Lilli Gruber, rapporteur. – (IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, immigration is neither an emergency nor a passing phenomenon. There were 18 and a half million migrants in the EU27 in 2006. There are many reasons, as you know: wars, poverty, environmental disasters and ruthless dictatorships in many regions of the world. The European Union is one of the world’s major players, so it must stop procrastinating and draw up structural policies to meet this challenge that involves us all. We will get nowhere alone!

Much has been done in the battle against illegal immigration, but it is not enough. The principal way to combat illegal immigration is to open up legal channels for entry into the European Union. These are two sides of the same coin, and that is why Javier Moreno Sánchez and I have decided to present our reports together.

Our economies could no longer function without migrant workers, and without their social security contributions our welfare system would be paralysed, threatened as it is by the plummeting birth rate. Eurostat’s figures are perfectly plain: in 2050 a third of the 490 million Europeans will be aged over 65. The Commission’s 2005 action plan was an important step forward because it set out practical proposals for opening up legal migration channels in a uniform manner at EU level. Obviously the individual Member States are responsible for laying down entry quotas.

Of the five directives that you are to propose in the forthcoming months, Commissioner Frattini, our priority is the one guaranteeing a common framework of rights for migrants. I wish you all the best, because we all know that the negotiations in the Council will certainly not be straightforward, but Parliament will be right behind you. That is one reason why we need to switch to codecision and abolish the right of veto in the Council.

My report was adopted unanimously in the LIBE Committee, apart from one vote against, and I am extremely grateful to my colleagues from other groups for their staunch support. In the report we ask for consistent and reliable statistics to be made available at EU level. One cannot legislate on immigration without knowing its true scope; without hard figures it can easily become a propaganda tool.

This phenomenon needs to be addressed without demagogy, without populism and without taboos. I therefore believe that it is crucial for politicians and journalists to show a greater sense of responsibility when dealing with such a sensitive topic. Both groups, as you know, play a key part in the integration process.

Integration is a two-way process of rights and duties for both parties, and active participation by immigrants in the economic, social and political life of the host country is of the essence. I agree with you, Mr Frattini, when you refer to the principle of equal treatment as concerns socio-economic rights, because fundamental rights include equal pay and safety at work, but also the recognition of qualifications, transferability of pension rights, family reunification and guaranteeing women a legal status independent of their spouse.

Concerning the directive on highly skilled workers, the so-called Blue Card may well be an excellent means of attracting professionals whom Europe very much needs. We should in any event like to know a little more about this Blue Card, Commissioner, given that today – as you have recalled – only 5% of immigrant workers are highly skilled, as opposed to 95% who are unskilled.

The directive on seasonal workers should make up for shortcomings in the rights of this last group of workers, and I believe that the seasonal workers who obey the rules should be offered the possibility of priority access to other forms of temporary and permanent immigration. However, Mr Frattini, open-ended proposals or options, as you called them, on low-skilled and unskilled migrants are all very well, but how long must we wait before we get a directive in this area? My question is directed primarily towards the Council.

My time has run out, ladies and gentlemen. We would call on the governments and the Council to be more realistic and more courageous. A responsible policy is needed to counter the fears and uncertainties of our increasingly uneasy societies. There are no sealed borders and we are not being invaded by immigrants! Immigration is a necessity, and if handled judiciously it can be an asset for a civil society that is respectful of difference.

(Applause)