Transmission of information on the cost of examining asylum seekers' applications in the Member States

28.10.2010

Question for oral answer O-0176/2010
to the Commission
Rule 115
Monika Hohlmeier, Simon Busuttil
on behalf of the PPE Group

The Commission report to Parliament and the Council on the application of Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005 on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status (COM(2010)0465) was presented on 8 September 2010. This report clearly establishes the need for a recast of Directive 2005/85/EC. Indeed, there is great disparity in the procedures implemented by the Member States, leading to widely differing results in terms of the quality of the reception of asylum seekers.

In its report, the Commission claims that frontloading might allow more timely identification of those who do or do not qualify for asylum, leading to significant savings. At a technical meeting on 29 September 2010, however, the Commission recognised that it lacked concrete information from the Member States concerning the financial costs (interpreters, legal assistance, etc.) of implementing the 2005 directive. Yet it is crucial to obtain information on these costs in order to generate a reliable, accurate assessment of the savings or additional costs that would result in the long term.

Has the Commission asked Member States for information on the expected costs of introducing free legal assistance at first instance?

Will it commit itself to providing Parliament with a comparative study on the subject?

Tabled: 28.10.2010

Forwarded: 1.11.2010

Deadline for reply: 8.11.2010