Brussels, 29/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - After the visit of a delegation of MEPs to Rome, on 18-19 September, 12 of them, by initiative of Monica Frassoni (Greens/EFA, Italy), decided to write to the European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, Jacques Barrot, regarding measures on immigration and security taken by the Italian government. In their letter, they stress certain problematic aspects which have come to light in the three legislative decrees on the residency rights of EU citizens, the status of refugees and family regrouping, as per the security package adopted by the Italian authorities. “As regards this 'security package', we would be pleased to know the official position of the Commission on a new penal standard which has already entered into force and which makes the fact of being illegally on national territory into an aggravating circumstance in the event of any criminal activity”, stated the MEPs in a letter to Mr Barrot. A recent opinion of the legal services of the European Parliament took the view that such a standard was incompatible with Community law. “We are certain that a clear response on your part would help towards an unequivocal and unambiguous application of Community law, not only in Italy, but throughout the EU”, the MEPs add. On 23 September, the Commission announced that some of the measures taken by the Italian government, particularly the automatic expulsion of EU citizens, ran counter to Community law and were therefore sanctionable offences in themselves (EUROPE 9748). (B.C./trans.fl)