial response to organised crime related to drug trafficking, as a continuation of the work carried out during the recent Spanish presidency of the Council, during which a common roadmap was adopted.
Among the most important actions was the creation of a network of specialised prosecutors and judges, as well as the strengthening of police and judicial cooperation with third countries with non-cooperative jurisdictions. Both aspects were at the centre of the discussion at the request of the Belgian presidency.
Small-scale detention
The afternoon session dealt with small-scale detention. A model for promoting the reintegration and rehabilitation of certain prisoners as an alternative measure to imprisonment, based on Belgium's own experience, involving the implementation of smaller facilities than prisons, focusing on reintegration and targeting a more limited number of prisoners. Eligible offenders include juvenile offenders, older offenders and mothers with children convicted of drug trafficking, fraud, theft or violence that do not involve more than three years' imprisonment or terrorist or sexual offences.
During the day, Félix Bolaños also held a bilateral meeting with his German counterpart, Marco Buschmann, to share our experience in digitalisation, and another with the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, to finalise the implementation of mediation for the renewal of the CGPJ.
Non official translation