Rapporti verbatim tad-dibattiti

It-Tnejn, 13 ta' Diċembru 2010 - Strasburgu

19. Estensjoni tal-ambitu tad-Direttiva 2003/109/KE għall-benefiċjarji ta' protezzjoni internazzjonali (dibattitu)

  Elnök. − A következő pont a Claude Moraes által az Állampolgári Jogi, Bel- és Igazságügyi Bizottság nevében készített jelentés a 2003/109/EK irányelv hatályának a nemzetközi védelmet élvező személyekre történő kiterjesztéséről (COM(2007)0298 - C6-0196/2007 - 2007/0112(COD) (A7-0347/2010))

  Claude Moraes, rapporteur. − Mr President, I fear that as I get into the first paragraph of my speech there will be only me, the PPE coordinator and the Commissioner left in the Chamber. I admire you for your stamina, Commissioner. I should never take up my speaking time by doing this, but I could not help it. Thanks to the PPE Group for being here too at this time of night.

Commissioner, you and the Council did a great job in rescuing this proposal, which now benefits those who should never have been excluded from the original Long-Term Residence Directive. There was another opportunity to include them in 2008, and again unfortunately, through the failure to reach unanimity in the Council, this could not happen. So it is a very happy day today that a proposal taken on by my predecessor as coordinator in my group, Martine Roure, is now the subject of an agreement. I am very grateful to the Council, too. I pointed out in the previous debate that it was not present but, if it were present here today, I would thank the Council too, because during the Belgian Presidency we were able to make good progress. I am very grateful for that.

The proposal will bring direct benefit to all beneficiaries of international protection who have been in the EU for more than five years but currently cannot become long-term residents. It will finally bring to an end their differential treatment compared to other third-country nationals and will give them greater certainty about their situation in the EU.

The main issue for the negotiations boiled down to the calculation of the time period of legal residence to reach the five years. We supported the Commission that the full duration of the procedure should be taken into account. However, this was strongly opposed by the Council. We were particularly concerned about this, because asylum procedures can take many years in some Member States. The compromise we have reached in the negotiations is that at least half of the asylum procedure will be taken into account and, if a procedure takes more than 18 months, the whole procedure will then be taken into account.

I hesitate to go on to the issue of correlation tables but I am duty bound to say something about them – I would rather not. I would nevertheless like to implore the institutions to reach a horizontal agreement on this issue. I would particularly urge the Council to recognise the importance of correlation tables for overseeing the implementation of legislation. We had a very difficult situation in which many of the dossiers considered of great importance by groups across this House could have been delayed because of this issue.

I am very happy also that the scope of the proposal includes both refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. It is vital to continue the trend towards aligning the standards of protection and the rights granted to both groups, as in the recasting of the Qualification Directive. The agreement also contains many safeguards against refoulement. Given that beneficiaries will now be allowed to move between Member States, it is important that the protection background of beneficiaries is never forgotten. Therefore Member States will have to include a comment in the long-term residence permit and will be obliged to consult the Member State that granted protection in cases of possible expulsion. The proposal also takes into account the transfer of protection to another Member State under national arrangements. The long-term residence permit needs to be modified accordingly in order to safeguard against refoulement.

We have also ensured that the principle of family unity is upheld in the event of expulsion to another Member State, but it is also clear that it should not be automatic in cases where it may not be in the best interest of family members to go with the expelled person.

The agreement we have reached on this is a signal of the new cooperation which can exist between the three institutions in the area of asylum and legal migration aided by the new framework in the Lisbon Treaty. It shows that we can reach an agreement with Member States on a progressive piece of asylum-related legislation.

I again want to thank my shadow rapporteurs from across the groups, Ms Nedelcheva, Ms Wikström and other colleagues who helped make this what I would call a pleasurable trialogue – if that is not a contradiction in terms! I should like to thank all concerned for making this a reality.

  Cecilia Malmström, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, I would like to begin by thanking the European Parliament rapporteur, Claude Moraes. He has done a fantastic job together with his team of shadow rapporteurs. Parliament, the Commission and the Council have really achieved an agreement. The minister was also very helpful.

The compromise that we have reached is a well-balanced one and is in line with the 2007 proposal. The extension of long-term residence status to beneficiaries of international protection will ensure a higher level of protection and legal certainty for refugees in Europe and will allow for better integration in our societies.

This is also the first building block of our asylum package – the first of six pieces of legislation – and is a first step towards our joint aim of achieving a common European asylum system by 2012. It will give a strong political signal that we can agree, that we are willing to go down this difficult but necessary road and make progress and that we can act reasonably and constructively on this. I would really like to thank you for that.

Concerning the much talked-about issue of correlation tables, the Commission made a declaration to the Council. I would like to read it out, with your permission: ‘The Commission recalls its commitment towards ensuring that Member States establish correlation tables linking the transposition measures they adopt with the EU directive and communicate them to the Commission in the framework of transposing EU legislation, in the interest of citizens, better-law making and increasing legal transparency and to assist the examination of the conformity of national rules with EU provisions.

‘The Commission regrets the lack of support for the provision included in the 2007 COM proposal amending the Long-Term Residence Directive which aimed at rendering the establishment of correlation tables obligatory.

‘The Commission, in a spirit of compromise and in order to ensure the immediate adoption of the Long-Term Residence proposal, can accept the substitution of the obligatory provision on correlation tables included in the text with a relevant recital encouraging Member States to follow this practice.

‘However, the position followed by the Commission in this file shall not be considered as a precedent. The Commission will continue its efforts with a view to finding, together with the European Parliament and the Council, an appropriate solution to this horizontal institutional issue.’

I think we can agree on this. It is important that this declaration is in the protocol and has been heard. As I said in the earlier debate, the Commission is repeating this argument.

Nevertheless, on this particular report, it is very important that we have reached agreement. Thank you all, again, for your contribution.

  Mariya Nedelcheva, au nom du groupe PPE. – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, Monsieur le rapporteur, chers collègues, tout d'abord je voudrais féliciter notre rapporteur, M. Moraes, pour son excellent travail et le remercier pour la collaboration exemplaire dont il a fait preuve avec les rapporteurs fictifs, la Commission et le Conseil.

Avec ce rapport, nous avons fait un grand pas en avant en direction d'un système d'asile européen harmonisé. L'accord trouvé avec le Conseil était nécessaire et je suis très heureuse que nous ayons réussi à faire avancer ce dossier. Le paquet asile est bien plus large et, de fait, beaucoup reste encore à faire. Il ne faut donc pas baisser la garde et j'espère que l'attitude coopérative du Conseil sera aussi de mise lors des négociations sur les prochains dossiers. Voilà ce que je souhaitais mentionner en introduction.

Sur le fond du dossier, sans répéter les propos du rapporteur, je voudrais revenir sur deux points. Tout d'abord, j'aimerais insister sur l'importance de l'intégration des ressortissants de pays tiers dans nos sociétés. Les migrants qui arrivent dans nos pays sont un atout considérable pour nos économies. Cependant, nous ne pouvons accueillir tout le monde sous n'importe quelle condition. De nombreux gouvernements ont reconnu ces derniers mois l'échec de leur modèle d'intégration.

(Le Président retire la parole à l'orateur)

  Cecilia Wikström, för ALDE-gruppen. – Herr talman! Låt mig först tacka vår föredragande Claude Moraes, som på ett för honom sedvanligt högkvalitativt sätt och med en uppriktig vilja att framhålla humanitära och medmänskliga principer har utarbetat det betänkande som vi har att ta ställning till.

Människor som har beviljats internationellt skydd i ett medlemsland kommer ofta att stanna där under mycket lång tid, kanske resten av sitt liv, eftersom utsatthet och förföljelse i det land de flytt från tenderar att bestå under mycket lång tid. Många som har beviljats internationellt skydd befinner sig alltså i samma situation som dem som räknas som flyktingar. Rimligen bör man också räknas som bofast i ett land när man har levt där i fem år. Det var också inriktningen hos både kommissionen och parlamentet. Rådet ville annorlunda, vilket jag beklagar.

Jag vill också lyfta fram att familjemedlemmar till den person som har beviljats internationellt skydd måste ha egna möjligheter att gestalta sina liv. Till exempel vid en utvisning så måste familjen få välja om man följer med eller stannar kvar. Jag är glad över att parlamentet nu kommer att anta detta betänkande. Jag beklagar att rådet inte har gått med på de så kallade correlation tables (jämförelsetabellerna) men jag välkomnar att vi går framåt med de betänkanden som ska ingå i det gemensamma europeiska asylpaketet.

Förhoppningen är att rådet nu ska inta en mer lyssnande hållning. Vi har alla samma deadline att möta, och det är 2012. Nu gäller det att lämna invanda positioner och se till den alleuropeiska hållningen och det gemensamma bästa när det gäller asyl- och migrationsfrågor. Annars kommer ordet solidaritet snart att förlora sin betydelse.

Jag vill ånyo tacka föredraganden Claude Moraes för hans goda arbete och för ett mycket fint, för att inte säga excellent, samarbete med detta betänkande.

  Judith Sargentini, namens de Verts/ALE-Fractie. – Vorige week waren wij met de Commissie burgerlijke vrijheden in Athene en ik sprak daar Mamuth. Mamuth is 26 jaar oud en komt uit Eritrea, hij is de Europese Unie binnengekomen in Griekenland, doorgereisd naar Nederland, want hij wilde daar liever zijn, omdat hij daar contacten had, en weer teruggestuurd naar Griekenland. Mamuth zei dat als hij eindelijk zijn vluchtelingenstatus heeft in Griekenland, hij dan nog niet vrij kan reizen en het duurt een eeuwigheid, voordat hij in Griekenland de Griekse nationaliteit heeft.

Het is voor jongens als Mamuth die recht hebben op een nieuw bestaan, niet opnieuw door landsgrenzen, dat ik blij ben dat dit Europees Parlement daar nu verandering in gaat brengen en dat rapporteur Claude Moraes deze eerste stap in onze asielpakketten heeft weten te zetten. Het zou ook voor Mamuth zijn die dat nieuwe leven eigenlijk liever in Nederland wil leven, om toch fatsoenlijke correlatieschema's te hebben, want deze jonge Mamuth heeft recht om te zien hoe een en ander in Griekenland geïmplementeerd wordt, of in Nederland, of daar waar hij zijn bestaan zou willen opbouwen.

Dank, mijnheer Moraes, dank voor de samenwerking, en laten wij voor Mamuth kijken hoe snel dit gaat.

  Simon Busuttil (PPE). - Nixtieq nibda billi nsellem u nifraħ lil Claude Moreas għar-rapport tiegħu. Ir-rapport naqbel miegħu u nilqgħu b’sodisfazzjon għaliex se jagħti drittijiet ġodda lil nies li japplikaw għal protezzjoni internazzjonali, inkluż ir-refuġjati. Jagħtihom drittijiet illi aħna, wara kollox, diġà nagħtu lil ċittadini ta’ pajjiżi terzi oħrajn illi jkunu diġà għexu għal ħames snin legalment fil-pajjiżi tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Però, hemm ċerti diffikultajiet f’dan ir-rapport, u jien niġi minn pajjiż illi ħass dawn id-diffikultajiet. Dawn id-diffikultajiet huma dawn: meta inti trid tistenna ħames snin biex takkwista d-dritt li tagħtik din il-liġi, huma ħafna, speċjalment għal pajjiżi li għandhom numru kbir ħafna ta’ nies li huma blukkati, imwaħħlin, fil-pajjiżi fejn jaslu. Jien niġi minn wieħed minn dawk il-pajjiżi, imma hemm pajjiżi oħrajn li rajna reċentement; il-Greċja huwa wieħed minnhom, fejn hemm ħafna nies li skont din il-liġi jridu jistennew ħames snin biex jibbenefikaw mid-drittijiet li aħna qegħdin ngħidu bihom. Naturalment, jibbenefikaw mid-drittijiet ta’ residenza fit-tul – long-term residence – imma jibbenefikaw ukoll mill-possibilità li jkunu jistgħu jiċċaqilqu lejn pajjiżi oħra tal-Unjoni Ewropea, li hija ħaġa li tkun tista’ tgħin ħafna lil dawn il-pajjiżi bħall-Greċja, Malta, Ċipru u oħrajn. U għaldaqstant, fil-fehma tiegħi, li kellu jsir biex din il-liġi tajba ssir liġi aħjar, kellu jkun illi fil-każ ta’ dawn il-pajjiżi ma kellhomx għalfejn jistennew ħames snin biex jakkwistaw dawn id-drittijiet imma setgħu jakkwistawhom ukoll anki qabel. U f'dan is-sens nixtieq nagħlaq billi nirringrazzja lir-rapporteur, lil Claude Moreas, li għaraf dan il-punt u għamel li jista’ biex idaħħal referenza, anki jekk simbolika għalih, fin-nota spjegattiva fl-aħħar.

  Ioan Enciu (S&D). - În primul rând ţin şi eu să îl felicit pe colegul Claude Moraes pentru raportul de faţă şi să îi mulţumesc în acelaşi timp pentru munca deosebită pe care o duce în calitate de coordonator în cadrul comisiei LIBE.

Cred că este foarte bine că această nouă directivă acoperă în sfârşit un vid juridic în domeniul dreptului de rezidenţă în care se află beneficiarii de protecţie internaţională pe teritoriul Uniunii Europene. Aceste persoane stabilite într-unul din statele membre se găsesc în prezent într-o securitate juridică precară, datorită faptului că nu pot beneficia în condiţiile actuale de un permis de reşedinţă pe termen lung, aşa cum beneficiază ceilalţi cetăţeni din ţările terţe. Acordarea dreptului de şedere pe termen lung pentru aceştia trebuie să se facă în mod nediscriminatoriu şi să fie condiţionată doar de o şedere legală anterioară, aşa cum este cazul şi pentru ceilalţi cetăţeni din ţările terţe. Cred că ar fi fost mai bine să se ia în considerare în acest calcul întreaga durată de şedere legală pe teritoriul Uniunii, din momentul introducerii cererii de protecţie internaţională.

În acelaşi timp, cred că trebuie avut în vedere faptul că aceste persoane rămân permanent vulnerabile în exteriorul teritoriului Uniunii, astfel că orice retragere a protecţiei internaţionale sau a dreptului de sejur trebuie să se facă cu respectarea strictă a drepturilor fundamentale şi a principiului nereturnării.

Directiva de faţă aduce completările necesare cu privire la procedurile aplicabile în cazul în care se ajunge la situaţia de expulzare sau ridicare a protecţiei internaţionale. Consider că trebuie să susţinem la vot raportul colegului Claude Moraes, ca făcând parte din pachetul general de reglementare a sistemului de azil şi a migraţiei în Uniunea Europeană.

  Franz Obermayr (NI). - Herr Präsident! Ich sehe diesen Bericht nicht mit der rosa Brille, ich sehe ihn bewusst mit den Sorgen der Bürger in unseren Heimatländern, denn nach fünfjährigem Aufenthalt in einem Mitgliedstaat erhalten Flüchtlinge demnächst einen langfristigen Aufenthaltstitel. Dieser gilt im gesamten EU-Gebiet. Hat sich nun ein Flüchtling in einem Land mit eher weichem Asylrecht angesiedelt, kann er nach fünf Jahren seinen Wohnort nach Belieben in einen anderen Mitgliedstaat verlegen, und er wird sich zunächst natürlich ein Land mit lückenhafter oder weicher Regelung aussuchen und langfristig dort ansiedeln, wo es eindeutig hohe Sozialstandards gibt. Die Folge: Sekundärmigration und Missbrauch. Auch die Anrechnung der Dauer des Asylverfahrens auf die fünf Jahre ist problematisch, denn oft kommt es zu mutwilligen Verzögerungen des Verwaltungsverfahrens und der Erhebung. Die Ausweitung der Richtlinie würde die Mitgliedstaaten mit hohem Sozialniveau, die ohnedies bereits massive Probleme haben, noch mehr belasten, und eine Integration von Flüchtlingen würde noch schwieriger vonstatten gehen. Ich werde diesem Bericht ausgesprochen kritisch gegenübertreten.

  Cecilia Malmström, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, I do not have much to add. There is a big consensus of support here for the work done by Mr Moraes on this very important directive.

I would just once again make a pledge to Mr Moraes and the others that this is an important building block. I believe it will get strong support tomorrow in the vote. This is the first step in our common journey towards 2012 and the asylum package. I just hope that this spirit of constructive cooperation will remain because I need – and I am counting on – your support for the remaining directives.

  Claude Moraes, rapporteur. − Mr President, I should like to formally thank the Commissioner again for her work on this.

One of the reasons why we hope that the first step on asylum can be completed in tomorrow’s vote – and I hope it is a resounding vote – is because, although asylum remains one of the deeply sensitive issues for this House, as Mr Busuttil explained for smaller countries in particular, every piece of legislation on asylum can have a disproportionate effect not just on small countries but also on flashpoint countries such as Greece.

We should all proceed carefully, as we did in this report, and there are some items in the explanatory memorandum which ensure that Members’ concerns are taken very seriously, particularly when they come from serious Members. For example, I think we were able to incorporate Ms Nedelcheva’s concerns regarding integration and those of Ms Wikström when she talked about family members and expulsion, as well as the issues of domestic violence and other issues. It is when we have that kind of cooperation that negotiations go very well at the higher level of the Commission and the Council thanks to the work we do in Parliament with colleagues.

Finally, Ms Sargentini, I really wanted to find an inventive way of saying that correlation tables were extremely important. To say that asylum seekers are now waiting for the correlation tables to be implemented is probably the most inventive and imaginative lobbying for the correlation table resolution to happen, so I hope Council was listening. Thank you again to all my colleagues for their support on this report after such a long time.

  Elnök. − A vitát lezárom.

A szavazásra 2010. december 14-én, kedden kerül sor.