Establishment of a joint EU resettlement programme for refugees

1.3.2011

Question for oral answer O-000045/2011
to the Council
Rule 115
Nadja Hirsch, Sophia in 't Veld, Sonia Alfano, Nathalie Griesbeck
on behalf of the ALDE Group

According to the UNHCR, around 200 000 refugees need to be resettled into a third country every year. While around 100 000 refugees are annually resettled to the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil and Chile, resettlement is scarcely used in Europe: currently, 10 Member States carry out resettlement, which represents a total number of only 4 500 refugees annually hosted by the EU.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, in its session of 23 February 2010, supported the idea of an ambitious EU resettlement programme and presented two draft reports: one on the Communication of the European Commission on the EU resettlement programme, and another on the proposed amendments to the European Refugee Fund (ERF). Both reports were approved by a large majority in May 2010 and a real consensus was built between the Commission, the Council and the EP with regard to the political content of these reports. 

Almost one year after the EP vote, and as first reading does not have a deadline for completion, we are still waiting for the Council to conclude the codecision procedure. One should note that one year of financial support to the new EU host countries has already been lost.

Given the current situation in North Africa where some of the refugee camps are located, it is more important than ever that the EU initiates the resettlement programme.

Therefore, does the Council intend to put the completion of the codecision procedure on the agenda of its priorities?

Tabled: 1.3.2011

Forwarded: 2.3.2011

Deadline for reply: 23.3.2011