Brussels, 30/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Slovenian Home Affairs Minister Dragutin Mate, whose country has just relinquished the rotating EU Presidency, said on Friday 27 June that he backed the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum which France intends to present to the other countries of the EU. “Generally, the idea (of a European Pact) is not bad,” Mate said in an interview granted to EUROPE. The French Presidency would bring “greater coherence” in immigration, he added. Given that much in the pact is “not new”, discussion would concentrate on the new ideas, he said. Among these new ideas are the integration contract, restrictions on residence permits being given wholesale to illegal immigrants, and the setting up of a European Asylum Seekers Office. Mate felt that it would be “quite tough” to have a genuine common asylum policy in place by 2010, given the very different positions of all the countries. He said that the recent agreement on the “return directive” had been the “best compromise” acceptable to both the Council and the European Parliament. He hoped, nonetheless, that member states would remain “very rational” in applying the directive and not take advantage to toughen their legislations. For example, the fact that Spain wanted to extend the length of time illegal immigrants could be detained by “a few days” (from 40 to 60 days) was “not a disaster”, he said. With regard to the repatriation of minors, the minister said that member states will have to comply with “very strict rules” and that, consequently, there would not be many such expulsions. Another thorny issue that Slovenia had to deal with during its Presidency was the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) with the United States. Mate was pleased that the European Commission had been granted a mandate to negotiate directly with the Americans on this issue. “Now we are in the position that some countries will reach the VWP, though not all of them,” he stated, noting once again that the United States would not have access to Community databases in return. Lastly, the minister hoped that the French Presidency would find a way to deal with the Irish “no” vote on the Lisbon Treaty, particularly since this treaty is of great importance in the area of Justice and Home Affairs since the whole area is to be subject to co-decision. He was very careful about the possible use of the “passerelle” clause, in that this was not a solution that was to every member state's liking. (B.C./transl.rt)