Brussels, 01/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - French MEP Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA) has commented on the draft EU regulation to boost Frontex's operational capacities. Frontex is the EU external border monitoring agency. The draft regulation was unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday 24 February (see EUROPE 10084). Flautre says that simply training Frontex agents in human rights is wholly inadequate and EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cécilia Malmström must stick to the political vision she defended at her hearing with the European Parliament, namely of an EU immigration and asylum policy based on respect of individuals' fundamental rights and the EU's common values. The European Parliament's role needs to be changed, added Flautre, to ensure it asserts itself as a genuine co-legislator, concerned with respecting human rights and demanding the setting up of independent and permanent democratic controls to monitor respect of the human rights of asylum-seekers and immigrants affected by Frontex's actions. Human rights organisations are pressuring EU governments to get them to introduce measures on coastal management to ensure that refugees can reach Europe. Alfredo Abad, the secretary general of the Spanish refugee commission (CEAR), said that the EU is shedding crocodile tears because it is celebrating the introduction of an EU asylum system but abandoning refugees outside the EU's borders where they cannot access their right to international protection. Nicolas Beger, the director of Amnesty International, says that the trend towards zero tolerance towards illegal immigrants or people helping illegal immigrants prevents access to healthcare and leads to a situation whereby innocent people are treated as criminals. (V.L.B/transl.fl)