Justice and Home Affairs Council, 09-10/06/2016 - Main results

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie (Raad) i, gepubliceerd op vrijdag 10 juni 2016, 1:07.

Main results

Justice - 9 June

Property regimes for international couples

18 member states agreed on two regulations aimed at determining the rules applicable to property regimes for married couples or registered partners in cross-border situations (i.e. couples of different EU i nationalities and/or who own properties in another EU member state).

The regulations aim to determine which court will have jurisdiction for and which law will be applicable to matters of matrimonial property regimes and the property consequences of registered partnerships. They will establish clear rules on applicable law in case of divorce or death, bringing more legal certainty and putting an end to parallel and possibly conflicting proceedings in various member states. They will also facilitate the recognition and enforcement of decisions in cross-border situations.

Dutch minister Van der Steur, on behalf of the Netherlands presidency, said : "The Netherlands Presidency is very pleased that the Council has made a lot of progress, very swiftly, to overcome the deadlock in this file, by means of enhanced cooperation. Already 18 member states are on board. The Commission, European Parliament and Council have been working hard on this file during this semester and we hope that, after the adoption of the proposals, other member states will join the enhanced cooperation as well."

18 EU countries agree to clarify rules on property regimes for international couples

Criminal justice in cyberspace

Justice ministers adopted two sets of conclusions which set out concrete measures and a timeline for further action to improve cooperation in the fight against criminal activities in cyberspace.

The conclusions in particular set out concrete measures for future follow-up and action to streamline mutual legal assistance proceedings, improve cooperation with service providers and launch a reflection process on possible connecting factors for enforcement jurisdiction in cyberspace. The Commission is requested to present deliverables on those three areas by June 2017.

Fight against criminal activities in cyberspace : Council agrees on practical measures and next steps

European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO)

Ministers expressed broad conceptual support for the latest set of articles discussed at experts level under the Netherlands presidency. The presidency invited experts to continue negotiations, keeping in mind reservations expressed by some delegations and noting that nothing can be considered as fully agreed before an overall agreement on the text is reached.

These articles cover the rules on the case management system and data protection, simplified prosecution procedures, general provisions and financial and staff provisions.

The EPPO regulation aims at helping combat crimes against the EU's financial interests by introducing a European Public Prosecutor's Office with competence in that area.

Agenda highlights

Home Affairs - 10 June

On security related issues, the Council will aim to reach a general approach on the weapons directive. Ministers are expected to endorse a roadmap to enhance information exchange and information management in the justice and home affairs areas. This will be followed by a discussion on the feeding and consultation of databases.

Response to foreign terrorist fighters and recent terrorist attacks in Europe

On migration related issues, ministers will exchange views on the implementation of the EU-Turkey statement and on the developments regarding the Central Mediterranean.

Finding solutions to migratory pressures

The presidency will inform the Council about the latest developments regarding the European Border Guard. These include negotiations with the European Parliament and the preparatory work in view of an early implementation.

Strengthening the EU's external borders

The Council will also discuss visa liberalisation. The Commission presented proposals for visa liberalisation for Kosovo and Turkey in May and for Georgia and Ukraine in March and April.


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