Area of Security-Justice

SESSION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2001

Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice

Karamanou (PSE). – Mr. President, it is a fact that a very ambitious and serious effort has begun to find solutions that concern the daily lives of European citizens, and its success will contribute to strengthening the political dimension of European integration. Because European integration and a unified European area certainly cannot exist solely with a single market and a common currency. We need to enhance citizens’ sense of security, combat organized crime, strengthen police and judicial cooperation, ensure mutual recognition of judicial decisions, develop a comprehensive and sustainable migration policy based on our common European values, and fight racism and xenophobia within the European Union.

Reflecting today on the progress that essentially began in October 1999, we observe serious delays and setbacks in achieving our goals. This is because, on one hand, we have an active Commission and a creative Commissioner, while on the other, we have a Council that is unable to make decisions and appears unwilling to implement what the governments themselves have decided. Instead, we are faced with a phenomenon of fragmented and uncoordinated initiatives on specific issues from member states, initiatives that often fall outside the agreed framework established in Tampere. We know that this situation creates serious problems both for the functioning of the Commission, which lacks the necessary human resources to respond to all these initiatives, and for the functioning and planning of the European Parliament. Of course, during 2000, we cannot overlook the Council’s decision to establish the Fund for Refugees or the mutual recognition of civil law decisions, such as in divorce cases. The adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in Nice is also a positive aspect of the 2000 report, although not in the way the Parliament desired.

I would also like to congratulate the Swedish Presidency for its efforts to strengthen the political dimension of the project to create a common area of freedom, security, and justice within the Union. I particularly commend it for its activities aimed at adopting a Council framework decision during the Swedish Presidency on combating human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children, as well as child pornography. Regarding migration policy, the significant gap in this area has prompted some countries, including Greece, to address it through national legislation within the framework of the Tampere Agenda. Last week, the Greek Parliament adopted a law on immigration that legalizes and smoothly integrates thousands of migrants who have entered Greece over the past decade, providing positive solutions to pressing issues that the Council has stubbornly left unresolved.

(The speaker is interrupted by the President.)