26/09/2008: The European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, launched by the French EU Presidency, seeks to achieve an active political commitment on the part of the EU and the Member States concerning common principles for the formulation of migration policies in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility. In this connection, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP asked the Council the following question:
"What binding agreements with countries situated on the EU's borders, and in particular applicant countries, concerning transit immigrants from third countries does the Council intend to propose with a view to making Europe an area of security, justice and freedom?".
In his answer, J-P Jouyet, representative of the French Presidency, said: "The most effective tools we have to fight against illegal immigration, are the Readmission Agreements with third countries, which are in the vicinity of the European Union". Such agreements involve reciprocal undertakings by the European Union and the third-country partners to co-operate over the return of illegal residents to their country of origin or transit.
He also said: "The Community managed to conclude agreements with 11 third countries. This is the case with the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia (FYR-Macedonia), whose agreement came into effect on 1 January 2008. With regards to Turkey, the negotiations started officially in 2005. As far as Croatia is concerned, there is no mandate to carry out negotiations for a readmission agreement and the Council wished, in the case of this country, a fast progress in the ongoing negotiations. The pact which will be discussed and, we hope, approved by the European Council on October 15, will stress the political importance of the Readmission Agreements within the framework of the fight against illegal immigration."
European solidarity expressed in the framework of a common migration policy wishes to create the basis for not only safe and fair mobility, but also fair competition.
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