The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) exchange views with Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, as regard the priorities of the Belgian rotating presidency on Justice matters such as the protection of children, the fight against child pornography, the directive against human trafficking, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Justice and home affairs (T2)

fight against child sex crimes (T)

fight against trafficking in human beings (T)

Belgian Presidency of the EU (T)

DE CLERCK, Stefaan (BE)

Belgian Presidency - Justice: extracts from the exchange of views with Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, First of all,traditionally it is very important for us that we llok at the protection of victims of crime, for a long time in belgium it has been a priority for us, and w've always stressed the importance of this. WE would like to offer the best protection for those who are vulnerable, children who are the victims of crime, child pornography, this is something becoming ever more important and that we need to tackle on a European scale.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, We will have consistent consultation and dialogue with your Committee on the Directive of Human trafficking, it is very important that we ensure that this instrument can be shaped in a constructive way.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, The second priority will be cooperaiton on Justice and policing particularly in the context of crime prevention which is where we will have to work closely togetehr especially on justice cooperation on a European scale in order to fight crime effectively.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, On the role of Eurojust ; here we are talking about a major player on justice cooperation at a European scale, We will be looking on the implementation of the legal basis of Eurojust, we will have to make considerations about implmentation of new instruments , but we will have to look at the actual role of Eurojust, at the prosecutors and the justice network.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, The third priority, the access to justice , that is a subject of general instrest , something we want to provide for citizens, the EU accession to the Conventionof Human Rights, again it is a mean to strengthening the rights of European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Minister for Justice, I undertake to ensure that European protection launched by the Spanish presidency continues onits itinary and we will do our utmost to try to make progress as much as possible with it during our presidency. It onvolves a lot of different issues and the problem of violence against women is one integral part of that but that's not the only area where it is relevant we have to look at human trafficiking and other areas too and we will have to look at violence against women in other context not just that one.