Legal limits to our EU policing role

IRELAND is a key player in Europe on a range of important policy matters in the fields of justice and home affairs, such as:

Combating drug importation into the EU.

Tackling illegal child trafficking.

Co-ordinating common immigration policies.

Implementing common asylum policies.

Greater police co-operation.

Combating international terrorism.

Tackling organised crime.

In fact, as recently as last month, Ireland formally joined what is known as MAOC, which is the Maritime Analysis Operations Centre programme in Europe.

This initiative brings together the naval, police, intelligence and customs services of eight countries from the west coast of Europe. The aim of this programme is to stop cocaine importation from South America getting into Europe along our sea border.

The MAOC programme is just one practical example of how Ireland is to the forefront in Europe when it comes to justice and home affairs policies.

The Government will participate in all aspects of EU justice and home affairs matters, except when it will create legal difficulties for us.

We do not want a situation arising whereby other EU countries can take a decision by a majority vote which would effect the day-to-day operation of our legal system in Ireland.

The EU is in a very strong position to deal with justice and home affairs issues on a union-wide scale. That is because we live in an internal market where people can move freely from one member state to the next.

It is in Ireland’s interest that many of these programmes are dealt with at an EU level, and that is why the Government has made it clear that Ireland will continue to be actively involved in all aspects of EU justice and home affairs policy development into the future.

Brian Crowley MEP

European Parliament

Strasbourg