Brussels, 25/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 30 March, the JHA Council may finally reach a political agreement on the proposal of directive defining the status and rights of refugees, but at the cost of further derogations on the rights of those benefiting from alternate protection, in the aim of gaining approval from Germany. On the other hand, discussions on review procedures of requests of asylum are still blocked. Given this situation, the Presidency is expected to put forward a proposal that, it is said in diplomatic spheres, is "very minimalist". The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, and the associations for defence of refugees and citizens' freedoms are concerned about the context of the text.
The Council may reach a political agreement on the future European agency for border protection. It will also seek to overcome reticence expressed concerning recognition of seizure decisions, as well as compensation of victims. Furthermore, it will tackle the matter of Jürgen Storbeck's succession at the head of Europol: France, Germany and Italy each have a contender.