EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/525

(2004/C 84 E/0600)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0011/04

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(16 January 2004)

Subject: Tunis summit and immigration policy

The 5 + 5 Dialogue summit took place on 5 and 6 December 2003 in Tunis. According to the few reports that have appeared in the press, the main topic of discussion was strengthening cooperation in the Western Mediterranean, together, presumably, with the question of the migratory flows from North Africa to European countries, which are one of the most important factors in this cooperation. Since the 1999 Tampere summit, the European Union has been trying to devise a common migration policy. However, individual Member States are enacting legislation which differs substantially. Italy, for example, following an agreement with Tunisia, signed a bilateral agreement with Libya in July 2003 as many illegal boatloads of immigrants arrive from Libya.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. What issues were on the agenda of the Tunis Summit?

2. Were any conclusions reached concerning the joint management of migratory flows to the Union in order to avoid a massive influx of illegal immigrants?

3. Did the summit consider proposals to step up security against terrorism for the Mediterranean countries and, at the same time, enhance economic development opportunities for the African countries bordering the Mediterranean?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 2004)

1. Since the 5 + 5 Dialogue Summit in Tunis was an informal meeting, there was no formal agenda as such. A number of discussion topics (which were reflected in the final declaration) were proposed: — security and stability in the Mediterranean; — regional integration and economic cooperation; — migration; — dialogue between cultures and civilisations; — the new EU neighbourhood policy.

2. The final declaration of the first summit of Heads of State and Government endorsed the previous Tunis ministerial declaration on migration in the western Mediterranean of October 2002, which paved the way for a ‘balanced, integrated, and comprehensive dialogue between the countries of the Western Mediterranean to cooperate on migration issues of common interest in an organized and coordinated manner’. This confirmed the following points as fundamental elements of a Euro-Mediterranean policy which incorporated the work of the Valencia Conference (April 2002) viewed within the broader context of the Barcelona process: — to adopt a comprehensive and balanced approach to migrations (measures to combat illegal immigration should be complemented by co-development, movement of persons and labour migration); — to consolidate the integration of legal migrants by protecting their rights (family reunion, facilities for movement, equal treatment, etc.) while also spelling out their obligations; — to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings by joint action and cooperation (including at operational level) while attempting to find a better way of addressing the real causes of those plagues. A meeting of the ministerial conference responsible for migration issues will be held in Algiers during 2004.