Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-14-Speech-3-351"
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"en.20000614.13.3-351"2
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"I thank Parliament for the support that has been expressed for this communication. I especially congratulate the two rapporteurs, Mr Schmitt and Mrs Echerer, for their excellent reports. I would ask you to convey my good wishes to Mr Schulz, who is no longer here. I am sure he will come back to this debate, if not for functional duties, out of enthusiasm.
I should like to remind the House that, as I have already said, we have already put forward for consultation by Member States a working document that aims to replace the Dublin Convention by a Community regulation, having in mind the concrete experience and the vulnerabilities and deficiencies that have arisen in the application of the Dublin Convention.
With regard to the second step, the Tampere conclusions invited the Commission to come forward with a communication on a common asylum procedure and a uniform status for those who are granted asylum valid throughout the Union. It is my intention that by the end of the year 2000 this communication will be brought forward.
The Commission notes – as has been emphasised by several speakers – that the European Parliament has taken a general position on rationalising Community law on asylum matters in this resolution. The Commission will not only study the resolution very carefully in order to prepare its proposal for a directive on common standards on asylum procedures – that I reiterate will be presented in the autumn of this year – but will also reflect on them whilst preparing the communication it will put forward by the end of this year on a common asylum procedure in the long term. I sincerely feel encouraged by the fact that this communication has such broad support in the House. With such commitment, both from the Commission and Parliament, I sincerely hope we will succeed.
The Commission has now received reactions on this working document from several Member States, from numerous NGOs, and with the report of Parliament, will be in a position to fulfil one of the commitments of the scoreboard, which is to present a directive on minimum standards for asylum procedures. It is my intention to present this proposal for a directive in the autumn of 2000.
I should like to remind the House that the Commission proposed to the Tampere European Council to adopt a single European asylum system. But the decision of the European Council in Tampere was to endorse an approach based on minimum common standards. So the directive is, in my opinion, the most relevant instrument to address these minimum standards for asylum procedures which will have to reflect the cornerstones of the policy of the European Union with regard to asylum as was underscored by the European Council in Tampere: an absolute respect for the right to seek asylum, a full and inclusive application of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and maintaining the principle of non-refoulement.
The Commission welcomes the approach the European Parliament has taken in many parts of the motion for a resolution. The Commission endorses the recital calling for asylum policy to be conducted on as factual a basis as possible. We fully agree with Parliament that common standards of asylum procedures should not be based solely on the premise that administrative and judicial activities have to be expedited but should likewise be informed by the need to preserve the dignity of asylum seekers. We have to recognise that finding a balanced solution between simplifying the procedures on the one hand and guaranteeing legal certainty and respect for the rights of asylum seekers on the other hand is not an easy task. But we are determined to come up with a solution that can be considered with a broad consensus as a balanced solution.
The Commission shares the view of the European Parliament that entry of asylum seekers, migration for economic or other reasons and temporary admittance of displaced persons and refugees in the event of a mass influx must be treated as entirely separate matters.
The resolution calls for temporary protection within three years. On 24 May 2000 the Commission adopted a directive on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of effort between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof.
We have already sent such a proposal for consultation with the European Parliament.
I should like to say that this proposal on temporary protection addresses explicitly the question raised by several speakers on burden-sharing as we have adopted an approach on burden-sharing on the proposal we have already submitted to the Council for a European fund for refugees. So I should like to stress that this proposal cannot be seen as separate from the other proposals that are already on the table and that they take into account the sensitive question of solidarity among Member States.
I should like to remind the House that with regard to asylum, the scoreboard that has been submitted reflects the conclusions at the Tampere Summit where a two-stage approach was adopted by the Heads of State and Government. The first step consists of harmonising standards relating to asylum and protection, and the second step is the introduction of a common asylum procedure as such. To achieve the first step, the Commission will not only come up with a proposal for a directive on common standards for fair and efficient asylum procedures, which we are now discussing, but will also bring forward, inter alia and as soon as possible, proposals on the determination of the state responsible for the examination of an application and on common minimum conditions for reception of asylum seekers."@en1
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