State Secretary Crncec at JHA Council in Budapest

State Secretary Ivan Crnčec attended the meeting of EU justice ministers on behalf of the Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation.

The Hungarian Presidency hosted the informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the European Union (JHA Council) in Budapest on 22 and 23 July 2024.
 
Strengthening of the EU's legal competitiveness was the first item on the agenda for discussion by EU justice ministers. For the sake of boosting competitiveness, which includes a wide range of issues and policies, including judicial cooperation in civil matters, Member States, the European Commission, industry and other stakeholders have been continuously advocating for simple, predictable and coherent legislation.
 
The European Council conclusions from April this year stated very concretely and concisely the problems and solution to this issue; namely, it is necessary for the further development of EU law to focus on better implementation of existing legislation and assessment of the impact of its application in practice.
 
The ministers also discussed research into the role of artificial intelligence in the judiciary, i.e. the impact of AI and other advanced technologies on the exercise of fundamental rights in the justice sector.
 
While AI promises shows promise of a significant transformation of the justice system, careful management of its implementation is key to ensuring fairness, transparency and human rights protection.
 
Given today's rapid development and introduction of digital technologies in almost all areas, Croatia welcomes the initiative of the Hungarian Presidency on the role and importance of AI in the field of justice.
 
Another topic of the meeting was the preparation of strategic guidelines for the planning of legislative and operational programmes in the area of freedom, security and justice, i.e. the future of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal law.
 
Multiannual strategic programmes, such as the Tampere, Hague and Stockholm programmes, were key instruments for the creation of the area of freedom, security and justice in the EU. While the Lisbon Treaty introduced major changes in this area, Member States considered it important to preserve their leading role in setting future priorities.
 
Improvement of competitiveness, expandsion of digital tools and fight against organised crime are areas of utmost importance not only for the prosperity of the EU but also for protecting and improving the lives of its citizens.
 
Croatia supports the Council conclusions on "The future of EU criminal law: recommendations on the way forward", and in particular the part concerning the harmonisation of the general institutes of criminal law that would safeguard the consistency of the criminal law acquis in subsequent EU legislation.
 
Source/photo: HU24EU

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