Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-11-14-Speech-3-256"
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"en.20011114.11.3-256"2
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"In response to Mr Trakatellis’ question, the Council has often expressed its concern regarding illegal immigration and also refers in this connection to the conclusions of the Tampere, Santa Maria de Feira and Nice European Councils, for example. Regarding the measures that it has taken and is continuing to take in this area, the Council kindly asks you to refer to the answers that have already been given to numerous questions submitted by Members of the European Parliament on illegal immigration. The Council reiterates that the Helsinki European Council decided to consider Turkey as a candidate country which aims to join the European Union on the basis of the same criteria as those that are applied to the other candidate countries. The Helsinki European Council stated that, and I quote, ‘with a view to intensifying the harmonisation of Turkey’s legislation and practice with the acquis, the Commission is invited to prepare a process of analytical examination of the acquis’. In accordance with the conclusions of the Feira European Council, the Commission will report back to the Council on the progress made in preparing the analytical examination of the acquis with Turkey. The Council formally adopted the accession partnership with Turkey on 8 March 2000. Under this accession partnership, Turkey adopted a national programme for adopting the acquis, which sets out the framework for the policy to be pursued and the timetable of legislative work, as well as the budgetary and administrative requirements that are necessary in order for Turkey to adopt the Community acquis.
In line with the practice established for all candidate countries, the Commission will assess Turkey’s national programme for adopting the acquis in the 2001 regular report on the basis of the accession partnership. The European Union will closely monitor the implementation of the various measures announced as part of this framework.
The national programme on the acquis contains various measures in the area of justice and home affairs. The main objectives on which progress was made during 2001 include the strengthening of border checks, the harmonisation of legislation and practices concerning visas with the European Union acquis, and, lastly, the adoption of the acquis in the area of immigration in order to prevent illegal immigration.
The Council again stated its concern given the enormous influx of illegal immigrants from Turkey into Greece or transiting through Greece. The European Union asked Turkey to implement appropriate measures as laid out in the European Union report of November 2000. The EU is also keen to help Turkey financially in pursuing the implementation of the recommended approach, in line with the accession partnership. In this respect, the Council noted with interest Turkey’s intention to waive, in the medium term, the geographical proviso formulated with regard to the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees.
The Council also engaged in active dialogue with countries that produce asylum seekers and/or illegal immigrants within the framework of the High Level Asylum and Immigration group. As I said earlier in my reply to the question by another Member regarding the Canary Islands, this group, set up by the Council in December 1998, has the task of drawing up action plans for specific countries. In order to draw up these action plans, the group adopted a global, trans-pillar approach, taking into account aspects relating to foreign policy, economic development and also the management of migratory flows. One of the countries chosen for this action plan is Iraq, since it is a country that produces immigrants and which immigrants transit through. Because of its geographical situation, Turkey is obviously an important country of transit. As part of the action plan for Iraq, the Council has already launched a dialogue with Turkey in order to implement the European Union action plan concerning Iraq of 26 January 1998. One of the measures under the action plan is to negotiate a transit agreement with Turkey."@en1
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