Brussels, 20/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - On the initiative of Commissioner Vitorino, the European Commission adopted a draft directive to the Council, on Wednesday, relating to the establishment of minimum standards for granting and withdrawing refugee status in the Member States of the Union The aim of this first instrument proposed by the Commission at the service of a common European asylum scheme (as requested by the European Council of Tampere), is to introduce, in the short term, a minimum level of harmonisation of rules applicable in the matter. In concrete terms, Member States would retain their national systems, as long as these respected certain norms and conditions regarding the relevant authorities and procedures applicable. In other words, they should set up a simple and rapid system for dealing with requests for asylum that would allow for a single appeal or a single review of the decision, either through a legal body or an administrative body (the choice would be left to the appreciation of each Member State), while enabling the rejected asylum seeker to appeal before a "court of appeal". Member States wanting to introduce specific procedures for requests regarded as inadmissible or manifestly unfounded would be held to respect common standards based on the concept of "safe third countries" and "safe country of origin".
So that people who genuinely need protection in the sense of the Geneva Convention may be recognised, the Commission's proposal also provides for minimum guarantees as to procedure; right to a personal interview, possibility of being put in contact with organisations or people who provide legal assistance…Finally, the proposal provides for, at procedural level, complementary and specific guarantees for people with special needs, for example, the obligation of appointing a legal assistant or legal advice to assist and represent an unaccompanied minor in the context of his or her request for asylum.