Brussels, 01/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - EU interior ministers meeting on Thursday within the JHA Council in Brussels adopted the directive on granting refugee status in the EU, thus completing the first phase of establishing a common asylum regime in Europe. Commissioner Franco Frattini said: “We have made a great step forward. The importance of adopting this text must not be under-estimated, as it will significantly contribute to promoting confidence between the twenty-five Member States on the tricky subject of asylum”. Adoption of this text completes minimum harmonisation of the asylum regime that aims to prevent asylum seekers from moving about within the EU towards the countries that offer the most favourable conditions. The directive is mainly aimed at accelerating examination of asylum requests, granting to asylum seekers the same base of minimum guarantees such as access to legal assistance, individual interviews, and the right of appeal. The 25 have not, however, been able to agree on a European list of safe countries of origin. Franco Frattini stressed the large amount of work that remains to be done in the field of asylum while saying he was optimistic as the European Parliament will now play an active role in the decision-making process aimed at jointly establishing a European asylum system by 2010.