On 1st October 2019, Ylva JOHANSSON, from Sweden, Commissioner-designate for Home Affairs, is heard by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test her general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to her portfolio. On this occasion, Ylva JOHANSSON has the opportunity to make an opening statement. The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Hearing of Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Opening statement by Ylva JOHANSSON

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Thank you very much honourable cCair, honourable Members of this Committee. I'm very happy to be here in front of you. I understand you're going to give me a tough time, tough hours but I must admit that even though I'm nervous I have been looking forward to this. Because this is a core part of democracy and you are directly elected representatives of the European citizens and you are the ones that have to do the hearing and to say whether I could continue to take office or not.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: So this I really look forward to. And I also look forward to hopefully, to work together with you in the coming five years. My background is that I've been minister in five different governments in Sweden under three different Prime ministers, all minority governments. I'm very familiar with working close to different political groups and to find compromises and ways for what would parliament.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: And I understand that these are experience that I also gonna need together with you. In 2015 Sweden received more refugees than any other member states accorded per capita. In 2015 one third of all unaccompanied minors that came to Europe came to Sweden. It was a real challenge. The Prime minister appointed me to be a special responsibility to coordinate all government actions related to the management of migration and integration in Sweden. At that time I am proud that Sweden could give shelter to so many refugees during this time.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: And I'm also proud that many of them now are integrated in society and contribute to economy. But at the same time this made it very very clear to me that we are, we are lacking a well functioning and manageable European system for migration and asylum. We need. We'd really need a common and sustainable European solutions to migration. We need solutions that are predictable both for individuals and for society.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Migration and security policies are important and can be mutually reinforcing. But I would like to be very clear from the beginning. They are separate. Migration should not be seen as a threat to security. Security is linked to freedom. Everybody in Europe should have the freedom to live in a society under the rule of law in the knowledge that public authorities are doing everything in their power to protect them.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: And to combat those who jeopardize that freedom. Threats to security are also threats towards our societies. But I must also say I would be alert to ensure that the very freedoms we are seeking to protect are not being jeopardized by the security measures taken to do so. On migration, my mission is to find a new way forward one which works and which is true to all of our values. My top priority and that's gonna be difficult I understand that, is to develop the new pact on migration and asylum. It's gonna be difficult but I must make also clear.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Failure is not an option in this case. We must have a common European pact on migration and asylum. We have come a long way. But complex and diverse challenges remain. I do think we now have a positive momentum to tackle them. With the European approach building bridges and not walls between member states. Migration has security feature highly in the political guidelines because we must give citizens a response to the issues they are they care most about and both migration and security are on top three of those European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Migration and security touch upon many policies inside and outside the EU. Coherence and coordination are key, effectively and predictably managing migration, protecting external borders and ensuring security will remain the paramount task for the home affairs portfolio. For this we must find common ground compromise and collaboration are the cornerstones of the European way of working together. And this is how I intend to proceed.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: I know that you as Members of European Parliament and members of this important Committee are very skilled and experienced with this way of working. The European Union is based on values and these must be our guiding principles. I will not only defend and speak up loudly for these values inside the European Union but also to the rest of the world.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: For me it's crucial to protect our democracies against populism and extremism. And to all I will speak up for human rights. I'm particularly motivated to tackle the tough challenges of the home affairs portfolio. There is no portfolio I would rather have. This is the one I wanted. I'm grateful for the confidence that the president elect has shown by entrusting me with this important responsibility.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: The threats we face today on security are constantly evolving and we need to adapt. I will focus on filling the gaps in our approach to EU internal security and to ensure that a union is equal to the task. My aim is to build an effective security Union based on the foundations developed in the last five years. This means ensuring that the laws in place are effective as effectively implemented. It means closing remaining gaps in our security framework.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Organized crime, drugs ,human trafficking, child sex abuse and exploitation are all major priorities for me. Too often the most vulnerable members of our society are the victims of those crimes. I firmly believe that society has to protect them and I will be their strongest advocate. I will work tirelessly to close down the space for terrorists to plan finance and carry out their attacks. Fighting all forms of radicalization is also on top of my agenda.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: I would like to praise the report of the terror Committee it recommend. Its recommendations will guide me in my work. Key to having an impact is better law enforcement cooperation. All the more so with a quick development on new security threats. We need to foster this cooperation with Europol playing a vital role in this aspect. I am committed to a solid and evidence based approach to policy making in the areas covered by my portfolio.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: My aim is to apply principles, the principles are better regulations to the preparation of future proposals in my portfolio. As regards migration as you all are well aware these discussions have been difficult and divisive. There is an urgent need for common manageable, sustainable and predictable solutions. There is a new momentum now with the arrival of a new Commission and I have a very clear mission from the president elect to propose a new pact on migration and asylum.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: My approach would be to first listen carefully to different views to find to help us find common ground. With this parliament of course but also bilaterally with all the Member states. As soon as I am in office, if confirmed by you, I intend to swiftly meet all Member states bilaterally and I will keep this Committee closely informed. I will be looking at the full range of migration policies asylum,, fighting irregular migration, strengthening external borders, return, legal pathways, integration and cooperation with partners outside the EU.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Part of this holistic approach will be to look carefully at existing proposals on the table and it's important for me to have a gender perspective in all actions that we take. I'm fully aware that this Committee has worked very hard in a true European way to define an initial position on many of the asylum instruments. This was vital work on which we need to build. Finding sustainable solutions based on solidarity and responsibility must be a key guide for our work.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: I want to look at ways to close the loopholes between asylum and return. While we must honour our values and legal responsibilities to those in need of international protection, we also have to ensure that those not eligible to stay or returned. Last year only one third of those ordered to leave were actually returned. I think that a credible and sustainable asylum system needs a functioning and humane return policy, fully respecting the 'non refoulement' principle of international law.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: The political guidelines also stressed the need for legal and safe pathways to the European Union. And this I truly believe is part of the solution. We should be proud that Europe's share of global resettlement was almost 50 percent last year but more needs to be done in this area. I will work with Member states to step up resettlement and to look at developing humanitarian corridors for urgent needs.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: We cannot tolerate that lives are put at risk in the Mediterranean and also being lost. A crucial element of the new pact on migration and asylum will be a more sustainable reliable and permanent approach to search and rescue. I have a clear mission to replace ad hoc solutions. Saving lives at sea is our moral duty. This is linked to stepping up the fight against smugglers and traffickers. We need to do more to break up the cruel business model of smugglers and the criminal networks behind.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Finally I would like to underline the risk faced today to one of the key achievements of European integration. The Schengen area. The swift return to a fully functioning Schengen area without internal border controls will be a key objective for me. The more successful our new pact on migration and asylum the stronger our external borders through the National Border coastguard assisted by Frontex and the more effective our work against smuggling the more trust there will be in the Schengen area and this hopefully will also pave the way for further enlargement of Schengen.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: My goal list migration is security policy that works for our citizens. That is balanced and fair. And above all grounded in our values. I'm fully aware that this is a difficult portfolio. This is what people have been telling me. These are three weeks since I was presented as the candidate that the Commissioner-designate but will be must come forward in this area. There is no way we can do it so this will be my private top priority and I will need your help, your expertise and your experience in this area to come forward.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: So it's a great honour if I'm approved to take office on this responsibilities and I look forward to do the work together with you. Thank you.

Hearing of Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner-designate, Home Affairs: Opening statement by Ylva JOHANSSON

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LIBE - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs