Brussels, 30/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) welcomed the political agreement reached last Thursday by the EU15 Interior Ministers on the Council's proposal of directive for the hosting of asylum seekers in Member States (see EUROPE of 26 April, p.7). Satisfied by certain clauses of the directive such as access by asylum seekers to medical care and education as well as to legal aid, the HCR, however, criticises, in a press release, the fact that several provisions of the directive give the Member States too much possibility to have recourse to exceptions and adjustments. Thus, it is the HCR's view that the decision of the EU Member States not to harmonise their extremely different policies and procedures concerning employment is a step backwards, mainly at a time when several governments are concerned by the cost of the support given to the asylum seekers especially when processing for granting asylum takes a great deal of time. In the same way, the HCR states it is concerned by another provision of the directive which allows all allowances to be suspended -except for emergency medical care - for asylum seekers who are not cooperating or who do not comply with the rules concerning their presence on Member State territory. The HCR also encourages the Fifteen to continue with their work of harmonisation in order to be able to propose a common asylum policy by May 2004.