In all that we do, we will honour our obligation to provide protection to those fleeing persecution. But we must not allow such tragic loss of life to continue. The EU must act decisively to ensure that the Western Balkans, so long prey to ethnic conflict, does not become captive to organised criminal structures. This is why European governments must work more closely to tackle the flow of illegal immigration, drawing on existing co-operation agreements in the area, primarily the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative and the Balkans stability pact. Lead the creation of an EU liaison officer network in the Western Balkans.
Many member states have, or are posting, immigration liaison officers to key capitals in the region.
Bringing those experts together, and encouraging the sharing of information, intelligence and tasks, will boost our joint response to illegal immigration. We want the network to be up and running by mid-2001. Lead the deployment of expert teams from EU member states to the Western Balkans, to work together in combating illegal immigration. These teams would monitor the immigration situation, provide advice and training, and help in the fight against organised crime. We now call on other member states to join our commitment, to make such a deployment effective and feasible.