Justice and Home Affairs Council

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) is one of the configurations of the Council of the European Union. JHA consists of the justice and home affairs ministers of the EU members. The main concern for the Justice and Home Affairs Council is to work on establishing common policies on various cross-border issues, with the aim of standardizing justice implementations throughout the EU with the cooperation of the member states. In this year’s EUROsimA, the JHA will focus on the “fight against terrorism” and “tackling strategic lawsuits against public participation”. Regarding the first issue, the increasing trend in terrorist attacks has shown that the issue is a common responsibility for all member states that necessitates joint action. This cooperation mainly focuses on three areas: ensuring civil security, preventing dangerous extremism and safeguarding values, and cooperating with international partners. The second agenda item tackles the abusive court proceedings directed against those who exercise their right to free speech. These trials are used as particular forms of harassment to punish reporting on issues of public interest. Both agenda items deal with cross-border implications that concern the European Union at large. As members of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, delegates will have the opportunity to address these pressing issues that threaten the unity of the European project.