Brussels, 06/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has approved a working paper aiming to strike a balance between improving internal security in Europe after the 11 September events and protecting the rights of refugees. The paper was prepared in response to the 20 September JHA Council and will provide a basis for discussions among Member States, but the Commission also sees it as contributing to the wider debate with civil society. It is based on two main premises: 1) bona fide refugees and asylum seekers should not become victims of the recent events; and 2) those committing or supporting terrorism should not be able to access the territory of the EU Member States. The working paper was announced in the first Commission report on common asylum policy published on 3 December. EUROPE will return to this.