Brussels, 28/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers has held a substantive debate on the proposal of directive relating to minimum standards concerning the procedure for granting or withdrawing refugee status, and has set out guidelines on concrete issues for reaching a political agreement during the JHA Council of 6 and 7 December (see EUROPE of 26 September, p.7). "This difficult issue can only be resolved at European level", said Belgian Minister for Home Affairs Antoine Duquesne, during the final press conference. "The Commission's proposal is interesting and ambitious. The main concern of Member States is that there should be a procedure that respects the rights of asylum seekers, but which is also swift and effective, continued the President of the Council. According to his own expression, the Council has "sketched out an equitable solution with the help of the Commission". Mr Duquesne pointed out that the Council was above all in agreement on: (1) the criteria for admissibility, non-admissibility, and the structure for asylum requests; (2) the number of bodies - legal and administrative - called upon to play a role in the asylum request procedure; (3) the fact that the shortest possible times should be set for processing requests for asylum; and (4) the need to have top quality procedures. He went on to conclude that the discussion had been extremely positive, adding that "we should now move forward very rapidly and relaunch the European dynamic at the Laeken Summit".
Commissioner Antonio Vitorino recalled the importance of speed and effectiveness of decisions and the rights to be respected within the framework of the Geneva Convention. Political determination was shown by ministers to understand that, in this field, there is much to gain by reducing asylum shopping and by protecting the real asylum seekers, while countering the others.