Brussels, 05/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Guantanamo Bay prison, which is scheduled to close its doors in January 2010, is extremely unlikely to do so within the proposed timescale. "This will be very difficult", American Defence Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged in late September. Further to an examination of the dossiers made available by the United States, a list of people to be freed, with 75 names on it, has recently been drawn up. Around half of the prisoners, some 35 to 40, can be sent to the EU. Certain member states (France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Hungary, Belgium and Estonia) have agreed in principle to accepting former prisoners. Initially, some 60 names were mentioned. "We have never suggested any figure to the United States", said Mr de Kerchove, in the 1 October edition of Le Monde. Does he not feel that the plan to welcome just 20% at best of the detainees onto European soil is somewhat "timid", as there are currently 223 of them? "The United States may have high demands in quantitative terms, but ours are high in qualitative terms", said Mr de Kerchove. Two prisoners (probably Uzbeks) from Guantanamo were transferred to Ireland at the end of September and one to Yemen, the American government recently announced. The American prison is situated on the island of Cuba. (B.C./transl.fl)