Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-27-Speech-3-011"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060927.3.3-011"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
Mr President, first of all, I would like to express my profound satisfaction at the excellent cooperation with the Finnish Presidency, in particular, Mr Rajamäki and Mrs Luhtanen, and with the European Parliament, particularly with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Mr Cavada.
As regards the management of the southern external maritime border, I presented to the informal Tampere Council a set of recommendations for operational measures to be taken in the short term, that is, before the summer of 2007. Those recommendations include: firstly, the setting-up of an operational command centre in the relevant regions to coordinate a Mediterranean coastal patrol network; secondly, exploring the establishment of a European surveillance system in order to link up the existing national surveillance systems; thirdly, making the pooling of assets a reality with equipment made available by all Member States to be put at the disposal, at short notice, of a Member State requesting assistance; fourthly, exploring options for the creation of a team of asylum experts in close cooperation with international organisations, above all the United Nations; fifthly, making the maximum and best use of current and future financial instruments.
The above measures aim to strengthen the Community’s capacity to manage and prevent the kind of situations we have seen this year, and should be taken in parallel with the implementation of the global approach on migration adopted by the European Council last December. It is a matter of ensuring an immediate political response based on tangible European solidarity – and I stress the word ‘tangible’ – and a sharing of responsibilities and burdens. That means, as recently stressed by President Barroso and by myself at Tampere, it is of the utmost importance that all Member States continue working together in a spirit of solidarity, not least to assist those southern Member States most affected today by illegal immigration from Africa. It must be absolutely clear that it is up to Member States to provide the assets required to make the joint operations a success. We have made a start, but just a start. The size of the problem, however, is such that much more work is needed.
In that regard, I also hope that from next spring the European Union can make use of the Rapid Border Intervention Teams, whereby teams of national experts, under the coordination of Frontex, will provide quick technical and operational assistance to Member States in need.
Addressing migration in a comprehensive manner also entails developing a structural approach and reinforcing the inclusion of migration in European external policies. This includes looking at the root causes of migration and development issues.
The Commission is making serious efforts to make migration an integral part of its development policy and is engaging in particular with African countries on this matter. In particular, we must give priority to the implementation of the action plan agreed in Rabat last July and to the preparation of a successful European-African conference on migration with the African Union. It is hoped that it will take place in November in Tripoli, Libya.
We should also strengthen our cooperation with North African countries, in particular Algeria, Morocco and Libya, on migration issues, including the issue of international protection, which necessitates a regional response. In this regard, both EU Member States and North African countries must take responsibility for those in need of international protection, including asylum seekers.
Refugee protection is another important part of my portfolio and I am happy to announce to you that two specific regional programmes will start in the coming weeks. We should also ensure that illegal migrants are returned to their countries. In this respect, the Commission is ready to support the efforts of Member States politically, diplomatically and financially, while fully respecting people’s individual dignity.
We should also not forget another important element in fighting illegal immigration: the need to step up the fight against illegal work. It is a key pull factor for illegal immigration. As mentioned in July’s Commission communication on illegal migration, we are currently considering drafting a legislative instrument to harmonise sanctions against employers of illegally resident migrants. Obviously, Member States would have to take immediate measures in this direction, so as to address the issue of illegal work.
In relation to legal economic migration, I must emphasise that the implementation of the Policy Plan on Legal Migration is a priority for the Commission and for me personally. By eliminating illegal work and creating admission procedures for legal migrants, Europe will set up a virtuous circle, or, should I say, a positive structure of incentives.
The Commission is convinced of the necessity of a common approach to managing economic migration as an additional means of achieving the Lisbon objectives and tackling the negative effects of demographic ageing, in order to foster the European economy and competitiveness. In particular, to contribute to economic growth, it is fundamental that Europe becomes, first and foremost, a real pole of attraction for highly skilled migrants. The idea of proposing a directive on the conditions for admission to the European Union for highly skilled workers, including the possibility of a European green card, responds to this economic necessity.
Implementing and further developing The Hague Programme is a joint goal. This calls for effective decision-making and requires clear political priorities to make a real difference. The strategic political goal remains striking the right balance between improving citizens’ security and promoting and defending people’s individual rights. As you know, last week in Tampere, we discussed the main challenges in the area of freedom, security and justice and how best to address them.
Europe continues to receive low-skilled or unskilled labour only, while the United States, Canada and Australia, for example, are able to attract talented migrants. However, at the same time, I think proper measures should be taken to avoid the growing risk of a brain-drain from poorer countries. A proposal for a directive on the rights of legal migrants in employment constitutes the other pillar of the Commission’s policy in this field for the next year. Both proposals will be presented in the second half of 2007, under the Portuguese Presidency.
Last but not least, I should like to stress another important element of European immigration policy: the integration of migrants. As highlighted in the Common Agenda for Integration, which I put forward in September 2005, greater integration efforts are crucial for a successful common European immigration policy. I strongly hope that after the Council in Luxembourg has endorsed this global European approach towards migration, the same European common approach will also be approved at the highest political level by the European Council in Lahti.
Let me now turn to the ‘
clause’. In Tampere, as Minister Rajamäki and Mr Cavada have just said, we also discussed how to improve decision-making in the field of security and justice, in particular by using the ‘
’ or ‘bridging clause’. As you know, the Commission’s position has always been very close to Parliament’s on this issue, as we consider that the bridging clause represents an appropriate and important tool for the Union and Member States to ensure greater efficiency, transparency and accountability of the decision-making process in addition to greater democratic legitimacy, given the stronger role of Parliament.
The debate in Tampere has been very open and constructive. All the Member States, even those that are still reluctant, agreed on the need to move forward. While some of them expressed fears that a decision now on the ‘
clause’ would pre-empt the debate on relaunching the constitutional process, I believe this is not the case.
We will be among the first to welcome a positive outcome of the exploration the German Presidency intends to carry out in 2007 and we will give them our full support. Nevertheless, we have to prepare ourselves for a situation where the ‘passerelle’ clause may be the only way to address the urgent need that all of us share. I agree that we need the Constitution, but if we wait we may find ourselves paralysed. In any case, as you know, when the Constitution comes into force the ‘passerelle’ clause will be incorporated into it automatically.
I agreed with Minister Rajamäki when he said in Tampere that Europe is like a bicycle: either it goes ahead or it falls to the ground. And it was only by going ahead faster than others that my compatriot Bettini won the Cycling World Championship a few days ago.
We must, therefore, continue this very important political discussion, building upon the common goodwill shown by all Member States in Tampere. At the next Justice and Home Affairs Council, which takes place in a few days in Luxembourg, we will have a chance to decide on how to move this important dossier forward.
Finally, citizens do want more Europe. Europe would then be more effective in taking decisions. Practitioners, judges, prosecutors and police authorities also want more effective instruments to fight organised crime and terrorism. To be frank, we cannot allow civil society to move faster than our political strategies and policies. If we want to be credible, we have to respond now and not only after tragic events, as has happened in the past.
It is clear that the fight against terrorism and the management of migration flows are currently the main priorities for the European Union. As I stressed in Tampere, I consider that our efforts in the fight against terrorism at European level need to focus on key areas such as fighting radicalisation and recruitment, the misuse of the internet by terrorists, the prevention and detection of the misuse of explosives, the protection of critical infrastructures, bio-preparedness and transport security.
I am also convinced that any new security measure, especially in relation to air transport, should not bring about a disproportionate reaction which, in my view, would hand victory to terrorism. Security is at the centre of my action and we will assess carefully the effect and proportionality of any decision taken in that field. The fight against terrorism and the defence of individual rights should go hand in hand.
As regards migration, the Commission decided to set up a Commissioners’ Group on Migration Issues. I have the privilege of coordinating that group, which brings together all the policy areas relevant to migration management: from justice and home affairs to development, employment, education and training, regional policy, economic issues, external relations and European neighbourhood policy. That comprehensive approach involves legal and illegal immigration, as well as integration. Solidarity, in the form of financial support and the deployment of experts and equipment to our shared borders, is also an essential element of this approach. While the focus is clearly on migration from Africa, such an approach has to take into account migratory movement from other regions of the world, particularly from our eastern neighbours, some of the countries from which many kinds of illegal trafficking originate.
In the field of illegal immigration, we have, as you know, recently taken many practical measures, particularly in relation to migration flows affecting southern Member States of the European Union. Frontex, in particular, has been very active in coordinating assistance to the Member States in question, for example the Canary Islands, and further operations are planned in the short term in the central Mediterranean area.
Solidarity means practical help to Member States under pressure. We need funds, equipment, boats, helicopters and aeroplanes. For example, for the period 2007-2013, the Frontex Agency will have EUR 272 million, which I deem insufficient to deal with the growing phenomenon of migration. Next year the agency’s budget will be some EUR 21 million. I hope that Parliament will agree to a further increase in the financial envelope.
Additional financial support has been provided to the Member States most affected, in particular Spain, Malta and Italy, via the ARGO programme. In that regard, I should like to mention that last week the Commission decided to fund six emergency projects in the above countries.
The Commission has also adopted a package of measures to help Mauritania in its efforts to contain the flow of illegal migrants to the Canary Islands under the Rapid Reaction Mechanism. We shall do the same concerning other important partners in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Senegal."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples