Post-visa liberalisation monitoring and the fight against trafficking in human beings were discussed at the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum of Justice and Home Affairs, which started today in Tirana, Albania, and will be concluded tomorrow. The EU and the Western Balkan states also decided to strengthen their cooperation regarding the illicit trafficking of firearms....

Issues related to migration of highly qualified work forces and student mobility between Asia and Europe will be the focus of the 11th ASEM Conference of Directors-General of Immigration and Management of Migratory Flows, which is scheduled to take place during the Cyprus EU Presidency on 30-31 October in Nicosia....

‘Immigration of International Students to the EU’ will be the overall theme of the European Migration Network Conference that will be held in Paralimni on 29-30 October. The outcomes of the Conference are expected to provide information towards the development of a proposal amending the Students and Researchers Directives....

The Ministers of Justice took one more positive step concerning the freezing and confiscating the proceeds of crime. More specifically, they agreed on the aspect of extended confiscation which basically provides the confiscation of assets of a convicted person, even if the specific assets do not constitute direct proceeds of crime on which the conviction was made....

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) achieved progress in several legislative proposals for the establishment of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), as it adopted today, October 25, a Political Agreement on the Reception Conditions Directive....

The Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council today decided on taking specific measures at an EU level, aiming at the better protection of soft targets from terrorist attacks. During its meeting in Luxembourg, the JHA Council also approved the Republic of Cyprus as a new member in the data exchange system concerning fingerprints and DNA, thus paving the way for stronger transnational cooperation among Member States for combating organised crime and terrorism....

The Common European Asylum System (CEAS), the Situation in Syria and the establishment of a Regional Protection Program, the proposal for a Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the Council Conclusions on the new EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012–2016, the simplification and speeding up of procedures for the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime in the EU, as well as the dissuasive sanctions for market manipulation are some of the topics that will be discussed when the EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) meet on the 25th and 26th of October in Luxembourg....

Future steps to strengthen cooperation and partnerships between the relevant bodies fighting for the eradication of trafficking in human beings, were debated during today’s Conference in Brussels which marked the 6th EU Anti-Trafficking Day. During the Conference entitled Working Together towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings: 'The Way Forward’, ways to reinforce prevention, victim protection and assistance as well as the prosecution of offenders were also discussed....

On the occasion of the 6th EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the conference entitled ‘Working Together towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings: The Way Forward’ will take place on Thursday October 18 in Brussels. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms Cecilia Malmström, the EU Anti-trafficking coordinator, Ms Myria Vassiliadou, and Minister of Interior of Cyprus, Ms Eleni Mavrou, will participate in the conference, which will be open to journalists....

The European Heritage Days (EHD) 2012 was launched today at the picturesque village of Kapedes in Cyprus, with  speeches from Cyprus’  Interior Minister, Ms Eleni Mavrou, the EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth,  Ms Androulla Vassiliou, and the Director of Democratic Governance Culture and Diversity,  Ms Claudia Luciani....

The more the internet evolves, the more criminal activities in the digital environment develop. The increase in the number of users has led to increasing profits for criminal activities on the internet, so called cybercrime. The Cyprus Presidency organises a seminar titled “Best Practices in Cooperation between EU Member States against Cybercrime”, on October 15 and 16, 2012....

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper II) endorsed today the text of the negotiating mandate of the Council for the EURODAC regulation, concerning the database storage of asylum seekers’ fingerprints. The relevant regulation (EURODAC), is expected to be discussed through   trialogues between the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the European Parliament....

The developments in the field of data protection were discussed during the European Parliament’s (EP) Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) meeting, which was attended by Cyprus’ Justice and Public Order Minister, Mr....

Cyprus’s Minister of Interior stressed the need that the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2014-2020 should reflect reality, during her speech at the European Parliament on the occasion of the opening of the Open Days 2012....

Minister of Interior, Ms Eleni Mavrou, will give a keynote address, on behalf of the Cyprus Presidency, in the European Parliament at the opening of the OPEN DAYS 2012, which celebrates the European Week of Regions and Cities. The week will include more than 100 events and is expected to attract an audience of 6,000 local and regional stakeholders....

The Council of the European Union today took a great step in ensuring fundamental protection to victims across the EU by adopting, as an ‘A’ point, the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime....

Progress in the implementation of the EU-Russia Roadmap for the Common Space of Freedom Security and Justice, visa and migration issues, transnational crime and judicial cooperation were among the topics discussed at today’s 16th Meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on Freedom, Security and Justice in Nicosia....

The Cyprus Presidency welcomes today’s development in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee of the European Parliament in relation to the Dublin II Regulation. LIBE gave today, in an orientation vote, a clear indication that the compromise reached in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER II) on the 18th of July regarding the political part of the Dublin Regulation is acceptable....

The Cyprus Presidency welcomes the decision of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament yesterday to resume work on five legislative proposals by the European Commission in the field of Justice and Home Affairs. The decision allows the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council to continue on the five dossiers....

EU institutions still have much to do with regard to the adoption of the new package on data protection. The Cyprus Presidency is optimistic that a partial general approach on certain aspects of the package can be achieved by the end of the year. The Cyprus Presidency was praised for its work in promoting the new package on data protection, during the recent Informal Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council....