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Content of the meeting: 1. External and internal border controls 2. Asylum, return and resettlement 3. Prevention of COVID-19 spread 4. Internal security 5. Conclusion
The Meijers Committee issues recommendations on improving the transparency of decision-making in the Council of the EU.
"This targeted follow-up visit to England focussed on the persistently high levels of violence in the local male adult prisons and juvenile detention centres, as well as on broader concerns regarding regimes, the use of force, segregation and use of means of restraint... the CPT found that in 2019 the prison system remained in deep crisis; local male prisons visited remained violent, unsafe and overcrowded, with many inmates enduring restricted and isolating regimes and/or long periods of segregation... A similar state of crisis was also found in the two young offender institutions visited, notably at Feltham A."
"...the Code has significant weaknesses that need to be addressed if it is to achieve its objectives".
"Apple and Google have announced that their coronavirus tracing technology will ban the use of location tracking. The announcement could create potential complications for some apps that planned to use the two companies’ system for notifying people of potential exposure to Covid-19."
"The measures taken at the national level to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are having a significant impact on judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the European Union."
"The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic poses a global public health challenge of unprecedented proportions. In order to tackle it, countries around the world need to engage in coordinated, evidence-based responses grounded in solidarity, support and respect for human rights. This means that measures cannot lead to disproportionate and unnecessary actions. It is also vital that measures are not extended once we are no longer in a state of emergency."
"Nearly 37,000 people are currently hosted in camps on the Greek islands, while Lesbos alone accommodates almost 19,000 people in a space designed for about 3,000."
"Video surveillance cameras in France will monitor how many people are wearing masks and their compliance with social distancing when the coronavirus lockdown is eased next week.
"In the midst of its EU Council presidency, Croatia turned to the UAE and China for medical help, forgetting its current leadership role as the presiding country that should spur member states into coordinated action, writes Oriana Ivkovic Novokmet."
Translation of a letter originally published by Médécins sans Frontieres, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Open Arms and Sea Watch, organisations that have vessels operating in search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean on 11 April 2020.
"On April 23, the security minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) proposed to forcibly deport migrants out of the country in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak. The initiative follows a decision on April 16 by the Council of Ministers of BiH on the Restriction of Movement and Stay of Foreigners challenged by the Legal Aid Network Vaaa prava BiH."
"Based on criminal information from investigations in the Member States, Europol is assessing the impact of the pandemic across three phases; current, mid- and long-term phase. The report anticipates developments across the threat landscape that will have an operational impact on law enforcement authorities across Europe. Europol also identifies five key factors that influence organised crime during and after the pandemic.
"Digital privacy regulations introduced in Europe nearly two years ago are in danger of failing because regulators have not been properly resourced, a new report claims
"The European Union is reshuffling budgets to further shore up Libya's coast guard and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
"More than 500 million cameras on our planet allow authorities to monitor our every move. In America, facial recognition is used to identify suspects. In France, smart cameras claim to analyse the emotional state of citizens on the street. And in China, surveillance cameras can identify criminals from how they walk. As sophisticated AI technology transforms surveillance in the name of fighting terrorism, are we all now suspects?"
"Inquests into coronavirus deaths among NHS workers should avoid examining systemic failures in provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), coroners have been told, in a move described by Labour as very worrying.
"Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, Germany's foreign minister said independent journalism is being weakened during the coronavirus pandemic. The EU also warned that media freedom is under threat in several countries."
"How do European states compare with England and Wales? Our latest infographics illustrate prison population changes across Europe in response to Covid-19."
"Police forces from 34 countries have been investigating criminal networks in South Eastern Europe since 2017, money comes from the Internal Security Fund of the European Union. In addition to all kinds of espionage and wiretapping technology, they also pay informers."
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