Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-23-Speech-3-199-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110323.19.3-199-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, honourable Members, I will also attempt to provide specific answers to the main subjects. First of all, let us have a look at the record of the European Union, in that many have said here that we have fallen behind the United States and other countries in terms of generosity. I do not think that it is so. The total number of refugees resettled by the EU is, on an annual basis, indeed lower than the corresponding numbers in the US, Canada or Australia. And although the Council fully acknowledges that resettlement continues to be a means of permanently resolving the situation of refugees, we should keep in mind that the annual number of spontaneous asylum requests submitted to the EU far exceeds that in other regions of the world. According to the statistics published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the 27 Member States of the EU received 1 150 980 asylum seekers between 2005 and 2009, whereas in Canada and the US the corresponding figure was 391 090.
I therefore believe that these figures speak for themselves. Many have asked for clarification of the exact schedule that the Hungarian Presidency intends to follow. There is no debate among us that we must move forward; the issue is an extremely urgent one. I also said this in January, when the refugee situation was not yet as acute with regard to North Africa as it is now. This means that we have already had concrete plans, and we intend to accelerate this work. As you know, the Belgian Presidency, with a view to adhering to the 2012 deadline, proposed the strategy that we focus on four priority laws. You are familiar with all this; they are the Qualification Directive, the Dublin Regulation, the Eurodac Regulation, and the Long-term Residence Directive.
Talks have also continued in connection with the two directives that require the most work, namely the Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. At that time this strategy gained widespread support in the Council, Parliament and the Commission as well, and also yielded tangible results. As you know, Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the Long-term Residence Directive, and it will be adopted officially by the Council in a matter of weeks. With regard to the Qualification Directive, the Hungarian presidency has been given the mandate to begin the informal trialogue. Our goal is therefore to start this as soon as possible, and we ask the European Parliament to be our partner in this regard.
As regards the Dublin and Eurodac Regulations, there has been significant progress in the Council, and only a few questions of a strongly political nature remain unresolved. As far as the Procedures and Reception Conditions Directives are concerned, the Commission announced that it intends to submit a new proposal. In the previous cycle the European Parliament closed the first reading of the Reception Conditions Directive, and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is currently examining the Commission’s proposal for the amendment of the Procedures Directive. This means that both the European Parliament and the Council are currently clarifying their positions. This will enable the two legislators to begin talks on the Qualification Directive and the Dublin and Eurodac Regulations. As soon as the Commission submits its proposals concerning the Procedures and Reception Conditions Directives, work can continue on these two laws as well.
As regards North Africa, I mentioned the Presidency visits to the frontier zone due to the current situation. We will evaluate the migration situation at the 11 April meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. However, I would like to indicate already at this point, as there has been some criticism here in this regard, that the current draft conclusions of the European Council also make reference to the importance of the refugee situation. If we deem it necessary, we will assess the progress of the work. We are also prepared to schedule one more special meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council during the Hungarian Presidency. We are therefore endeavouring to accelerate the legislative work. We would like to inspire you, as well as the European Commission, to do the same. Many, including Mr Coelho, have mentioned this problem related to the amendment of the asylum decision. Well, as I have also said in my introduction, there is agreement on the political content, and we are now trapped in a legal issue. As, by the way, there is a debate between the Council and Parliament as to whether we should resolve several issues, from novel food to various foreign policy and external financial instruments, by way of an implementing act or a delegated act.
I would like to state that this is a very important question. This legal procedure, and the question of what implementing or delegated act means, takes quite some effort for citizens, for EU citizens, to comprehend. Our task is to find solutions to matters of utmost urgency by whatever legal formula. I strive very hard to adhere to the Treaty of Lisbon with every action I take. The Treaty does not draw a clear line between the individual acts. We believe that this is an implementing act, and the issue should therefore be regulated in this manner, by way of an implementing act. Let us talk about it and consult. We would, however, very much like to avoid becoming entrapped in legal matters. Our original plans for the June European Council already included that we address refugee issues, and this has now become an even greater priority. However, I believe that if we can fill the Council meetings with the appropriate substance – and it is our duty to do so – then the European Council, too, will be able to take decisions of greater importance than we had otherwise hoped, let’s say, just one or two months ago.
I was also asked a question as to what will happen if the flow of refugees comes in this direction. I think that we should not yet be imagining things. We have done a great deal so far in the area of refugee issues in the various Council formations. The Commission is holding its ground exceptionally well on humanitarian issues, as do, by the way, the Egyptian and Tunisian authorities and the local population, as well as the international refugee organisations. It seems to me that everyone is in control of the situation. Repatriation, which is the most urgent issue, is proceeding. This does not mean that these resettlements, for example, are not relevant.
By the way, despite the fact that we have a legal problem that we have been unable to settle as yet – anyone is free to do so on a voluntary basis –, as far as I know, Italy has already voluntarily resettled 125 people, meaning that the issue is already partially being resolved after all, thanks to the honest efforts of the Member States. This does not mean that there is no need for the legislation. There is a very real need for it. Let us try to come to an agreement. Thank you very much for your attention, and as the Hungarian Presidency announced at one time that it will be a presidency that can prove that it also has a heart, as also expressed by our focus on the Roma strategy, I would like to assure you that this is also the case with regard to refugee matters. Thank you very much."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples