Minister of Justice and Public Administration Ivan Malenica participated in the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, held in Brussels on 3-4 March 2022.
Ministers of the interior met on 3 March, and justice ministers on March 4.
The justice ministers exchanged their views on the Proposal for a Council Decision on the addition of hate speech and hate crime to the list of crimes set out in Article 83 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Since hate speech and hate crime have a cross-border component, and the cooperation of police and judicial authorities of the Member States is of paramount importance for their suppression and prosecution, such a joint response at EU level in the definition of offences and appropriate sanctions would facilitate cross-border cooperation and contribute to increasing trust between Member States.
In addition, in the presence of the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, the ministers adopted conclusions on combating racism and antisemitism.
Furthermore, ministers discussed the issue of access to a lawyer and the role of such access in the protection of the rule of law. In the circumstances of the recognised freedom to provide legal services on the territory of the European Union, it is necessary to establish minimum common standards for the legal profession, to contribute to ensuring and strengthening of the rule of law, to the protection of lawyers and the legal profession in general, but also to the strengthen the functioning of the judiciary at European level, while respecting the national status of lawyers.
The French Presidency informed ministers of the progress made in the negotiations on the proposals for a Regulation on European Production and Preservation Orders for electronic evidence in criminal matters and a Directive on the appointment of legal representatives for the purpose of gathering evidence in criminal proceedings.
The ministers were also briefed on the Commission's response to the questions raised by Poland following the allegations of trading in influence, violence of the police during recent demonstrations against COVID19-related measures, and challenges raised by the prosecution of a Polish judge by the Belarusian authorities.
Furthermore, the Commission presented to the ministers its newly published proposals on corporate due vigilance in the area of sustainability and on data access and management.
In conclusion, during a working lunch, the ministers exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine, and expressed support for Ukraine and its fight against aggression by the political leadership of the Russian Federation, as well as the need for a united and decisive response of the European Union in prosecuting violations of international humanitarian law.
"As a country that suffered aggression and had to defend its territory and its citizens, Croatia understands the situation of Ukraine more than well and we are ready to help in any way we can. We are also very well aware of how important international support in this fight is and we strongly support the united and decisive response of the European Union. Therefore, we stand firmly on the side of a democratic and sovereign Ukraine and call on Russia to end this war", said Minister Malenica.
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