Brussels, 23/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - If no change is forthcoming in the conclusions of the European Council, there will be a real row with the European Parliament next week, Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, warned on Thursday 23 April.
European leaders were holding an emergency European summit on Thursday afternoon to discuss the migration crisis in the Mediterranean and, if initial conclusions are to be believed, are expected to accept the principle of a doubling, at least, of the budget allocated to the Triton operation, which was launched in November of last year and which will, as a result, see its funding rise from €3 million to €6 million. Heads of state and/or government, an official source said on Wednesday 22 April, were in principle likely to agree to a pilot resettlement programme for 5,000 Syrian refugees from refugee camps in third countries or EU states, such as Italy, where they were already located.
An increase from €3 million to €6 million is derisory, scandalous, raged Verhofstadt, calling on Thursday for real reform of the Frontex Agency (which coordinates Triton), making it compulsory for member states to provide operational means (vessels, helicopters, planes, etc.) and changing the agency's mandate so that it can carry out full search and rescue operations, not just be tasked with protecting the EU's borders. The former Belgian prime minister was also appalled that the pilot project was limited to 5,000 people when some member states, such as Germany and Sweden between them already do more than that, he said.
Criticising the leaders' lack of ambition, he put forward a four-point plan: - a centralised European asylum system; - a new European policy on economic migration with a complete overhaul of the “blue card” system (which member states do not use anyway, he said, and which creates too many bureaucratic problems); - combatting illegal immigration; - implementing a comprehensive European approach.
He said an end had to be put to the Dublin regulation and humanitarian visas had to be granted in the countries of origin. He argued that what was needed was conclusions which set out a comprehensive approach in which the asylum system is changed, Frontex is beefed up and the causes of the migration are addressed.
For the moment, member states are focusing too much on tackling the human traffickers and people smugglers, he regretted. They believe, he said, that by doing this the problem will be resolved. He was of the same view with regard to the CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) civilian-military operation that has been suggested to destroy the traffickers' boats and for which a mandate was expected to be given by the member states on Thursday evening. On Sunday, the Italian prime minister spoke of targeted intervention to destroy criminal racketeering. This is an idea shared by Council President Donald Tusk, according to a European source, even though it would be too early to clarify the legal and technical details of such an operation on Thursday.
If we destroy the boats, others will be used - that is only a very small part of the solution, railed Verhofstadt. Visibly angry, he criticised the member states' desire to use Europol to track people smugglers and criminal gangs on social networks and so prevent the “recruitment” of migrants. It is not by attacking the internet that success will be found, he raged. (Solenn Paulic)