WRITTEN QUESTION P-0291/03 by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Illegal immigration.
Date: 2003-02-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Apulia, EU migration policy, Italy, area of freedom, security and justice, fight against crime, illegal migration, migration control, trafficking in human beings

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December 2004, upgrading the monitoring system by December 2006 and establishing the necessary
measures within a river basin management plan by December 2009.

Discharges from pleasure crafts will, as indeed all other sources of impact, have to be assessed and
integrated into the measures under a river basin management plan. Within the binding objective of
achieving good status those measures might entail restrictions and/or bans to discharges from a range of
sources. The Commission is aware of the fact that current national and/or regional legislation as regards
discharges from pleasure crafts provides for a range of approaches, from a total ban on any discharges via
a ban on toilet discharges, but allowing for kitchen discharges, to no regulation at all. One of the key
principles of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve ambitious and comparable water quality
standards across Europe, whilst allowing flexibility as regards the tools how to achieve this environmental
objective.

in its role as Guardian of

The Commission will,
the Treaties, carefully observe the appropriate
implementation of the Directive within the set deadlines, and where appropriate take adequate action
including infringement procedures. At the same time there is, for the implementation of the Water
Framework Directive, very close co-operation on implementation between Commission, Member States
and Candidate Countries to facilitate a targeted implementation and make best use of available experience
and resources.

As for the Bathing Water Directive, it addresses water quality at locations regularly used by a large number
of bathers. For these (cid:1) approximately 20 000 locations (amongst them more than 6 000 on inland
freshwaters) (cid:1) legally binding quality objectives are set by the Directive, and regular sampling and
monitoring of bathing water quality is ensured. The Commission publishes a Union-wide report annually,
both in print and on the Internet, serving as a source of information for citizens but also contributing to
awareness in case of non-compliance. The Commission is closely following the cases of non-compliance
with set quality standards, and acting accordingly.

In conclusion, based on the facts provided in the question by the Honourable Member, the Commission
does not consider currently applicable Community environmental legislation infringed, and therefore does
not see a possibility for legal action by the Commission. In the case of receiving specific information as
regards bathing waters, the Commission would, in line with established practice, take all appropriate steps.

(1) Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment (cid:1) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(2) Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for

Community action in the field of water policy (cid:1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(3) Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1976 concerning the quality of bathing water (cid:1) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976.

(2003/C 280 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0291/03

by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 February 2003)

Subject: Illegal immigration

Knowing that:

(cid:1) a few days ago yet another illegal-immigration tragedy occurred off the Apulian coast, with a heavy

loss of life;

(cid:1) the geography and the pattern of this new form of slavery are now all too well known: the practice is
as lucrative as smuggling and it feeds an appalling trade in human beings who leave North Africa and
the Middle East in order to cross the coasts of the northern Mediterranean (in particular those of
Apulia, Sicily and Calabria) in search of illusory freedom and well-being in Europe;

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(cid:1) an awareness of, and the relative predictability of, such illegal transport operations and the routes they
follow have not so far prompted the EU institutions to take appropriate preventive action. Hence the
burden of dealing with the matter and with the social, economic and legal implications thereof falls
entirely on the regions on whose coasts illegal immigrants come ashore;

(cid:1) it should once again be pointed out that the matter is to be regarded as one of relevance to the EU as

a whole and not just to the areas targeted by illegal immigrants as their point of entry into the EU.

In the light of the above facts, what action is the Commission planning to take in order to deal with the
issue? Is the Commissioner responsible not intending to arrange continuous coordination within the
Commission amongst the relevant authorities of the countries most affected by the arrival of illegal
immigrants, with a view to devising a more effective containment strategy?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

As already emphasised in the Commission’s reply to the Written Question E-3112/02 by Mr Tannock (1),
illegal immigration by sea gets serious and continuous attention within the Commission.

The Council presented a comprehensive plan to combat illegal
immigration and trafficking in human
beings in the Union on 28 February 2002 (2) (Santiago Action Plan) and a comprehensive plan for the
integrated management of the external borders of the Member States on 13 June 2002 (3), which are based
on the Commission’s Communications on the respective subjects. The proper implementation of measures
on this matter as identified in these plans is of major importance to this problem. Consequently, the
Commission welcomes the recently started joint operations and activities of the Member States in the
Mediterranean region.

Within this context, one joint operation led by Spain, aiming to control and reduce illegal immigration by
sea towards the coasts of the northern Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, has been launched at the end
of January 2003 (operation ‘Ulysses’). Along the same lines, one joint operation led by Greece, aiming to
contribute in the tackling of illegal migration in the Mediterranean, will be conducted in the Eastern
Mediterranean during the Greek EU Presidency (operation ‘Triton’).

Illegal immigration by sea will continue to be a subject of major interest for the Commission. As requested
by the Santiago Action Plan the Commission has launched a feasibility study on control of maritime
borders, which will also elaborate on legal issues, with a view to fighting illegal immigration by sea, taking
into account the diversity of maritime borders in the Union and the various problems facing the Member
States. The results of this study can be expected around the middle of 2003.

In order to improve the co-ordination of Member States the Commission convened expert meetings on
illegal immigration by sea on 21 May 2002 and 27 September 2002 that aimed to identify operational
actions to prevent and combat illegal immigration in the Mediterranean region. During these meetings the
co-operation with third Countries was considered to be the most efficient and successful approach in
tackling the problem of illegal immigration by sea and preventing further human tragedies. This process of
information exchange and co-ordination will be continued in the year 2003. Moreover, the Directorate
General
Justice and Home Affairs pursues its co-ordination within the Commission concerning all
dimensions of the important fight against illegal immigration and the ruthless criminal networks involved.

(1) OJ C 155 E, 3.7.2003, p. 92.
(2) http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/upload/application/467e5cc2/08475en2.pdf.
(3) http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/200206/i1011.htm.