Common European Asylum System
22.3.2004
ORAL QUESTION H-0182/04
for Question Time at the part-session in April 2004
pursuant to Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure
by Sarah Ludford
to the Council
Seven years ago the Treaty of Amsterdam set the deadline of 1 May 2004 for common asylum rules and responsibility-sharing, and a common framework for legal, managed migration. These are even more essential now than seven years ago, in the light of enlargement and increased migration challenges.
Has the Irish Presidency been able to fulfil its pledge to get the European asylum system in place through agreement on the outstanding draft directives on refugee definition and procedures? What progress has it made on measures for legal immigration? How would the Council assess overall progress of the last five years since the Tampere European Council?
Can the Council advise how MEPs should account to voters in June 2004 for any EU failure to fulfil the pledge of a common asylum system and coordinated rules on managed migration, given that polls show European citizens have identified asylum and immigration as one of the top three issues for the European Parliament elections?
Tabled: 22.03.2004
en