Text tabled : A7-0063/2012

  Maria do Céu Patrão Neves (PPE), in writing. – (PT) The reception and protection systems of a number of Member States have been put to the test, owing to the unexpected arrival of a large number of people requiring international protection, particularly from countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire. It is therefore crucial that the Member States be able to make use of EU funds to improve their reception systems and to encourage resettlement. The only problem with the agreement finally reached on this matter is that it has come so late. The urgency is borne out by the statistics: there was a 15% increase in 2011 compared with the previous year. The 27 EU Member States as a whole received around 280 000 applications for asylum. The European Refugee Fund should deliver funding for actions in the interests of the European Union as a whole, but also actions at international or merely national level, with a view to creating a joint European Union resettlement programme. I would congratulate my fellow countryman, Mr Tavares, on his commitment and the results he has achieved. For all the above reasons, I voted for this report.