Brussels, 22/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 October, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) welcomed the new asylum measures presented by the European Commission. The European executive has proposed to amend the “Qualification” and “Procedure” directives (see EUROPE 10002 and 10003). “The EU must stop slamming the door on refugees,” said ECRE Secretary General Bjarte Vandvik. “The current directive is flawed, as it allows member states to take decisions on asylum applications even without organising a personal interview with the asylum seekers concerned, and to derogate from basic procedural guarantees in border procedures,” he added. “The proposals from the European Commission … regarding … the right to legal assistance and representation, right to a personal interview, constitute a significant step forward,” he said. (B.C./transl.rt)