On 3-4 November high-level representatives from the nine EU Agencies working in the field of freedom, security and justice as well as from the European Commission (DG HOME and DG JUST), the European Parliament (LIBE Committee), the Presidency of the EU Council, the Council General Secretariat, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European External Affairs Service (EEAS) convened in Tallinn, Estonia for the annual meeting of the Heads of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies. The meeting concluded the one-year eu-LISA chairmanship of the network of these agencies.
The main role of the Agencies working in the area of Justice and Home Affairs is to support Member States in the implementation of policies in the field of migration, asylum and border management, the fight against serious and organised crime, combating trafficking in human beings, drug control, criminal justice, law enforcement training, gender equality and fundamental rights. Throughout 2015 the Agencies closely cooperated under eu-LISA's chairmanship in the areas within their mandate complementing each other in their collective effort to better meet the needs of the Member States and to ensure free movement in the Schengen area. The Agencies collaborated through knowledge sharing, pooling of expert resources and other joint activities to ensure security, justice and the protection of fundamental rights in Europe. Commitment and common actions have allowed the Agencies to make better use of the wide set of operational tools available to them to support practical action on the ground whilst alleviating the current challenges.
Krum Garkov, the Executive Director of eu-LISA, emphasised that while building on existing initiatives and working together for a safer Europe, the Agencies will further strengthen the support to each other and commit to step up cooperation in the priority areas highlighted by the European Agendas on Migration and Security as well as the Renewed EU Internal Security Strategy 2015-2020.
The next chairman of the network is the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) who will take over from eu-LISA as of January 2016. The network encompasses nine EU agencies: CEPOL, EASO, EIGE, EMCDDA, eu-LISA, Eurojust, Europol, FRA and Frontex.
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