Date of release : 16-06-2005

Policy area : Justice and Home Affairs Justice and Home Affairs

On 16 March 2005, the Minister of Justice and current President of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, Luc Frieden, participated in the meeting of the G8 Ministers of Justice and Ministers of the Interior in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Luc Frieden was representing the EU, together with the Commissioner in charge of Freedom, Security and Justice, Franco Frattini.

The Ministers of Justice and the Interior addressed the issues of the fight against organised crime, trafficking in human beings, the fight against drugs, child pornography and the fight against terrorism.

Luc Frieden believes that stronger political and judicial cooperation is required to combat international organised crime and he told his G8 colleagues about the important role that the European Union is playing in this area.

Child pornography

Luc Frieden insisted, in particular, on the importance of the exchange of information as a key factor in preventing crime and identifying criminals. This applies especially to DNA data and fingerprints.

The G8 ministers discussed methods of strengthening the fight against child pornography on the Internet. Luc Frieden welcomed the fact that the G8 had made it a priority to combat this odious crime.

Drug trafficking

As regards the worrying situation of the production of drugs in Afghanistan, Ministers decided to increase resources for combating drug production and trafficking. Luc Frieden pleaded for a coordinated action by the G8 and a more consistent policy between military, political and diplomatic action on the ground of the G8 countries, including the European Union.

Biometric passports

As for the solution reached between the European Union and the USA, following the efforts of the Luxembourg Presidency and the US authorities as regards biometric passports, at a joint press conference with the US Second Secretary for Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, Luc Frieden welcomed the fact that an important dossier that could have caused serious problems for transatlantic relations had been solved.

According to Ministers Chertoff and Frieden, biometrics is a crucial factor in increasing passport security and in combating organised crime and illegal immigration more effectively. "It is a great day for the European Union and the United States", declared Luc Frieden, while insisting on the significant progress made by the European Union in this field.