Mr President, as you said, this report – on an 'open-coordination-method' common asylum policy and internal security – covers two methods. It is really two reports in one. It should have been two separate reports but owing to Parliament's Rules, and also to time restraints and organisational factors, it is a single report. The whole approach of the common asylum policy is integral to the work of our committee and we are very much committed to it. Regarding the open coordination method, we stress that this must not be a substitute for Parliament's involvement in the whole process of working towards a common asylum policy and indeed a common immigration policy: we are committed to the full communitarisation of these topics. It is very important that Parliament has a full role in the legislative process in this area. We welcome the open coordination method. The sharing of statistics and everything else it involves must not be seen as a substitute for moving towards the full communitarisation of a common asylum policy with full involvement for Parliament. We must also ensure that using the open coordination method does not reduce asylum policy to the lowest common denominator of Member States' current policies. We want high standards. We want best practice to be followed. Accordingly, the open coordination method must be used as a transition period towards a second stage where asylum is a full legislative agenda item. Furthermore, best practice in the open coordination method should not be seen as a substitute for the Geneva Convention and the relevant Protocol thereto. We must put pressure on all Member State governments to integrate asylum policy, and indeed immigration considerations, into all policy areas as a horizontal policy objective. The second part of the communication is on internal security. This has clearly been moved up the agenda since the events of 11 September last year. We must ensure that Member States' provisions already existing under the Geneva Convention exclude persons who have been involved in terrorist activities, crimes against humanity or other similar offences which are already clearly defined. We must make certain that these provisions are presented in such a way as to ensure that terrorists do not enter EU territory via the asylum procedure. There is no evidence at the moment that would-be terrorists are entering the European Union or any Member States and seeking asylum, but the report seeks to make absolutely clear that there are safeguards and procedures to cover that eventuality. It is crucial that the measures that are introduced to deal with the threat to internal security are proportionate, that they are effective and above all that they safeguard human rights. I welcome the Commission's commitment to using only the Geneva Convention exclusion clauses as a basis for rejecting individuals' claims for asylum, but I urge the exclusion clauses to be used carefully. I reiterate that the EU must have a consistent approach and should not extradite individuals to countries where they may be at risk of incurring the death penalty. We need to be absolutely clear on the status and treatment of people who are excluded from international procedure, but who are non-removable from EU territory owing to any of the different reasons which may lead to this status. In general, with certain reservations that I have outlined, we welcome the Commission's commitment in this report to ensuring that access to asylum procedure is guaranteed. I ask that the exclusion clauses should not be routinely considered for practical as well as humanitarian reasons. I have tabled some amendments to this report either to correct minor errors or owing to setbacks in committee, but these do not detract from the importance and significance of the report. I commend the work that Commissioner Vitorino has been doing in moving towards a common European policy on asylum. There is no way forward other than for all 15 Member States to have a similar policy with guidelines that are not just similar but the same, and which are recognised and enforced by all Member States.

Political group: PSE