As Parliament and the Commission negotiate a 'list of safe countries of origin', we ask MEP Sylvie Guillaume what this means both for refugees and struggling EU states.

Migration crisis: Has a wavering Europe found the stabiliser?

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The EU has received more than 1 million  asylum requests since the start of the year.

Under this migratory pressure,  European unity is under strain.

To support Member States  in managing the refugees,

the EU is studying the option of creating  a common list of safe countries of origin -

in September, the European Commission  proposed seven countries for this list.

In the Parliament, Socialist Sylvie Guillaume  is responsible for working on the subject,

we met her on the eve  of the first committee debate.

Hello Ms Guillaume,  thank you for joining us for this interview.

I will begin with a very simple question,  could you give us a definition

of this list of safe countries of origin.  What is it?

A safe country of origin is subject to proven  and existing democratic rule of law.

It is also a country where vis-à-vis  the citizens: there is no persecution,

and all inhumane and degrading  treatment is formally rejected,

and thus it ensures the safety  of its nationals.

Why create a list of these countries?  A common EU list that is.

There are already existing lists,  as you infer,

of safe country of origin countries  in the Member States.

The idea, I believe, is to have  a common approach among the 28 States

and is therefore a form of  additional upwards harmonisation

on the matter of safe countries of origin.

So what role will this list have  with regard to the current migration crisis?

We must bear in mind that the aim is not  to use asylum management tools

as tools to tackle the migration crisis.

However, it is clear, for example, that  in this list there are the Balkan countries:

citizens of Balkan countries at times apply  for asylum in great numbers to EU states

and they have very little  chance of obtaining it.

So it's true, we are bound to see  a list of safe countries of origin

You mention the Balkans, today Balkan  citizens make 17% of total asylum requests

but as you say, just 2%  of these applications are approved.

will this list not simply serve to facilitate the  return of migrants to their countries?

Some may believe that the list will be used  to stall or even avoid examining requests

but I would like to make it clear  that even if someone is a national

of a safe country of origin,  they can still seek asylum to an EU country.

Not only can the request be made,  but it is guaranteed it will be examined.

It will still be an examination  of each individual situation?

Exactly, case by case. The right to asylum  is the right of each individual.

Turkey is also included on this list  of countries the Commission has tabled.

In your view, can and should Turkey  be part of this list of safe countries?

This will be under discussion with  Parliament and with my colleagues.

And it should be noted that compared  against the criteria touched upon before,

Turkey's rate of asylum applications  to EU countries is much higher

and the approval rate for refugee status is  high, notably for citizens of Kurdish origin.

So this is distinct  from the Balkan countries.

and the debate will undoubtedly  be highly sensitive on this issue.

This idea of a common list,  the EU has been reflecting on it for years

Do you think that this time  it could come to fruition?

I think that once the concept  of the list is really set in motion

and it serves to help asylum seekers  with a high chance of obtaining approval,

due to persecution  or an intolerable situation

of course these people  must be able to receive asylum...

the chances are indeed lower  of being granted asylum.

It's thus along these lines  that we can progress.

Sylvie Guillaume, thank you.  -Thank you.