VZCZCXRO4364
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHSM #0488/01 2161345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041345Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4599
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000488 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, S/CT 
DHS FOR MCALLAHAN, LSAADAT, MSCARDAVILLE, SBALLARD 
JUSTICE FOR BSWARTZ, TBURROWS, NLIBIN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PREF PREL EUN SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN HOSTS INFORMAL EU JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS 
MINISTERIAL, JULY 15-17 
 
REF: Stockholm 00452 
 
¶1. Summary:  On July 15-17, Sweden hosted an informal EU Justice and 
Home Affairs (JHA) ministerial outside of Stockholm.  The 
ministerial devoted its discussions to the future "Stockholm 
Program", a five year program on continued cooperation within the 
JHA area.  The Ministers met in different sessions on interior, 
migration and justice issues and jointly discussed the Commission's 
proposal for the Stockholm Program for the first time.  A broad 
support for a more citizen-focused program, a common European asylum 
system and the need for enhanced cooperation with third countries on 
cross-border issues, such as trafficking in persons, was noted by 
the Swedish Presidency.  End summary. 
 
------------------------ 
Interior Ministry Issues 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. Embassy representatives covering the meeting noted that the EU 
for the first time was able to discuss the Commission's proposals 
for the Stockholm Program, which is intended to replace the 2004 
Hague Program for JHA issues.  On the first day, Ministers discussed 
a range of topics, including: enhanced EU cooperation on trafficking 
in persons, child protection, organized crime, economic- and 
cybercrime.  Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask said the general 
agreement among Member States "to focus more clearly on the citizen" 
entails strengthening individual rights, taking a "holistic approach 
to information exchange," and "data protection and integrity issues 
are key to this work."  Additionally, Ask stressed the need for a 
clear strategy of cooperation with third countries (e.g. the U.S. 
and Russia,) especially when fighting the types of cross-border 
crime. 
 
¶3. The Canadian-Czech visa controversy drew much attention during 
the first day, but no public positions were stated. Currently, 
Member States are waiting for the Commission to negotiate with 
Ottawa and offer guidance to all members on the advisability of 
retaliation.  The Swedes were also unwilling to comment or act on 
the matter until the Commission has ruled. 
 
---------------- 
Migration issues 
---------------- 
 
¶4. Both Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billstrom and EU JHA 
Commissioner Jacques Barrot welcomed the broad support among the 
Member States for developing a common asylum policy by 2012 and for 
agreeing on the principle that the EU needs continued migration. 
Billstrom stressed the importance of ensuring equal treatment of 
asylum seekers, arguing for procedural uniformity regardless of 
where the asylum claim is made.  Billstrom also said there is a need 
for solidarity and responsibility on migration within the EU and a 
joint strategy for resettlement would be one way to show solidarity, 
not only towards each other but also towards the refugees. 
 
¶5. Commissioner Barrot noted support among the ministers for a 
stronger FRONTEX and its cooperation with third countries.  He 
pointed to the working relation between FRONTEX and Turkey, which 
has decreased illegal immigration to Greece.  Barrot also said that 
the EU will establish a common entry and exit system to monitor 
visa-holders and overstays.  Finally, he stressed that migration has 
to become a part of EU's foreign policy and he urged Javier Solana 
and the EU's foreign ministers to give it priority. 
 
¶6. Barrot and Billstrom strongly welcomed the Commission's visa 
liberalization proposal towards Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, 
which Billstrom hailed as a concrete way of bringing these countries 
closer to the EU. 
 
-------------- 
Justice issues 
-------------- 
 
¶7. The discussions on the last day focused on justice issues, but 
continued many of the themes from the first day's session on 
interior issues.  Minister Ask highlighted the support among Member 
States to take measures that would benefit EU citizens and build 
confidence among various EU legal systems.  In particular, she 
emphasized more support for victims of crime, better training on EU 
cooperation for judges and prosecutors, and better access to 
interpretation and translation services for criminal defendants. 
However, Ask noted that because of a general lack of progress on 
these issues, the Swedish Presidency would mostly focus on the, 
issue of interpretation and access to translation. 
 
¶8.  For detailed information on the discussion topics for the 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000488  002 OF 002 
 
 
ministerial, see the three working documents issued and distributed 
to the delegation prior to the meetings at www.se2009.eu. 
 
SILVERMAN