WRITTEN QUESTION P-0726/01 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The spread of immigration in Europe.
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, admission of aliens, approximation of laws, illegal migration, migratory movement, right of asylum, trafficking in human beings

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/185

The Regulation does not affect the level of the fees nor the differentiation of the pilotage dues based upon
the ship(cid:146)s type. This is a matter which, in line with the principal of subsidiarity, has intentionally been left
to the sole responsibility of the Member States.

The Commission has no information on an adverse effect of this Regulation on pilots(cid:146) remuneration in
other Member States.

The Commission draws the Honorouble Member(cid:146)s attention to the Commission(cid:146)s Communication on the
safety of the seaborne oil trade (1) and in particular to the proposed legislative measure regarding the
accelerated phasing-in of double hull or equivalent design standards for single hull oil tankers. This
proposal foresees the repeal of Council Regulation (EC) No 2978/94.

(1) COM(2000) 142 final.

(2001/C 261 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0726/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 March 2001)

Subject: The spread of immigration in Europe

It is obvious that virtually all the governments of the European Union are now struggling with the
problem of immigration into Europe. I would cite merely the 910 Kurds who arrived by boat barely a
week ago on the C(cid:244)te d(cid:146)Azur, the hundreds of immigrants found, yet again, on the beaches of Southern
Spain in the last few days, and the shipload of immigrants who besieged the Belgian coast and threw the
Belgian Government into crisis.

Given the need to develop a global policy for immigration into Europe, what proposals in this area does
the Commission intend to make at the forthcoming Stockholm European Summit on 23 and 24 March?
How does the Commission assess the possibilities for harmonising the rules on asylum in the Member
States, following the studies which have been carried out? At the forthcoming Stockholm Summit, how
does it intend to tackle the issue of much-needed measures to combat the traffic in human beings carried
out by Mafia networks throughout Europe?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2001)

The Commission believes that it is essential to develop policies at the Union level to deal with issues of
illegal immigration in the light of the competence provided by Article 63, 3(b) (ex Article 73K) of the EC
Treaty. Although no binding Community rules have yet been adopted, Member States are obliged to fulfil
the requirements of the Schengen acquis in so far as they are applicable in the respective State. However,
the Commission considers it important to initiate new measures at Union level. Accordingly, in December
2000,
the Commission adopted a Communication on combating trafficking in human beings and
combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography (1) which includes a proposal for a
Council framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings. In addition the Commission will
present to the Council and the Parliament a communication on a common fight against illegal immigra-
tion. This communication will outline which future measures and forms of co-operation are necessary.

The European Council, which met in Stockholm on 23-24 March 2001, recognised the progress being
made in the implementation of the Lisbon strategy for the economic and social development of Europe
and agreed on new priorities for action. One of the elements in this strategy is the admission of economic

C 261 E/186

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

migrants to meet skills shortages which cannot be met, in the short term at least, from the existing labour
force. This is in line with the Commission(cid:146)s proposals for developing a global migration policy which are
described in more detail in its Communication on a Community Immigration Policy (2). This Communica-
tion was presented at the same time as a separate Communication setting out different options for a
common asylum procedure and a uniform status for those granted asylum, with the objective of
establishing a common European asylum system in the long term (3). With these Communications, the
Commission has launched a debate on the way to develop the common policy in these areas, which was
agreed at the European Council in Tampere in October 1999.

S(cid:146)agissant de l(cid:146)harmonisation du droit d(cid:146)asile entre les Etats membres (cid:224) court terme, la Commission rappelle
que sur la base du traitØ CE, des conclusions de Tampere d(cid:146)octobre 1999 et du tableau de bord sur les
progrŁs rØalisØs pour la mise en oeuvre de l(cid:146)Espace de LibertØ, SØcuritØ et Justice, elle a fait des propositions
lØgislatives sur Eurodac (empreintes digitales des demandeurs d(cid:146)asile, RŁglement adoptØ en dØcembre
2000) (4), un Fonds europØen pour les RØfugiØs (dØcision adoptØe en septembre 2000) (5), sur la protection
temporaire en cas d(cid:146)afflux massif de personnes dØplacØes (proposition de directive du 24 mai 2000) (6), sur
les normes minimales concernant la procØdure d(cid:146)octroi et de retrait du statut de rØfugiØ dans les Etats
membres (proposition de directive du 20 septembre 2000) (7). La Commission fera dans les tous prochains
mois et avant la fin 2001 des propositions lØgislatives sur les conditions d(cid:146)accueil des demandeurs d(cid:146)asile,
la responsabilitØ de l(cid:146)examen des demandes d(cid:146)asile (instrument successeur (cid:224) la Convention de Dublin), sur
le rapprochement des rŁgles sur la reconnaissance et le contenu du statut de rØfugiØ ainsi que sur des
formes de protection subsidiaires offrant un statut appropriØ (cid:224) toute personne nØcessitant une telle
protection.

(1) COM(2000) 854 final.
(2) COM(2000) 757.
(3) COM(2000) 755.
(4) OJ L 316, 15.12.2000.
(5) OJ L 252, 6.10.2000.
(6) OJ C 311 E, 31.10.2000.
(7) COM(2000) 578 final.

(2001/C 261 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0727/01

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 March 2001)

Subject: Regional policy

What European Union aid and subsidies are scheduled to be granted to the Autonomous Community of
the Basque Country from 2000 to 2006 inclusive, under the structural funds (Objective 1, Objective 2 and
Objective 3) and the Cohesion Fund?

What is the breakdown for the allocation of this funding by province (Alava, Guipœzcoa and Vizcaya) for
the period in question?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2001)

During the 2000-2006 programming period, the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (Spain)
is not eligible under Objective 1 of the Structural Funds.

Where Objective 2 is concerned, the single programming document (SPD) for the Basque Country provides
for assistance of € 558 855 222 from the European Regional Development Fund and € 28 781 155 from
the European Social Fund. These amounts cannot be broken down between the three Basque provinces of
Alava, Guipœzcoa and Biscay at present since, according to the provisions of the programming supple-
ment, the choice of projects to be part-financed under this SPD is the responsibility of the managing
authorities.