Brussels, 11/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers is to open on Friday morning with asylum and immigration issues, before the expected visit on Saturday by American Attorney General John Ashcroft. Ministers will have received a first guest on Friday morning, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, who will take part in discussions on refugee status. On Thursday evening, ministers will be invited to a performance of the Royal Ballet followed by a reception at the Thorvaldsen museum.
The definition of refugee is the first point on the agenda. "All Member States respect the Geneva Convention but interpret it differently", which is why the Commission has proposed a directive on the status of refugees, Commissioner Vitorino's spokesperson recalled on Wednesday. The Commission proposes to add to the definition of the Convention the people who were victims of persecution that does not come from the State. Here too, Member States take into account this situation, but in different ways, explains the Commission. Member States find it difficult to agree on a definition. Then, the Council will tackle the question of integrating immigrants (see other article, p.11). The specific situation of Kaliningrad will be discussed at lunch. The Commission is to present its ideas for an agreement with the Russians before presenting a formal proposal on 18 September (see other article, p.8). After lunch, ministers will discuss the development of a European return programme (EUROPE of 9/10 September, p.12). The Danish ambassador said that the return of Afghans to their country is "a priority" for Member States. According to the Presidency, there are 100,000 Afghans in Member States, essentially in Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. At the end of the afternoon, discussions were on Schengen and enlargement. We shall see how to help candidate countries to prepare themselves for the Schengen acquis, said Poul Christoffersen, who recalled that the new members are not expected to join the European area without borders before 2007 (EUROPE of 7 September, p.12). On Saturday morning, the meeting will begin with the assessment of the 2000-2004 programme against drug trafficking (EUROPE of 7 September, p.12). This will be followed by John Ashcroft's meeting on transatlantic cooperation against terrorism (yesterday's EUROPE, p.9 and 10).