4 June Justice and Home Affairs Council

Date: 06/06/1996

THE UK blocked at least ten crime-fighting measures as part of its continuing policy of non-cooperation following the EU's refusal to commit itself to lifting the word-wide ban on British beef. Several measures blocked had initially been UK proposals, or policy measures strongly supported by London. UK Home Affairs Minister Michael Howard withheld approval for the creation of a directory to facilitate cooperation in the fight against terrorism, blocked a council recommendation to step up the fight and to increase sanctions against the illegal employment of third-state nationals, and refused to give his approval to a biannual working programme establishing a catalogue of priorities to allow the Council to better focus its work in the field of justice and home affairs.

HOWARD also blocked progress towards a compromise on the judicial supervision of Europol. Ministers agreed to discuss the issue again at the EU summit in Florence on 21 June. The Benelux countries and Germany said they would ask the summit participants to hold a broader discussion on the European Court of Justice's competence to supervise home affairs and justice conventions, as the UK refusal to allow for ECJ involvement is also blocking progress on a number of other conventions.

IN addition, the UK also withheld agreement on a number of budgetary provisions affecting work at the European Drug Unit in The Hague, the forerunner of Europol, and blocked measures to combat the trafficking of art works and counterfeiting. Ministers took further note of a feasibility study on a fingerprint system, Eurodac, designed to prevent asylum seekers from submitting applications in several EU countries at once. The legal basis of the system is to be established through a new convention, with several points still under discussion.

DESPITE an extended debate, ministers failed to achieve progress on the draft external borders convention, with the dispute over Gibraltar's status and the involvement of ECJ showing no sign of being resolved. Ministers also failed to make a breakthrough on a convention easing extradition procedures between member states, with several delegations raising objections due to the differences in national penal laws.

MINISTERS did, however, agree to an Irish proposal - strongly backed by Justice and Home Commissioner Anita Gradin - to make the fight against drugs the main cooperation priority with enlargement candidates during Ireland's EU presidency.

THE Council also reached a political accord on the text of a convention on the fight against corruption within EU institutions and Union member states, with the role of the ECJ, however, still the subject of controversy.

THREE Commission proposals on the free movement of people were also discussed by ministers. Several delegations claimed

the proposals exceeded the Commission's competence, and must be dealt within the intergovernmental framework of third pillar cooperation. The issue was referred to Coreper.