Security issues on the agenda of EU-U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting

Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson will represent Finland in the EU-U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting to be held in Bucharest on 19 June.

At the meeting, topical cooperation projects in the field of justice and home affairs between the European Union and the United States will be discussed by Romania, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Finland, which will next hold the Presidency, the United States, and the European Commission and its agencies.

As regards justice affairs on the agenda, judicial cooperation between the EU and the United States in cybersecurity issues is one of the questions to be discussed. The EU is about to launch negotiations with the United States for an agreement providing faster access to electronic evidence in cross-border criminal investigations. In addition, cooperation for improving election security will be one of the topics to be covered at the meeting.

Minister Henriksson will also present Finland’s objectives in the field of justice affairs during Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will begin on 1 July.

Justice and home affairs ministers of the EU and the United States meet twice a year to discuss the application of multilateral international agreements in civil and criminal matters, data protection issues, fight against terrorism and cross-border crime, and matters related to immigration and visas. During Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a corresponding ministerial meeting will be held in Washington in late 2019.

Inquiries: Marina Venäläinen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 150 236, email: [email protected]