Brussels, 09/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - Belgian Home Affairs Minister Antoine Duquesne has defined, on behalf of the Belgian Presidency, a series of priorities in the fields of asylum policy, migration, combating the trafficking of human beings, police cooperation and crime prevention. In the context of the execution of the undertakings of the Tampere Summit, the Presidency will particularly seek to achieve the following:
1. a European asylum policy, which presupposes the alignment of procedures for granting and withdrawing the status of refugee (for which a draft directive will be the subject of a debate in September's Council in view of defining possible options) and of the conditions of the reception of asylum-seekers in the examination phase of their requests. The end-goal of this last initiative is to limit the movement of asylum-seekers between Member States, caused by the differences in legislation.
2. European migration policy., which presupposes: - a political debate on the problem of migration. To that end, the Presidency is organising a European Conference on migration (in Brussels 16-17 October), whose guidelines will be presented at the Laeken Summit; - intensification of the fight against illegal immigration, and especially that stemming from the Balkans. The Belgian Presidency will draw up an assessment of progress made since the EU ministerial mission, that went to the Balkans at the beginning of the year; - the setting up of a uniform European policy for issuing visas, through enhanced consular work; - harmonization of the conditions of entry, which will by achieved by the adoption of the directive on family reunion.
In addition, the Belgian Presidency would like to secure:
1. intensification in the fight against the trafficking of human beings, first trying to reach agreement with the candidate countries for accession on a policy to conduct with them. An open debate, in the presence of representatives from these countries, will be organized in Brussels at the Council of 27 and 28 September;
2. more operational police cooperation: a political debate of the workings of Europol will be held to provide guidelines in view of the possible adaptation of the Convention. In addition, in the follow-up to the international seminar on hooliganism, held in Brussels on 22 and 23 May last, the Belgian Presidency proposes the creation of a network of national points of contact regarding football and the drawing up of common rules regarding the prevention of hooliganism. Finally, initiatives will be taken to develop the SIS II (Schengen Information System). To that end, the necessary instruments for funding will be approved;
3. development of a comprehensive prevention policy: the Belgian Presidency will continue the work of the Swedish Presidency and a "master plan" will be drawn up to that effect.