Brussels, 09/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 8 April, the European Commission confirmed that it did not intend to suspend transfers of asylum seekers to Greece, as the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) has requested in a letter addressed to the European Commission and all member states on 3 April. “It is up to the Court of Justice to note whether there are failings (…) It is not up to the Commission to call for transfers of asylum seekers to another member state to be suspended”, said Friso Roscam Abbing, Commission spokesman. The matter was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Communities in January 2008 for a ruling on Greece's failure to comply with the rules arising from the Dublin II Regulation, which establishes the general rule that asylum seekers should be systematically sent back to the first member state of entry so that the asylum request may be processed. “Opening infringement proceeding in no way justifies sporadic suspension in the application of a Community instrument in Greece”, the spokesman added. Greece has the lowest rate in the EU for recognising asylum requests (0.04% in 2007) and increasing evidence shows that this country is not a safe place for refugees. For this reason, Norway, which has also signed up to the Dublin II Regulation, recently decided to refuse systematic return of asylum seekers to Greece. On this occasion, the Commission recalls that it is still possible for a member state to examine a person's claim for asylum (“sovereignty clause”) itself, although normally this does not come under its scope of responsibility. Greece is also the subject of infringement proceedings for failing to notify transposition measures for the directive on the conditions in which asylum seekers are hosted. The Commission has announced it has now finally received notification from Athens, and that this is being examined. (B.C.)