Luxembourg, 06/06/2008 (Agence Europe): - EU27 interior ministers did not manage to strike agreement at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council of Thursday 5 June 2008 on the June 2007 draft directive amending Directive 2003/109/EC to extend the 'long-term resident' status for people from outside the EU to beneficiaries of international protection (see EUROPE 9648 and 9440). The Slovenian Presidency managed to win over member states to refugees and people benefitting from international protection being able one day to be seen as long-term residents in the EU. Benelux, Finland and Sweden opposed the compromise deal, however, because the said countries also want the directive to cover people benefitting from protection on humanitarian grounds. EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Jacques Barrot regretted that the scope of the draft directive had proved an obstacle that jeopardised the future of the directive. In order to try and make agreement possible, the European Commission suggested coming up with research in 2009 on the possibility of extending the scope of application following the demands of the above-listed countries, but the countries in question did not accept this. If the French Presidency of the EU cannot get the draft directive adopted, the European Commission is banking on adoption of the Lisbon Reform Treaty to make it possible to unveil a similar draft directive that could be decided upon by a qualified majority vote by the member states. (B.C./transl. fl)