The Ministry of Justice is responsible for both the national preparation and the implementation files falling under the EU cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs. For instance, in Finland, European civil and criminal law as well procedural law are handled by the Ministry of Justice.

In accordance with the EU Treaties, the Ministry of Justice aims at establishing an area of freedom, security and justice, in which the borders between member states do not prevent the realisation of EU citizens' rights or the prevention of crime, and where the fundamental rights belong to everybody. 

The EU seeks to attain this objective through multiannual action plans. The Hague programme, succeeding the first programme adopted in Tampere in 1999, extended until the year 2009. The so-called Stockholm programme is presently under way and will extend until 2014. The Stockholm programme was approved in the European Council in December 2009. The programme will be completed with a more detailed action plan during the Spanish presidency in the beginning of 2010.

For its part, the Ministry of Justice is also responsible for the national preparation of EU consumer protection and company law files.

Moreover, Ministry of Justice experts contribute to the preparation of EU affairs related to e.g. data protection, electronic communication in the legal sector, and contract law and tort law.

Furthermore, questions regarding the transparency of EU activities, such as access to documents, and democracy, fall under the purview of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice actively strives to promote transparency, good governance, better regulation, an unambiguous and uncomplicated treaty system, and the protection of fundamental rights and legal protection in the EU.

Decisions on EU legislation are taken by the Council made up of the ministers of member states. These decisions are prepared in Brussels in the working parties, which consist of member state experts. In most cases, cooperation with the European Parliament is required when decisions on EU legislation are made. The Ministers of Justice and the Ministers of the Interior of all member states meet eight times per year on average in the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Company law and consumer matters fall into the competence of the Competitiveness Council.

European Commissions communiqué about the enforcementplan of the so-called Stockholm programme [European Commission´s webpage]

Updated 22.4.2010