Justice and Home Affairs

Senior Associate Research Fellow: Prof. Dr. Elspeth Guild
Head of Section & Research Fellow: Dr. Sergio Carrera
Project Coordinator: Miriam Mir
Researcher: Anaïs Faure-Atger
Researcher: Massimo Merlino
Research Assistant: Alejandro Eggenschwiler
Research Assistant:  Joanna Parkin

Associate Research Fellow: Prof. Dr. Thierry Balzacq
Associate Senior Research Fellow: Dr. Peter Hobbing

NEW OFFERING

Multimedia DVD of the CHALLENGE project illuminates critical balance between liberty and security in the EU

In a lively and original combination of text, video and audio files, the CHALLENGE (Changing Landscape of European Liberty and Security) project has produced a DVD presenting engaging debates about balancing liberty and security in the European Union, including the changing nature of border controls and war. Using visual tools and a flexible navigation system, the DVD makes the complexity and political stakes of contemporary security practices accessible to a wider public. Its modular approach also makes it an excellent tool to support teaching.
This multimedia module aims to present the research output of the Challenge programme and to explore innovative ways of facilitating teaching and training. The module is not only stimulating in terms of its content but also useful for courses, and can be freely included in syllabuses.
There are many ways to use this material. The more straightforward way is to select entire videos, chapters of videos, articles or maps directly from the website or the DVD. There are however other options, such as embedding the videos in a web page, blog or email. Just click on the “embed videos” link at the bottom of the online version of the module for step-by-step instructions.
The content of the DVD may be directly accessed at http://www.libertysecurity.org/module. It can also be ordered in DVD-rom format at http://www.vezfilm.org/libertysecurity-dvd.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) has been one of the most dynamic policy domains in the European Union since the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam on 1st May 1999. It involves a number of policies, spanning from police and judicial cooperation to migration, asylum and border controls, characterised for being sensitive areas for the Member States. They are currently grouped under the Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, entitled: ‘Area of Freedom, Security and Justice’.

The policy priorities for the next five years (2010-2014) in this domain are identified in the third multi-annual programme, the so-called ‘Stockholm Programme’, adopted at the European Council of 10-11 December 2009. Ensuring freedom and the respect for fundamental rights while guaranteeing security in Europe will continue to be the top priority (and challenge) in the next years. The Stockholm Programme will be implemented under the new legal and institutional framework provided by the Treaty of Lisbon, with increased powers for the European Parliament and national parliaments in this field.

The JHA Section at CEPS examines the issues and dilemmas related to the construction of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ), its internal and external dimensions and how these impact on the freedom and security of individuals.

The Section has a well-consolidated experience in the initiation, coordination and management of large-scale European research projects related to the AFSJ. It participated, as coordinator, in CHALLENGE  Changing Landscape of European Liberty and Security, a research project funded by the Sixth Framework Research Programme of DG Research of the European Commission (see: www.libertysecurity.org), and is currently participating in other projects funded by the European Commission and private foundations:

1. INEX - Converging and Conflicting Ethical Values in the Internal/External Security Continuum in Europe, an interdisciplinary project on the ethical implications of the policies and practices of security in Europe. See: http://www.inexproject.eu/

2. ENACT - Enacting European Citizenship, a consortium assessing European citizenship as enacted by citizens as well as non-citizens (third country nationals, refugees, irregular migrants). See: http://enacting-citizenship.eu

3. INCLUD-ED - Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education, an integrated project analysing educational systems in the EU and their impact on social inclusion of vulnerable groups. See: http://www.ub.edu/includ-ed/

4. Migration and Asylum in Canada and EU-Canada Relations, a project studying EU-Canada cooperation on migration and asylum policies, funded by the DG for External Relations of the European Commission.

5. RELIGARE - Religious Diversity and Secular Models in Europe – Innovative Approaches to Law and Policy, a project which examines the way in which religious diversity and pluralism are treated in Member States, funded by the Seventh Research Framework Programme of DG Research of the European Commission.

6. Fundamental Rights Situation of Irregular Immigrants in the EU, a project addressing the social situation of irregular immigrants in the European Union, and assessing, in particular, the extent to which their fundamental rights are respected and protected. It is funded by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

7. Integration as a two-way process in the EU? Assessing the European Integration Fund (EIF) and the Common basic principles on integration, a project funded by the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) of the Network of European Foundations. 

The JHA Section of CEPS also acts as an external independent adviser to EU institutions, such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions as well as national parliaments.

Selection of Briefing Papers prepared for the European institutions