Presentation and competencies

Welcome words

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is in charge of most of the legislation and democratic oversight for policies linked to the transformation of the European Union in the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) (art. 3 TEU). These policies are intertwined with the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in EU territory and with the strengthening of European Citizenship.

The European Union carries out work in this domain with the joint commitment of the Member States, their national Parliaments and the judiciary and civil society. As a consequence, the area of freedom, security and justice could become the core of the new EU legal order after the Lisbon Treaty; while simultaneously fully respecting the national legal order (art. 67 TFEU).

To implement these objectives, a multi-annual strategy (the so called "Stockholm Programme" for the period 2010–2014) has been adopted and it established several strategic legislative and operational objectives dealing notably, but not exhaustively, with citizenship, transparency, data protection, fighting discrimination, granting freedom of movement, border control, migration, asylum, judicial and police cooperation.

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To better achieve these objectives in such sensitive domains, mutual trust and active participation between EU institutions, Member States and European citizens, will be the key to success. In its part, the LIBE Committee will do its upmost to build a fruitful dialogue with all of these key stakeholders, so that the objectives of the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights can be fully achieved.

Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR

Presentation and responsibilities

Committee responsible for:

1. the protection within the territory of the Union of citizens' rights, human rights and fundamental rights, including the protection of minorities, as laid down in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

2. the measures needed to combat all forms of discrimination other than those based on sex or those occurring at the workplace and in the labour market;

3. legislation in the areas of transparency and of the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data;

4. the establishment and development of an area of freedom, security and justice, in particular:

(a) measures concerning the entry and movement of persons, asylum and migration,

(b) measures concerning an integrated management of the common borders,

5. the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Europol, Eurojust, Cepol and other bodies and agencies in the same area;

6. the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the principles common to the Member States.