ALDE welcomes the adoption of a new building block to the EU’s asylum and migration system
Members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) have today approved the new Asylum Procedures Regulation aiming to create a single application procedure for international protection within the EU. If Member States agree to implementation, the proposed new rules will help to speed up the decision-making process in individual cases and strengthen the rights of claimants. It will also discourage abuse and prevent secondary movements of the applicants within the EU — so called asylum-shopping — making the system fairer for all.
Cecilia Wikström MEP, ALDE’s lead negotiator of the file commented today:
“I welcome that the Committee today has adopted the last of the eight files of the asylum package. It shows that creating a truly new, functioning European Asylum system is possible. Now it is time for the Council to stop dragging their feet and give a clear mandate to Justice and Home Affairs ministers to proceed with the legislative work as required under the treaty, in order to find a position with a broad majority that can then be negotiated with the European Parliament as co-legislator. Dragging out talks in the European Council on the much needed new Common European Asylum System, leaves almost no time for negotiations between the co-legislators before the next European Parliament elections.”
“As one of the lead negotiators in reforming the Asylum system I will only sign off on reforms that change the situation on the ground and allow us to take back control over the failed system of the past. Previous errors, where we signed off watered-down compromises, which are guaranteed to fail again on first contact with reality, must not be repeated. I am glad that we have today been able to vote in favour of a proposal increasing the harmonisation of European Asylum procedures where we combine support and safeguards for the rights of applicants with more effective procedures. We eagerly wait for the Council to join us at the negotiation table.”
More info: sandor.blasko@europarl.europa.eu
