Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen to attend informal Justice and Home Affairs Ministers’ meeting in Athens

Finnish Minister of the Interior Ms Päivi Räsänen will participate in an informal meeting of the EU Home Affairs and Justice Ministers to be held in Athens on Friday 24 January.

The meeting will focus on how to further develop the justice and home affairs area after the year 2014. Questions related to migration have been raised by the Presidency for particular discussion between the Home Affairs Ministers. The European Council is to adopt future Strategic Guidelines for the justice and home affairs area at its June 2014 meeting.

In addition, the Ministers will discuss terrorism and border security. They are to consider how border security can help prevent terrorism and the movement of terrorist and extremist elements. The Presidency has also requested the Ministers' contributions to the question of whether foreign fighters can be prevented from transiting into conflict zones. In this context, the Ministers will discuss the effectiveness and development needs of existing national and EU legislation.

For more information, please contact Ms Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216