Brussels, 02/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament Socialist group has organised, on 29 March, in Brussels, a seminar on the Commission proposals, from last November, on the right to asylum and immigration and Socialist members of the national parliaments which, soon or later, will have to vote on these two sensitive subjects. According to the Socialist group, the talks were very positive and the parliamentarians all felt that the two Commission texts are a necessary step, but insufficient to make up for the delay seen compared to the reports to the Tampere Summit in October 19999. In the opening speech, Commissioner Antonio Vitorino (Justice/Home Affairs) insisted over the need to finalise the conclusions from Tampere, which had proposed the "creation of a common asylum and immigration system and a common legal area to fight against international organised crime.
The works unfolded in two working groups on - asylum (chaired by Robert Evans). The participants said they where in agreement, in particular, over the main humanitarian principals and over the need to establish a common standard in terms of asylum, the fair sharing of the financial burden across the EU, to check the age of the Geneva Convention (which is 50 years old!). Moreover, the general desire to have a more precise definition of what the Socialists may understand by "humanitarian asylum" was reached. - immigration (chaired by Anna Terron I Cusi). In this context, the multicultural nature of society was notably discussed. For the Socialist parliamentarians for the Southern EU countries, this, multicultural nature is a good thing, but it is necessary to specify that it must respect European values, the protection of citizens and especially women. Kofi Yamagnane, Breton of Tongolese origin (who represents an example of successful economic immigration, a now mayor of a 300 inhabitant village in Brittany), heavily insisted on EU values and multicultural, when calling for less frivolousness in the face of a phenomenon that is a true opportunity for our old Europe and a true increase in wealth. Other themes raised, the problem of the brain drain, the partnership with the countries of origin, the impact of demographic trends on immigration, the fight against illegal smuggling and organised crime.
Before the press, Anna Terron I Cusi and the President of the Socialist group Enrique Baron asserted that immigration is a substantial element of the configuration of Europe as a area of freedoms and justice. Anna Terron I Cusi proposed, for her part, the creation of a permanent working group on immigration within the Socialist group.