contribute to combating climate change. Within this budget, EUR810 million will be devoted to
‘SustainableEnergySystems’(SES).HydrogenandFuelCellsaretwomainprioritiesofSESbutenergyefficiency, renewable energy sources, alternative motor fuels, carbon dioxide (CO
2) capture and
sequestrationareotherimportantcomponentsofresearchrelatedtoclimatechange.
In Europe, total public expenditure in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells is estimated at some
EUR150millionperyear(UnionandMemberStates).TheUnitedStates(US)federalbudgetisaboutEUR300millionperyearoverthenextfiveyearssubjecttoSenateapproval.Abetterco-ordinationoftheEuropeanandnationalprogrammesinaEuropeanResearchAreawouldresultinabettercost-benefit
impact.TheUSprogrammeonaHydrogenEconomydrawsmoreonfossilfuels,whileresearch and
demonstrationactivitiesintheUnionemphasiseRenewableEnergySources.
TheCommissionintendstosetupaTechnologyPlatforminvolvingmajorUnionstakeholdersinorderto
maintainasharedlong-termvisionandtoelaborateaStrategicResearchAgendaandDeploymentStrategy.Thismechanismisexpectedtoprovideaconsistentstrategicframeworkforpublic/privatepartnershipsandraiseoverallinvestmentsinEuropeforbothRTDfundinganddeploymentinitiatives.Atthesametime,theUSandtheUnionarediscussingthecreationofInternationalPartnershipstoco-operateinordertoacceleratethedevelopmentofthehydrogeneconomy.
(2004/C58E/157) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2189/03
byCristianaMuscardini(UEN)totheCommission
(2July2003)
Subject:Jointimmigrationmanagement
TheplanstosetupaEuropeanborderpoliceforcehavetodatenotmetwithanadequateresponse.Inthe
meantimeillegalimmigration,whichisincreasinglyassumingtheproportionsofabiblicalexodus,iscontinuingtotakeitstragiccourse,withtheattendanttollofinnocentvictimsandcrimes.Thehopesofthosewhofleetheircountriesarebeingexploitedinanignobleandintolerableway.
1. DoestheCommissionbelievethatitshouldproposetotheCouncilthatprovisionbemadeforcloser
cooperationamongtheMemberStates,enablingthemtolaydowncommonrulestodealwithillegalimmigration?
2. DoesitthinkthatitwouldbeusefulforagreementstobenegotiatedbetweentheUnionandthe
countriesfromwhich populationsare fleeing, theaimbeing todrawupeconomicandhumanitarianmeasuresandcombatthecriminalactivitiesofpeoplesmugglers,whoalmostinvariablyusemeansoftransportthatcannotguaranteethepassengers’safety?
3. Willitcallonthegovernmentstoacceleratetheproceduresfordefiningpoliticalrefugeestatusand
adoptingcommonstandards?
4. Canitsupplyfiguresontheimmigrantswhosestatushasalreadybeenorisintheprocessofbeing
putinorderandspecifythenumberofimmigrantswhicheachMemberStateintendstoaccepteveryyear,onapermanentortemporarybasis,tomeetthedemandforlabour?
5. What studyopportunities are being offered toyoung people fromthe lessdeveloped countries,
bearinginmindnotleastParliament’sproposalsonaidtohelpthemre-entertheworldofworkintheircountriesoforigin?6.3.2004EN C58E/141 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrVitorinoonbehalfoftheCommission
(4September2003)
1. TheCommissionunderlinedinitsfirstcommunicationonacommonpolicyonillegalimmigration
of November 2001 the importance of close cooperation between Member States, including concreteoperationalmeasuresinvariousfields.Thislinewasfollowedinthetwocommunicationsdealingwiththemanagement of external borders and return of illegal residents that are essential elements of acomprehensivepolicyapproachtowardsthepreventionandfightagainstillegalimmigration.Followingthesethreecommunications,theCounciladoptedrespectiveactionplansthatsetoutvariouslegislativeandoperationalmeasurestobetakenbytheCouncilandtheCommission.AnewcommunicationofJune2003 tookstockofthe implementation ofthese three action plans and put forward some ideas forimprovingoperationalcooperation,complementingitwithreinforcedfinancialinstrumentsandnewITsystems for ensuring the exchange of information. Among the various measures proposed, the
CommissionunderlinedtheneedtocreateaCommunityoperationalstructureforenhancingoperational
coordinationandcooperationforthemanagementoftheexternalborders.Themaintasksofthisstructurewouldbetheplanning,support,organisationandmonitoringoftheoperationalcooperation,thetrainingofborderguards,informationgatheringandprocessing,andriskanalysis.Othertasksmightbeperformedinthefieldofreturn. Moreover, inJune2002theCounciladoptedaCommunityactionprogramme(ARGO)foradministrativecooperationinthefieldsofexternalborders,visa,asylumandimmigration.
2. TheCommissionisactivelyworkingforthemostextensivecooperationpossiblewiththirdcountries
onmigration,inparticularinordertocombatillegalimmigration.AsitstatedinitscommunicationofDecember2002on‘IntegratingmigrationissuesintheEuropeanUnion’srelationswiththirdcountries’,the approach has to be comprehensive, coherent and integrated; it must address the root causes ofmigrationflowsandtacklethemthrougheconomic,socialandhumanitarianmeasureswhileatthesametimepromotethedevelopmentofspecificcooperationwiththirdcountriesinsupportoftheireffortsatbettermanagementofmigratoryflows,andinparticulartocombatillegalimmigration.InitsDecember2002communication,theCommissionhighlightsaseriesofmeasuresinfavourofthirdcountriesthatare
directly related to the question of migration, are already programmed for 2000-2006 and are to be
financedundergeographicalcooperationandassistanceprogrammes(MEDA,CARDS,TACIS,etc.).Italsoproposestakingtheopportunityofferedbythemid-termreviewofnationalandregionalaidprogrammingstrategydocumentstoexaminetheneedtoattachgreaterprioritytomigrationquestions,inparticularillegalimmigration.AnditproposesthatbudgetlineB7-667,whichhasfinancedmeasuresinpreparationforcooperationwiththirdcountriesonmigration,andinparticularthefightagainstillegalimmigrationsince2001,besubstantiallyreinforcedandconvertedintoafinancialandtechnicalassistanceprogrammeforthirdcountriesonmigrationandasylum.InJune2003theCommissionpresentedaproposalforaParliament and Council Regulation establishing the programme of assistance for third countries onmigrationandasylum.ItproposesthattheprogrammebegivenEUR250millionforafive-yearperiod(2004-2008)andconvertedintoaspecificcomplementaryinstrumentthatwould,amongotherthings,developcooperationwiththirdcountriesinthefightagainstillegalimmigration.
3. TheCommissiondeeplyregretsthatthedeadlineofJune2003,setattheSevilleEuropeanCouncilin
June 2002 for adoption of the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards for the
qualificationandstatusofthird-countrynationalsandstatelesspersonsasrefugeesoraspersonswho
otherwiseneedinternationalprotection,hasnotbeenmet.IthasthereforenotedwithsatisfactionthattheThessalonikiEuropeanCouncilhasreiterated,inConclusion24,itsdeterminationtoestablishaCommonEuropeanAsylumSystem,ascalledforatitsOctober1999meetinginTampereandclarifiedinJune2002inSeville.Inthiscontext,theThessalonikiEuropeanCouncilnotedthat‘itisvitalthattheCouncilensurestheadoption,beforetheendof2003,oftheoutstandingbasiclegislation,thatistheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveonminimumstandardsforthequalificationandstatusofthird-countrynationalsandstatelesspersonsasrefugeesoraspersonswhootherwiseneedinternationalprotectionandtheproposalfor a Council Directive on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting andwithdrawingrefugeestatus’.TheCommissionfullysharestheurgencyexpressedbytheHeadsofStateandGovernmentfortheUniontoadopttheoutstandinglegislationinthefieldofasylum.Specificallywithaview to the urgency of establishing the first phase of the Common European Asylum System, theC58E/142 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
CommissionhasofferedallitsassistancetotheItalianPresidencyandtheCouncilwithaviewtoensuring
thatthenegotiationsonthetwooutstandinglegislativeproposalscanbefinishedassoonaspossible,butinanycasebythenewdeadlinesetbytheEuropeanCouncilinThessaloniki.
4. OneresponsebyanumberofMemberStatestounauthorisedmigrationistheregularisationof
foreignersresidingillegallyontheirterritory.Differentpracticesandproceduresareused;somearecarriedoutonaregularbasiswithoutanytimelimitationandothersareone-offproceduresorprogrammeswhich,however,mayberepeatedfromtimetotime.Whileprecisefiguresarenotavailable,astudyofsuchpracticesineightMemberStates(
1)(Belgium,Denmark,Greece, Spain,France,Italy,Netherlands,
UnitedKingdom)carriedoutbyresearchersattheUniversitéLibredeBruxellesconcludedthatovertheperiod1973to1999some1845000personsintotalwereregularised.FurtherprogrammeshavesincebeencarriedoutinGreece,Spain,Italy,LuxembourgandPortugal.TheCommissiondoesnothaveprecisefiguresonthenumbersofthoseregularisedsince1999.SomeMemberStatesfixquotasfortheadmissionoflabourmigrants.Insomecasestheseareoverallannualtotals,inothersquotasmaybefixedwithin
bilateralagreementswiththirdcountries,bysectororwithintheframeworkof‘greencard’systemsor
otherarrangements.OtherMemberStatesdonotfixquotasbutissueworkpermitsfollowingproceduresrelatedtodemandinthenationallabourmarket.Atpresent,theCommissiondoesnothavecompleteinformationonquotanumberswheretheyexist.
5. The extent to which access to programmes organised by educational establishments in the
Communityareopentothird-countrynationalsisamatterfortheMemberStatesand,insomecases,fortheestablishmentsthemselves.Buton7October2002theCommissionadoptedaproposalunderthecommonimmigrationpolicyforadirectiveontheconditionsofentryandresidenceofthird-countrynationalsforthepurposesofstudies,vocationaltrainingorvoluntaryservicewiththeaimofpromotingtheadmissionofthepersonsconcernedbytheauthoritiesresponsibleforentryandresidenceofforeignersoncetheyareadmittedbyaneducationalestablishment.
(1) DeBruycker,Ph.‘RegularisationofIllegalAliensintheEuropeanUnion’,BrusselsBruylant,2000.
(2004/C58E/158) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2190/03
byJoséRibeiroeCastro(UEN)totheCommission
(2July2003)
Subject:Fisheries/dashWesternwaters/dashPublicanxietyabouttheimminentincursionofSpanishfisheries
intoPortuguesecoastalwaters
Followingonfrommylastquestion(E-2153/03(1)),Iwishtodrawattentiontoanotherarticlefroman
independentsourceonthematteratissue,publishedinthePortuguesequalitypress.Toquotepartofthearticle:ThefishingepisodehasrecurredatintervalssincetheearlydaysofPortugal’smembershipofwhatwasthentheEEC.Thereisnostoppingourpartners.IclearlyrememberthatwhenourcountrywasstillnegotiatingtojointheEuropeaneconomicarea(andreceivingsubstantial‘pre-accession’financialaid),themostperceptivefolkinBrusselswerealreadysayingthatfisherieswastobePortugal’srealquidproquo
foritsCommunitypartners.‘Theydon’tmindsendingmoneytoPortugalorhelpingwiththisorthat,
because,thankstofisheries/dashinotherwords,futureaccesstoPortuguesewaters/dashtheywillbeamplyrewardedforthesupportthattheyaregivingnow’,aPortuguesejournalistworkinginBrusselstoldmeintheearly1980s.Somuchfornationalwealth.ThemoneyofexchangewhichourCommunitypartnerswillbedemandingtothetuneofhalfasmuchagain.Because,ofcourse,itisnotallhandouts,contrarytowhatotherswouldsooftenhaveusbelieve.Therecomesatimewhenpeoplehavetopay.Theypaywithsuch assets as they might possess: in our case, that means the sea. An awful lot of sea. Spaniards,Dutchmen,andDanesarequeuingupfortheiradmissiontickets.Andtheyhaveamightyfishingarmadacapable,withhalfthecrewnumbers,ofcatchingtwiceorthreetimesasmuchasthePortuguese.Itisfortunatethatwearestilllaggingbehindbecausethatenablesustolandalittlefreshfishtoeatandselland,atthesametime,maintainreasonablestocksintheseathatcanregenerateattheirnaturalpace.That6.3.2004EN C58E/143 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion