Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-17-Speech-2-059"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080617.4.2-059"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
I would of course like to add something to what I have been following closely and what you have been saying in your remarks.
So what is being decided here today? We are not deciding on the actual wording of these articles that are here, or o the success of the negotiations between Mr Weber and myself on the side of the Council and the Commission and Commissioners on the other side. We are deciding on the integrity of integration policies. If today we get to the point where we say NO to this directive on illegal migration, you can imagine how hard it will be to move on to decision-making, to joint decision-making about legal migration.
We will have to take this first step and if we do not take it today, the future and the method of adopting this is a long way off, a very long way off. I can tell you here today in all responsibility that if the directive is not adopted at first reading, a large number of Member States will fall back on their original negotiating positions, which are extremely rigid and extremely firm. Then, of course, considerable time will pass before we can again sit here and decide whether to adopt some common position.
Ultimately, a compromise will have to be adopted. No extreme position will be adopted. This is a cornerstone of democracy. It is not just that someone’s word prevails, and of course I respect the opinion of all the non-governmental organisations, and all other institutions that have provided opinions and that are fighting to improve the situation. It is right that they are fighting for this, but we must be aware that in the final analysis all of us, we in Council and you in Parliament, are answerable to our electorates and we know what kinds of difficulties arise in these areas. As I have stated several times now in this concluding speech, this is the first step, a very important step, which we must take together on this path towards improving the rights of illegal immigrants and generally in terms of formulating migration policies.
Firstly it needs to be stated very clearly that here today we are talking about a return directive, we are talking about illegal migration, we are not talking about asylum, or talking about asylum procedures. There are very big differences between these two things. The directive concerning asylum has been in force since 2003 and is working.
Today we are trying to take a step forward. It is important for us to take this step forward, and in its political declaration, which you can read on the penultimate page, the Council adopted a commitment whereby for those persons that fulfil the conditions for detention, but not everyone across the board, detention may be carried out for six months. Moreover, in exceptional cases, where this is specifically provided, this will be extended for a further12 months. This does is not an automatic process, as we have heard several times today from the floor, of 18 months. This is not true.
Furthermore, in the political declaration the Council made a clear commitment, if I may quote:
The Council states that the implementation of this Directive should not be used in itself as a reason to justify the adoption of provisions less favourable to persons to whom it applies.’
This means no country, and there are six such countries – I have spoken about this with all six ministers. In the negotiation process within the Council, all six ministers insisted that this is less than six months. Yet sadly there is a majority of Member States that have much longer periods, even unlimited, and quite a few Member States now have in practice and in theory the possibility of holding illegal immigrants for an unlimited period.
Here is where we wish to make progress. Moreover, it is essential for us to make progress. Here I would of course like especially to mention particularly vulnerable groups of children. I would urge Parliament to look again at Article 5, and once again at Article 15a. It is clearly stated that conditions may not be worse for children, and that they must be afforded access to education and kindergartens. They must be accommodated in special institutions that enable all this. The restrictions are very strict.
On this point, too, negotiations were very tough, by no means simple. I do not know if all Members can picture it, but here is just one tiny detail from the negotiations. For one article, Article 14, we negotiated for four hours, four hours over each word individually.
Member States have grasped that this needs to be resolved at EU level. And what are you deciding about here today? Whether we will resolve this at national level, as has been done to date, or resolve this at EU level. One Member put it very eloquently: illegal migration, it is a problem. Is not a question of whether it is. It is. This area needs to be put in order, it needs to be put in order in the most civilised manner possible. So we need to take the first step. I know that for many people this is not a good compromise, but we need to be aware that for Member States, too, this compromise is on the margin of acceptability.
You need to be aware that very many Member States do not want a common policy in this area. Member States, many Member States will be happy if they can regulate this in their own way, back home with their own rules, without the consent of the European Parliament and without the supervision of European institutions. And the situation we have is worse than what we are proposing today. For this reason I would reiterate that this is an important and decisive step forward."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples