Brussels, 27/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The fate of asylum seekers from North Africa causes the European Parliament concern. Since adoption of the report on the European Refugee Fund, despite an agreement of principle on substance, differences over Article 290 (application of delegated acts) are blocking the issue in the Council. Only ten member states apply resettlement programmes. The Parliament therefore suggests that, in order to encourage countries to follow suit, aid to each person for the first year should be increased to €6,000.
MEPs from various groups (Greens/EFA, ALDE and S&D) put questions to the Council on Wednesday 26 October, deploring the fact that the lack of an agreement on delegated acts is hampering action that could save lives.
The Council is not opposed to the proposals concerning financial incentives, retorted Piotr Stachanczyk, Under-Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Home Affairs, but neither is it ready to change its stance with regard to delegated acts. Since the programme, which runs from 2008 to 2013, expired one year ago, the Polish Presidency considers it would be better to review the way it works within the framework of the next programming period.
Although the same issue concerns the Council, European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström wished to point out that, despite the importance of legal and institutional issues, it is also important to finalise all amendments on financing implementation of the decision in months to come. The Commission undertakes to do everything possible to reach a “nice compromise” in order to reach a common resettlement system but, as Malmström explained, the rules of the treaty must be respected.
Several elected representatives took part in the debate underlining the achievements of the United States and Canada regarding the hosting of refugees last year. The Union must do as much, by adopting sustainable procedures, Malika Benarab (Greens/EFA, France) stressed, and Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France) said adequate criteria and hosting conditions must be defined. Some, however, are not convinced of the timeliness of common action, in particular British Conservative Timothy Kirkhope, who considers that, in this field, it is a matter of the individual responsibility of states, especially due to the traditional links that exist between certain countries. Hubert Pirker (EPP, Austria) was more in favour of providing assistance on the spot. (LG/transl.jl)