Work in the EU
The work of the Ministry of Justice is shaped to a large extent by EU-related issues. These include:
- judicial matters and home affairs (police cooperation, criminal and civil law cooperation, migration and asylum policy issues),
- internal market issues (e.g. patent law, copyright and company law), and
- transparency (public access to official documents).
Cooperation on legal issues has developed as a natural result of the increased integration within the Union. There is consensus among the Member States on the importance of developing cooperation in police and criminal law matters to combat serious cross-border crime such as terrorism, human trafficking and drug trafficking. The increased mobility within the EU also requires effective cooperation in civil law matters to facilitate, for example, cross-border marriages and cross-border payments. These issues are dealt with in the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council, where Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask and Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Tobias Billström represent the Government and Sweden. The JHA Council usually meets three or four times per six-month Presidency
Permanent Representation in Brussels
Ahead of the Swedish Presidency of the EU, the Ministry of Justice has around 15 staff members working at the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union in Brussels. They act as an extension of the Ministry of Justice in Brussels. They work to promote and pursue the Government's positions on various EU issues. This is done through contact with other Member States and the work carried out in various Council working groups and committees.
Responsible divisions in the Ministry of Justice
The divisions of the Ministry of Justice are responsible for EU issues in their own areas of responsibility. The practical EU-related work is undertaken in several different ways, including through contact with other Member States, participation in various EU meetings and the preparation of material to support decision-making by the Ministry's political leadership.
Coordination of EU issues in the Ministry is handled by the Division for EU Affairs, which is also responsible for the Ministry's work on cross-cutting issues, visits to and by the political leadership, enlargement, external relations, etc.
