Brussels, 21/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 19 February, European Parliament Vice-President Martine Roure (PES, France) was sharply critical of the Commission proposals made last week on improving the security of the EU's external borders (see EUROPE 9601 and 9602). “All that will come from these measures is that citizens of third countries will be seen as no more than a would-be illegal immigrant or potential terrorist even before they step onto European soil, when we all know that targeted action is much more effective,” Roure said in a press release. She said that the “entry-exit” system would do nothing to combat illegal immigration since it only recorded the time the person entered or left. “At best, this measure will give us an idea of how many stay on longer than they are legally entitled to,” she argued. She also felt the proposal was premature since the visa information system (VIS), with its biometric data, is not yet up and running and it has been shown that a biometric passport is not tamper-proof. Roure also feared that the European external border surveillance system (Eurosur), which she finds exorbitantly expensive, would not be able to monitor every citizen travelling around the EU. “These measures could endanger access to international protection and to asylum procedures by preventing people looking for safety from reaching Europe,” she said in conclusion. (B.C.)