WRITTEN QUESTION E-2939/00 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Common asylum and immigration policy.
Date: 2000-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, right of asylum

C 151 E/26

Official Journal of the European Communities

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22.5.2001

the Community-Turkey sub-committee No 6 on transport, environment and energy,

This issue has been raised on various occasions with the Turkish authorities, most recently at the meeting
of
including
transeuropean networks, which took place on 30 June 2000 in Brussels. The Commission made it very
clear to Turkey that it expects these restrictions to be lifted as soon as possible in the pre-accession
process.

The Commission will continue to monitor the situation closely and will take the issue up in the regular
report for 2000, which is to be adopted by the Commission on 8 November 2000.

(2001/C 151 E/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2939/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Common asylum and immigration policy

the Amsterdam Treaty on 1 May 1999,

the Community assumed
With the entry into force of
responsibility for asylum policy, the free movement of persons, policy on visas, the rules governing the
crossing of borders, immigration policy and the rights of third-country nationals. Articles 61 to 63 of the
EC Treaty specify detailed targets which the Union is supposed to achieve within five years. As regards
asylum and immigration policy, the measures in question include minimum standards on the reception of
asylum seekers and on temporary protection, conditions of entry and residence, illegal immigration and
residence and measures defining the rights of legally resident third-country nationals.

Will the Commission state what specific proposals it has drawn up in these areas, what progress has so far
been made and at what stage a common asylum and immigration policy now is?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the conclusions of the Presidency at the Tampere
European Council (October 1999) and the scoreboard to review progress on the creation of an area of
(cid:145)Freedom, security and justice(cid:146) which has been officially transmitted to Parliament. An update will also be
sent shortly to the Council and Parliament with a view to preparing Parliament(cid:146)s annual debate on progress
in the fields of justice and home affairs (JHA) in January 2001.

The proposals presented by the Commission since May 1999 as well as amended proposals following
Parliament(cid:146)s opinion (September 2000) are as follows:

(cid:129) Council Regulation (EC) concerning the establishment of

the
fingerprints of applicants for asylum and certain other aliens (26 May 1999) and amended proposals
following Parliament(cid:146)s opinion (15 September 2000);

for the comparison of

(cid:145)Eurodac(cid:146)

(cid:129) Council Directive on the right to family reunification (1 December 1999) and amended proposal

following Parliament(cid:146)s opinion (10 October 2000);

(cid:129) Council Decision creating a European Refugee Fund (14 December 1999) and amended proposal

following Parliament(cid:146)s opinion (September 2000);

(cid:129) Council Regulation (EC) determining the list of third countries whose nationals must be in possession
of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt
from that
requirement (January 2000) and amended proposal following Parliament(cid:146)s opinion (21 September
2000);

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(cid:129) Council Directive on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass
influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in
receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (24 May 2000);

(cid:129) Council Directive on minimum standards on procedures for granting and withdrawing refugee status

(20 September 2000).

A Commission working document (cid:145)towards common standards for asylum procedures(cid:146) (3 March 1999) as
(cid:145)Revisiting the Dublin Convention: developing Community
well as the Commission working document:
legislation for determining which Member State is responsible for considering an application for asylum
submitted in one of the Member States(cid:146) (21 March 2000) have also been adopted.

two policy communications, one on
Before the end of 2000,
immigration policy and another on a common asylum procedure and a uniform status, valid throughout
the Union, for persons granted asylum.

the Commission intends to present

(2001/C 151 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2940/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Abolition of tax privileges for diplomats

Further to Written Question E-1996/99 (1), I should like at the outset to thank the Commissioner for
drawing the conclusion that the privileges laid down in the 1961 Vienna Convention (cid:145)in an internal
market (cid:133) are no longer justified and should be abolished(cid:146).

Since the Commission is accordingly of the opinion in relation to itself that the tax privileges in question
are anachronistic and this has been demonstrated both by the Commission decision of 29 September 1999
and by the measures abolishing duty-free shops within the EU, will it not state whether it could advocate
the necessary unanimous Council decision amending the outdated Vienna Convention from 1961?

(1) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000, p. 63.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 2000)

A Community initiative to regulate the tax and duty free privileges for diplomats would, as already
indicated in the reply to Written Question E-1996/99 by the Honourable Member (1),
interfere with
Member States(cid:146) application of the Vienna Convention. The adoption of a Commission proposal to this
effect would require the unanimous vote of the Council which is unlikely to be found. Against this
background, the Commission is not currently planning to put forward a proposal on this issue. Meanwhile,
existing Community legislation does not prevent individual Member States from limiting the privileges that
they are granting to diplomats, as suggested by the Honourable Member.

(1) OJ L 219 E, 1.8.2000.