Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nine European Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies (CEPOL, EASO, EIGE, EMCDDA, eu-LISA, Eurojust, Europol, FRA and Frontex) have been supporting member states and EU institutions in meeting the unprecedented challenges resulting from the outbreak of the virus – each agency in its respective area of work, in both the short term and the long term.
In the past months, all JHA agencies have taken the necessary measures to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted operational support. At the same time, the Justice and Home Affairs agencies’ network (JHAAN), under the chairmanship of Eurojust, has initiated a dialogue to share their experiences in dealing with the pandemic and consider new avenues for closer cooperation among the agencies and with key stakeholders inside and outside the EU.
The agencies’ individual and joint efforts to deal with the impact of the pandemic have been captured in a Joint Paper on the COVID-19 response by the JHA agencies, which was formally endorsed by the heads of JHA agencies during a videoconference held on July 9. During their meeting, the heads discussed the latest developments, including the fundamental rights implications of government COVID-19 measures, the quick adaptation of organized crime to the changing circumstances and the recent surge in drug use, domestic violence and child abuse.
To tackle these and other issues more effectively related to the protection of citizens and freedoms, there is a need for increased interagency cooperation in the field of digitalization and for sustainable financial resources in the coming years.
Read the joint paper at Frontex
