Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Assessment of the Tampere programme and future orientations

The progressive establishment of the area of freedom, security and justice was a new objective set for the Europ ean Union by the Treaty of Amsterdam. The Tampere European Council in October 1999 placed this objective at the head of the Union’s political agenda and set a very ambitious programme. The programme set out policy guidelines and practical objectives, with a timetable for their attainment. The Commission, at the request of the European Council, drew up a scoreboard to review progress every six months.

This final six-monthly report will therefore mark the end of this five-year period by presenting an overall balance sheet and outlining future priorities.