Brussels, 02/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting on 21 February at the initiative of the Development Committee in collaboration with the Foreign affairs and Public Freedoms Committee, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, expressed his delight at the strengthening of Parliament's powers. Parliament is now a co-legislator with the Council in the area of asylum law. He declared, “I appreciate what the European Parliament is doing…particularly on the directive on asylum applications” (EUROPE 9080). He also described the privileged relations the HCR has with the European Union as “indispensable” and a “firm supporter of multilateralism and of the United Nations activities”. He explained that the EU's financial and political support is “crucial for the populations whose cause we defend”. Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL, Italy), president of the Development Committee spoke about the fate of refugees, “a question that is linked not only to the EU's development policy but also to human rights and the ability to resolve conflicts. Hence the political importance of this meeting, which brings together our colleagues from the Foreign Affairs and Civil Liberties Committee”. Elmar Brok (EPP-ED, Germany), the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee acknowledged that “we must be more active, less defensive and have high standards without questioning the right of asylum”. According to Jean-Marie Cavada (ADLE, France), chair of the Civil Liberties Committee, “We must ensure that refugees are governed by rules but also that Europe remains a place that welcomes them”. Hélène Flautre (Green, France), chair of the Human Rights Committee at the Parliament stated that “not every state in the world accepts the HCR, for example Libya” a country with the EU is currently negotiating a readmission agreement “and Morocco, where the HCR is suspected of wanting to externalise the European Union's policies”.