6. UnioncompanieshaveoverthelastdecadeinvestedheavilyintheUnitedStates,contributingtothe
financingoftheUnitedStatescurrentaccountdeficit.Theseinvestmentswerebasedonanassessmentofrelativerisksandreturns.TheattractivenessoftheUnionforbothdomesticandinternationalinvestorsneedstobeenhanced.Tothisend,theMemberStatesarecommittedtopursuestablemacroeconomicpolicies to ensure sustainable growth, to creating a single financial market by 2005 and to furtherimplementstructuralreformstoimprovethegrowthpotentialoftheUnion’seconomy.
(2004/C58E/110) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1773/03
byClaudeMoraes(PSE)totheCommission
(28May2003)
Subject:ThessalonikiJuneCouncilmeeting
WilltheCommissionpleasegiveitsviewoftheagendaoftheJuneCouncilmeetinginThessaloniki?
WillthemeetingdiscussthequestionofEUborderpolice,policingresourcesforthenewEUexternalborders post-enlargement, coordination of integration issues in relation to migrants, and the issue ofcoordinationofmanagedeconomicmigration?
AnswergivenbyMrVitorinoonbehalfoftheCommission
(14July2003)
The Commission presented a package of initiatives on immigration, asylum and the management of
externalborderstotheThessalonikisummit.TheseprovidedanoverviewoftheworkaccomplishedsinceTampere together with proposals designed to pave the way for new policy initiatives. The packageconsistedofthreeCommunications(
1),adoptedbytheCommissionon3June2003,dealingwithillegal
immigration, border controls, more accessible asylum systems and immigration, integration andemployment.Thesewereaccompaniedbyaproposalforaco-operationprogrammewiththirdcountriesintheareaofmigration,buildingonthepreparatoryactionsfinancedsince2001underthecurrentbudgetlineB7-667.
The first of the three Communicationsgives particular attention to burden sharing and to the more
efficientmanagementoftheexternalbordersoftheUnion.TheEuropeanCouncilnotedtheCommission’sestimatethatEUR140millionwerenecessaryforthispurposefortheperiod2004to2006andacceptedits proposalstomake useofthe margin available (heading 3ofthe financial perspectives) toobtainadditionalfunding.Italsoagreedthatthepost2006budgetaryperspectivesshouldreflectmoreadequatelypoliticalprioritiesinthisarea.Therewillthusbeafirsteffortofsolidarityinthefieldofexternalborders,returnandtheinitialinvestmentrequiredforthedevelopmentofavisainformationsystemthatwillbecovered.TheCommissionwillreportinduecoursetotheCouncilontheneedtoestablishaCommunitystructure,withthenecessaryhuman,materialandfinancialresources,tobeinchargeofoperationalco-operationamongthenationalservicesandspecialisedcentresresponsiblefortheexternalbordersoftheUnion.
The European Council welcomed the Commission’s proposals in its Communication on immigration,
integrationandemploymentforstrengtheningintegrationpoliciesforthirdcountrynationals,inthelightofthegrowingimportanceofimmigrationinthecontextofdemographicageinganddecline.Itagreedonthenecessitytoreinforcepolicyco-ordinationbothatUnionandnationallevelinteraliaintheformofanannualreporttobepresentedbytheCommissiononthedevelopmentofthecommonimmigrationpolicyandtodevelopexchangeofinformationandgoodpracticeatUnionlevelviathenationalcontactpointson integration, established by the Council in October 2002 and through the work of the EuropeanMigrationNetworkwhichshouldbestrengthened.
With the Communication ‘towards more accessible, equitable and managed asylum systems’, the
CommissionrespondedtotheMarch2003EuropeanCouncilinvitationtoexplorefurthertheideasputforwardbytheUnitedKingdomonnewapproachestointernationalprotection,andtoreporttotheEuropean Council meeting in June 2003. This Communication sets out the Commission’s views and6.3.2004EN C58E/95 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
objectivesforapossiblenewapproachtowardsmoreaccessible,equitableandmanagedasylumsystems.
Suchnewapproachshouldrespectanumberofbasicpremises,setoutinthisCommunication,oneofthembeingthecomplementaritywiththeCommonEuropeanAsylumSystem,calledforatTampere.
InlinewithpreviousCommunications,thisCommunicationconfirmstheimportancetheCommission
attachestothethreeidentifiedobjectivesof:
(i) managedarrivalintheUnion,(ii) burden-andresponsibilitysharingwithregionsoforiginand(iii) streamlined,efficientandenforceableasylumdecision-makingandreturn.
TheEuropeanCouncilinvitedtheCommissiontoexploreallparametersinordertoensuremoreorderly
andmanagedentryintheUnionofpersonsinneedifinternationalprotection,andtoexaminewaysandmeanstoenhancetheprotectioncapacityofregionsoforigin,aswellasthepossibilitiestoreinforcetheasylumproceduresinordertomakethemmoreefficient.
The Commission believes that the Thessaloniki European Council marks an important step in the
consolidationoftheUnion’sactionsinthefieldofimmigrationandasylum.Ithasgivenastrongsignal
markingtheUnion’scommitmenttothedevelopmentofthecommonimmigrationandasylumpolicycalledforinTampere(15/16October1999).
(1) Communicationonthedevelopmentofacommonpolicyonillegalimmigration,smugglingandtraffickingof
humanbeings,externalbordersandthereturnofillegalresidents,COM(2003)323final,Communicationtowardsmoreaccessible,equitableandmanagedasylumsystems,COM(2003)315final,Communicationonimmigration,
integrationandemployment,COM(2003)336final.
(2004/C58E/111) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1790/03
byClaudeMoraes(PSE)totheCommission
(28May2003)
Subject:Eurojust
HowdoestheCommissionproposethatMEPswillbeconsultedontheactivitiesofEurojust?
AnswergivenbyMrVitorinoonbehalfoftheCommission
(14July2003)
Eurojustisabodywithlegalpersonality,establishedbytheCouncilundertheprovisionsoftheEU-Treaty
onjudicialco-operationincriminalmatters.BeingcomposedofjudicialofficialsandjudgesoftheMemberStates, Eurojust’s position towards the Commission is independent. Therefore, it is mainly in theresponsibilityandtheinterestofEurojusttoestablishanexchangeofviewswiththeMembersoftheParliament.
The CouncilDecision2002/187/JHA establishing Eurojust of28February 2002(
1) provides for direct
contactswiththeParliamentonlyinbudgetmatters.AccordingtoArticle36(2)oftheCouncilDecision,theEurojustPresidentshallsubmittotheParliamentdetailedaccountsforthepreviousfinancialyearnolater than 31March. paragraph (3) of this Article provides for discharge to Eurojust by Parliament.Furthermore, direct contacts may be established and ‘experiences of a non-operational nature’ beexchanged(Article26(5)oftheCouncilDecision).TheRulesofProcedureprovidethatEurojustmaintain‘thenecessarychannelsofcommunication’withtheParliamentinaccordancewiththeDecision.However,anexchangeofinformationonoperationalmatters,particularlyonpersonalfiles,isnotforeseen(
2).C58E/96 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion