12.1: Justice, Freedom and Security

Fact Sheet 12.1: Introduction

The EU is creating an area "justice, freedom and security" with the objective of EU citizens being able to live their lives in security and safety. EU citizens need protection against international crime, equal access to justice and respect for their fundamental rights across the EU. With the rapid expansion of the EU to the east and the extension of the borderless Schengen area, the EU is, potentially, especially susceptible to illegal immigration, terrorism and international crime.

The area of Justice, Freedom and Security includes the following key issues:

• Asylum and immigration, part of the European Community since Amsterdam. Under Maastricht these issues were under the 3^rd pillar, Justice and Home Affairs. See Fact Sheet 12.3.
• The Schengen Convention on freedom of movement of people, without borders, part of the European Community since Amsterdam. See Fact Sheet 12.4.
• Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters, the post Amsterdam 3^rd pillar, which operates inter-governmentally. See Fact Sheet 12.5.
• Fundamental Rights. The Charter of Fundamental Rights is discussed under the Constitution in Section 2.
• Data Protection, which is under the 1^st pillar.

RL, February 2007