Informal meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Warsaw

  • Slika /slike/00 MINISTAR HABIJAN/54297180882_5aa7f2ec10_b.jpg
  • Slika

This year's first informal meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers took place in Warsaw on 30 and 31 January 2025. The meeting was attended by Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan

The ministers discussed the challenges of the rule of law and their impact on mutual cooperation in the area of justice. All Member States share a set of common values on which the EU is founded. Judicial cooperation between EU Member States implies a high degree of mutual trust, which is the basis for successful cooperation and joint fight against cross-border crime. Recent instruments of judicial cooperation in criminal matters point to the introduction of a relatively new concept of establishing a breach of a fundamental right when deciding on the recognition of a decision in the matter in question. The position of the Republic of Croatia is that, in order for an infringement of fundamental rights to be examined at all, it is first necessary to identify systemic or general deficiencies in the functioning of the judicial system of a given Member State. If it were established that such defects existed in a particular aspect, it would only then be possible to examine whether such a defect has actually affected a specific situation.

Another topic was the future of justice. As the EU enters a new institutional cycle, this moment provides an opportunity to redesign and strengthen the area of justice by promoting a forward-looking agenda. In the context of the expansion of policies in the area of freedom, security and justice, it was discussed whether to reaffirm the commitment to a fair and efficient system that prioritises the rights and protection of individuals. Furthermore, citizens' experiences with the justice system that deserve particular attention were addressed, bearing in mind the fact that feelings of injustice can create fertile ground for populism and radicalism.

The third working session was dedicated to the consequences of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The European Union actively reacted to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, which started with the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and escalated dramatically with Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Croatia condemns the aggression against Ukraine and the mass atrocities that were and unfortunately continue to be committed. Croatia has actively assisted Ukraine by sharing knowledge in the area of prosecution of war crimes and victim and witness support.

PHOTO: European Union

                                      

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