WRITTEN QUESTION P-1383/03 by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission. Statistics for immigration and asylum.
Date: 2003-04-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU statistics, European citizenship, commitment of expenditure, immigration, right of asylum

C 51 E/82

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 May 2003)

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that Regulation (EC) No 417/
2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 February 2002 (1) applies not only to ships
flying the flag of a Member State but also to any ship entering into a port (or offshore terminal) of a
Member State, irrespective of its flag.

It must also point out, though, that the Union has no power to regulate the passage through international
waters of ships carrying potentially dangerous cargoes, even if they sail close to the Member States’ coasts.

That is why on 10 April 2003 the 15 Member States and the Commission lodged a request with the
International Maritime Organisation for an urgent amendment to the International Convention for the
Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol Convention). The request is for measures similar to those laid
down in Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 to be implemented at international level.

In any event, the Commission believes the international law of the sea needs to be amended to provide a
better balance between freedom of movement and the interests of coastal States, which need to be able to
protect their coasts against ecological disasters.

(1) OJ L 64, 7.3.2002.

(2004/C 51 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1383/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(8 April 2003)

Subject: Statistics for immigration and asylum

Can the Commission please provide statistics or comparable figures of actual expenditure incurred by the
Immigration and Asylum Departments or Directorates or Interior Ministries of the Member States in
relation to their asylum, immigration and citizenship programmes in the last available financial year.

(Explanatory note:
processing of applications.)

‘programmes’ refers to all the costs pertaining to welfare, accommodation and/or

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2003)

The Commission regrets to inform the Honourable Member that no such information is collected at
Community level in a standardised way, that could provide set of comparable figures.

The Commission has adopted a Communication to present an Action Plan for the collection and analysis
of Community Statistics in the field of migration. The action plan includes proposals to extend and
improve the scope and quality of statistical data on asylum and migration. It does not, at this stage,
forecast
the collection of data on national expenditure of Member States on processing of asylum
applications, or welfare and accommodation services.

The Communication will be transmitted to the Council and the Parliament, and during 2003 the
Commission will prepare proposals for a legislative basis for the collection, processing and dissemination
of Community statistics in the field of asylum and migration.