EP-Commissie LIBE accepteert compromis op Dublin II (en)

The Cyprus Presidency welcomes today’s development in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE i) Committee of the European Parliament in relation to the Dublin II Regulation.

LIBE gave today, in an orientation vote, a clear indication that the compromise reached in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER II i) on the 18th of July regarding the political part of the Dublin Regulation is acceptable. The Regulation determines which member state is responsible in handling multiple applications made by asylum seekers to different member states or applications made to a member state other than the one he/she first entered. The agreement should be confirmed by the European Parliament Plenary at a later stage. This will mean that the political part of the Regulation, which is being negotiated for more than three years, is agreed.

"In an ideal world, the Dublin II regulation should not be needed. But now we are creating a new regulatory framework that provides stronger legal guarantees for individual refugees and clear rules for member states to live up to. We have agreed on the most difficult issues, such as definition of 'family', the rights of unaccompanied minors and clearer rules and time limits on locked detention for refugees. The aim is to create a humane asylum system by the end of the year", said Parliament's rapporteur Cecilia Wikström (ALDE, SE), following the Civil Liberties Committee's political endorsement. It is worth noted that negotiations on this particular legislative act have been difficult because of the political sensitivity of the Regulation. The official adoption of the Regulation will hopefully be taking place at the beginning of 2013 after the technical part of this legislative act which concerns delegated and implementing acts are being negotiated and agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.

Dublin II is one of the seven pieces of legislation that constitute the Common European Asylum System. The completion of the CEAS by 2012 represents an overriding political priority for the Cyprus Presidency and for all the parties involved, as was repeatedly confirmed by the European Council in June 2012. “Today’s vote at LIBE Committee is an essential step forward for the completion of the Common European Asylum System. The Cyprus Presidency would like to express its satisfaction for this development and its appreciation towards the President and the Members of the LIBE Committee, whose contribution has been very productive. The Cyprus Presidency will make every effort to complete the CEAS by the end of the year”, stated Cyprus Minister of Interior Eleni Mavrou.