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EU: New Council Directorate (1)

01 January 1991

EU: New Council Directorate
artdoc June=1994

A new Directorate-General H: Justice and Internal Affairs has
been created in the Council of the European Communities. The
Council is the permanent institution representing the government
and states of the 12 EU countries (the other permanent
institutions are: the Commission, the Parliament and the Court
of Justice). The structure of the new directorate, headed by
Charles Elson, is organised to reflect that of the new K4
Committee and its steering groups (see Statewatch vol 3 no 6 and
the Statewatch handbook on the European state). Its structure is
as follows:

Director-General
Director (with special responsibility for Divisions I & IV)

Division I: asylum and immigration, plus CIREA (Centre for
Information, Discussion and Exchange on asylum), CIREFI (Centre
for Information, Discussion and Exchange on the crossing of
borders and immigration) and EURODAC (the computer system
recording the details and fingerprints of refugees and asylum-
seekers to be refused entry to the EU). Division II: police
cooperation and customs. Division III: judicial cooperation
(civil and criminal). Division IV: general affairs: archives,
relations with the European Parliament, studies - in liaison with
Division I.

Statewatch Vol 4 no 2, March-April 1994