All Member States chair the Council of the European Union for periods of six months on the basis of an agreed timetable. The Member States holding the Presidency work together in groups of three, called the „trio”. Romania was part of the Romania – Finland – Croatia trio.
The Romanian Presidency of the EU Council (PRES) took place in the first six months of 2019.
The main tasks of the Presidency of the EU Council are:
a) managing the legislative process and institutional policy of the Council.
b) negotiating with the European Parliament, on behalf of the Council, of legal acts and political documents under ordinary legislative procedure, called co-decision.
c) representing the Council in relations with other EU institutions, third countries, with EU citizens, NGOs, etc.
At national level, the coordination of PRES preparation and exercise activities is ensured by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs trough the Minister Delegate for European Affairs.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs will chair the Presidency of Justice and Home Affairs Council. It will participate in the national coordination of all the activities during the preparation and exercise the PRES and will ensure the public order and security measures for all activities carried out in Romania in this context.
Thus, through its representatives, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will ensure the drafting and implementation of PRES Program, will guide the EU legislative process, will prepare, conduct or finalize, as the case may be, European files, conclusions and working documents of the Council or of the Presidency, will represent the European Union Council and will negotiate with the European Parliament and the European Commission, will organize Council meetings and other bilateral and multilateral meetings.
At the Ministry of Internal Affairs level, preparations for the organization of PRES started at the beginning of 2016.
In this respect, a series of programmatic documents were drafted and approved, on the basis of which specific activities were initiated in order to organize the PRES.
Also, the Coordination Committee of the preparations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to exercise the Presidency of the EU Council was established, consisting of all the MIA structures, with responsibilities in the field.
A successful Presidency depends to a large extent on the people who will contribute to the goals set. In this respect, the Ministry of Internal Affairs representatives who, during the PRES, will hold the functions of presidents, vice-presidents of working groups and their reserves, file-coordinators and experts, communicators and experts responsible for organizing PRES, were established. For all these categories of personnel involved in organizing and running the PRES, centralized training programs took place.
Also, the priorities and dossiers in the field of home affairs, as well as the events that will be organized in Romania during the Presidency of the EU Council were established.
Particular attention was paid to the discussions with the trio partners, as well as with the representatives of the General Secretariat of the Council, with whom the Ministry of Internal Affairs representatives had a series of working meetings, that will continue during this year.
The organization of the Presidency will be a continuous and intense effort. In this respect, the Ministry of Internal Affairs aims to ensure an efficient and professional PRES, in its areas of competence.
June 30, 2019 – MIA – A Successful Presidency of the Justice and Internal Affairs Council – Internal Affairs
During the presidency of the Justice and Internal Affairs Council – the Internal Affairs section, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has successfully fulfilled its objectives set by the Romanian Presidency’s Program at the EU Council, succeeding in closing seven legislative files and making progress in negotiating other important legislative and non- legislative ones, as well as the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
30 06 2019 A Successful Presidency of the Justice and Internal Affairs Council
June 21, 2019 – The Meeting of the SIRENE Office Heads, in Bucharest
Between the 19th and 21st of June 2019, the Romanian Police organized the meeting of SIRENE Office Heads. The event took place in the context our country holding the Presidency of the European Union’s Council.
21 06 2019 THE MEETING OF THE SIRENE OFFICE HEADS
June 19, 2019 – The EU-US Meeting
On Wednesday, June 19, the EU-US meeting took place at the Palace of Parliament at ministerial level in the fields of justice and internal affairs in the context of Romania’s holding of the Council of the European Union’ presidency.
19 06 2019 EU-US meeting on Justice and Internal Affairs
June 18, 2019 – Meeting with the Interim Deputy Secretary for US Homeland Security Department, David Pekoske
On Tuesday, June 18, the Internal Affairs Minister, Carmen Dan, had a meeting, at the MAI headquarters, with the Interim Deputy Secretary for US Homeland Security Department, David Pekoske.
18 06 2019 Secretary for US Homeland Security Department David Pekoske
June 10-11, 2019 – Discussions regarding the management of the migration phenomenon at the national and regional level within the meeting of the representatives from the member countries in the Prague Process
11 06 2019 The Management of the Migration Phenomenon
June 6, 2019 – The Internal Affairs Minister, Carmen Dan, hosts today in Brussels the EU-Africa Migration Conference
06 06 2019 EU – Africa Migration Conference
June 5, 2019 – Minister of Internal Affairs, Carmen Dan, attends on June the 6-7, 2019 the meetings organized under the context of the Romanian Presidency of the European Union Council in Brussels and Luxembourg
05 06 2019 JAI Participation and Program
May 22, 2019 – The professional training of the law enforcement personnel is a priority at Member States’ level, which is working for this objective through the European Union Law Enforcement Preparations Agency (CEPOL)
22 05 2019 Council of the European Union CEPOL’s Board of Directors gathered in Bucharest
April 15, 2019 – The Inter-ministerial Security Committee „ROMANIA-EU 2019„
In the context of the Sibiu Summit, the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Security „ROMANIA-EU 2019” was set up at the level of the leaders of the institutions of the National Defense System, Public Order and National Security – MApN, MIA, SRI, SIE, STS and SPP.
March 14, 2019 – Informal meeting of the Strategic Committee for Immigration, Border and Asylum (SCIFA) and the Standing Committee for Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI)
High Level Experts from the Member States, representatives of the European Commission and European agencies Europol, Eurojust, Frontex, CEPOL, European Institute for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (EIGE) met in Bucharest to discuss specific ways and unity aimed at the safety of citizens in the European Union without the restriction of the right to free movement, as well as for the fight against large groups of organized crime and those specialized in various crimes.
March 7, 2019 – Minister of Internal Affairs, Carmen Dan, is heading today in Brussels the first formal meeting of the JAI Council within the Romanian Presidency
During the internal affairs session of the meeting there are discussed issues related to migration, the fight against terrorism and the good organization of elections for the European Parliament.
07 03 2019 formal meeting JAI Council within the Romanian Presidency
February 28, 2019 – RO PRES 2019: Joint meeting of senior EU and USA officials in the domains of internal affairs and justice
In the context of Romania’s holding of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, on Thursday, February the 28th, at the Palace of Parliament, the meeting took place in the form of senior EU-USA officials, whose main objective is the exchange of opinions about relevant issues in the justice and internal affairs.
28 02 2019 Joint Meeting of senior EU and USA Officials
February 8, 2021 – Several internal affairs ministers have visited today the Operational Center for Border Police
In the context of the informal meeting of the EU Justice and Internal Affairs Council in Bucharest, the Ministry of Internal Affairs organized a visit of foreign representatives to the Command and Control Center of the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, on Friday, February 8.
08 02 2019 Visit at the Operational Center for Border Police
February 7, 2019 – Minister of Internal Affairs, Carmen Dan, at the informal meeting of the JAI Council – Doorsteps Declaration
07 02 2019 DOORSTEPS DECLARATION
February 6-8, 2019 – Who is Who – Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers
Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers – Program for Home Affairs Session
Program JHA – Home Affairs Session
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