Britannia Radio

Open Europe

Invites you to a morning seminar:

"How much power should the EU have over justice and home affairs?"

Wednesday 14 September

10.00-11.30am (discussion will begin at 10.30am)

Christopher Hinton Room
One Birdcage Walk
Westminster
London
SW1H 9JJ

with a keynote speech from

James Brokenshire MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, Minister for Crime and Security

and responses from

Wayne David MP
Shadow Minister for Europe and Member of Parliament for Caerphilly

Dominic Raab MP
Member of Parliament for Esher & Walton

Since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force in 2009, justice and home affairs (JHA) has become one of the fastest growing European Union policy areas and judges at the European Court of Justice have seen their powers extended.

The Government can choose to opt in to JHA laws and is doing so on a case-by-case basis. Since coming to power, it has chosen to take part in new EU measures such as the European Investigation Order and the sharing of airline passengers’ personal details. Under the Lisbon Treaty, the Coalition must also decide by 2014 whether, for the first time, to give EU judges the final say over the 90+ EU crime and policing laws passed prior to the Treaty or whether completely to opt out of these laws en bloc. This marks a major – and inevitable – choice for the Coalition between ‘more or less Europe ’ in these sensitive areas.

Is the Coalition striking the right balance between enhancing security via EU measures and protecting national sovereignty and civil liberties? Should the Coalition use the 2014 choice to roll back the EU’s powers? And should Parliament be given a mandate to block ministers’ decisions to opt in to EU immigration, crime and policing laws?

Please join us to hear our guests’ thoughts on these hugely important issues. Refreshments will be served.

Places are limited. If you would like to attend the debate, please RSVP to Sarah Hodges on shodges@openeurope.org.uk, or 0044 20 7197 2333