On 20.07.2023, the Internal Affairs section of the informal JAI Council, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, took place in Logroño, Spain. Romania was represented by Cătălin Predoiu, Minister of Internal Affairs.
The following topics were on the agenda: organized crime as a global threat and the need to strengthen international cooperation, especially in the fight against drug trafficking; internal security challenges of the EU, in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as the EU’s response to exceptional migratory situations. Police access to electronic communications and digital data was addressed at the working lunch.
During the first discussion session, Cătălin Predoiu, the Minister of Internal Affairs, emphasized the need for urgent measures dedicated to combating the distribution of drugs through the Internet and social platforms and highlighted the importance of prioritizing actions and programs dedicated to addressing the increase in drug use among children. He mentioned that Romania is considering launching a national program to combat drug use in schools and, in general, among young people, in cooperation with the area of education and prevention.
At the same time, he reiterated his support for cooperation between the EU and Latin American states (EU-CLASI) on internal security issues. „We have to cooperate with the countries where the drug production and distribution cartels have operations, so as to make the result of combating actions on the territory of the EU more efficient”, emphasized Minister Predoiu.
In the second session, the Romanian dignitary pointed out the importance of cooperation between the EU Member States, Ukraine and Moldova, to reduce risks to internal security, in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, emphasizing the close relationship, at all levels that Romania has with the Republic of Moldova.
During the working lunch, the representative of Romania highlighted the need for a harmonized data and metadata retention framework, at the European level, considering the fact that the existing disparities at the EU level, on this level, have a negative impact on the prevention and combating of cross-border crime. Regarding the police’s access to electronic communications and digital data, the analyze show that 85% of crimes have an electronic communication component, and for 65% of these, transnational checks are required.
In the last discussion session, the Romanian dignitary expressed support for the external dimension of migration, pointing out the need to improve cooperation on return policy, readmission and visas within the efforts to prevent illegal migration. He mentioned the importance of a legislative instrument to ensure adequate management of crisis situations in the field of migration.
In the context of the meeting, Cătălin Predoiu had a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from Bulgaria, Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Slovenia and, of course, Spain. During the meetings, topics of common interest were addressed, highlighting Romania’s objectives, at the level of internal affairs.
At the same time, as part of these discussions, a series of visits and in-depth bilateral discussions with Bulgaria, Germany, Holland and Slovenia were also agreed upon for the next period.
