site.btaDeputy Interior Minister Dundakova Attends Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Council

Deputy Minister Ivelina Dundakova participated in an informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels under the Belgian Presidency of the Council.

She expressed gratitude for the support of the previous Spanish Presidency, the European Commission and the member states for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen.

The ministers discussed alternatives to the temporary protection of refugees from Ukraine after the expiry of the relevant EU directive. Most delegations agreed on the possibility of extending the application of the Temporary Protection Directive for another year beyond March 2025, while at the same time considering the possibility of adopting a unified and coordinated approach at EU level on the options for a possible change of status of these persons.

Bulgaria presented good practices and challenges faced in providing temporary protection. Regarding the way forward, Deputy Minister Dundakova advocated for a single coordinated European approach and expressed Bulgaria’s readiness to engage in its discussion in close coordination with the Council, the EC, and the Ukrainian authorities.

The meeting also looked at the fight against organised crime, in particular drug trafficking. Bulgaria stressed the importance of public-private partnership between law enforcement, customs and port authorities, to effectively counter the threats of crime.

Another topic discussed was the relationship between artificial intelligence and law enforcement.

Within the Council, Deputy Minister Dundakova held a meeting with the Executive Director of the EU Asylum Agency, Nina Gregori. The Agency gave an excellent assessment of the cooperation with Bulgaria. The Agency committed to assist Bulgaria in preparing for the implementation of the provisions of the recently agreed Pact on Migration and Asylum.  Both sides will continue to work to maintain the excellent level of cooperation.

On January 24, the ministers visited one of the largest commercial ports in the EU, Antwerp, where they discussed measures to prevent drug infiltration. In attendance were Home Affairs and Economic Affairs Commissioners Ylva Johansson and Paolo Gentiloni, the Belgian Ministers of the Interior, Justice and Finance, Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle, representatives of law enforcement and customs authorities, as well as key EU ports, including the port of Varna. A joint declaration was approved launching a European Port Alliance to strengthen public-private partnerships in the fight against organised crime.