#Romania2019.eu/ COSI, SCIFA carry out informal meetings on specific, unitary ways aimed at EU citizens' safety

The Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) and the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) carried out several informal meetings on Wednesday and Thursday in Bucharest, in view of discussing the specific and unitary ways aimed at the citizens's safety in the European Union space. According to a release of the Interior Ministry (MAI) sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, high-level experts of the member states, representatives of the European Commission, of the European agencies Europol, Eurojust, Frontex, CEPOL, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) met in Bucharest to discuss specific and unitary ways of ensuring citizens' safety in the European Union without obstructing the right to free movement, as well as the fight against large groups of organized crime and those specialised in various offenses. Wednesday's session was reserved for separate discussions in the two committees. In the opening of the meeting within the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) it was tackled the topic of digital data mining with in the work of law enforcement authorities. This concept is an initiative of the Romanian Presidency (at the EU Council), which was supported by the European agencies and the member states, brought to the COSI's attention ever since February 2018. "Further on, the debates focused on the tools and methods available to the EU countries in order to fight large groups of organised crime and groups specialised in various offenses. Over the past years, the attention of the member states' internal security policy has been channeled to counteract terrorism threats, cyber-attacks and illegal migration In this context, the usefulness of the services provided by the EUROPOL, such as operational coordination, exchange of information, strategic analysis, joint working teams, has been remarked. Thus, the finding of the necessary funds and resources to continue and increase the efficiency of this activity on this line was taken into account, as well as the increase of the safety level," the press release said. The quoted source mentions that at the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) level, the debates tackled the possible directions of action in order to identify "transitory measures" which will lead to the management of migration crisis with a major impact over the EU space, as well as measures in respect to the Integrated Management of State Borders. "The Romanian Presidency brought to attention the enforcement of some 'transitory measures' discussed within the informal meeting of the JHA Council, the Home Affairs component of February 2019. It is intended that this mechanism be an operational one, efficient and flexible, coordinated by the European Commission, that will benefit from the support of the European agencies and be triggered at the request of an affected EU member country. The measures are aimed at the persons undergoing search and rescue operations at sea, including other humanitarian situations. The states' participation is voluntary and works under the national, European and international legislation in force. Once this mechanism is activated, it will require the cooperation of all involved countries and the European agencies, in order to establish the identity of the migrants and to determine the procedure enforceable to each individual," the MAI release informs. This document also mentions that the joint meeting on Thursday took into account the importance of the two committees working jointly in order to provide an integrated response to the threats on illegal migration and the European citizens' safety, regardless of the nationality. AGERPRES (RO - author: Dana Piciul, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)