Justice and Home Affairs

Before the Treaty of Maastricht, the member states co-operated at intergovernmental level in various sectors relating to free movement and personal security («group of co-ordinators», CELAD, TREVI) as well as in the do main of custom co-operation (GAM) and judicial policy. With Maastricht, Justice and Internal Affairs co-operation aims at reinforcing actions taken by Member States allowing a more coherent approach of these actions, by offering new instruments. The Treaty of Maastricht established that, while reaching the objectives of the Union, and notably the freedom of movement, the «member states consider the following domains as common interest issues:

1. Asylum
2. Rules concerning the entrance of external borders,
3. Immigration policies and policies concerning third countries citizens:
   • Entrance and circulation conditions of foreign citizens on the territory of the Union
   • Conditions of residence for foreign citizens on the territory of Member States, comprising families and employment access;
   • Fight against irregular immigration, residence and work of foreigners within the territory of the Union.
4. Fight against drugs where this is not covered by point 7), 8) and 9);
5. Fight against international fraud where this is not covered by points 7), 8) and 9)
6. Judicial co-operation in civil matters,
7. Judicial co-operation in penal matters
8. Customs co-operation
9. Police co-operation for preventing and fighting terrorism, drugs trade and other grave forms of international criminality, comprising, if necessary, certain aspects of customs co-operation.