Debate on the Common European Asylum System reform, during the EP plenary session (09-12 May 2016) in Strasbourg. Opening statements by Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship.&nbsp;

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

asylum procedures in the EU (T)

AVRAMOPOULOS, Dimitris (EL, EC)

Common European Asylum System reform: extracts from the opening statements

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, We must find ways to help these people without having to risk their lives in dangerous journeys. We need to take them out of the hand of smugglers by putting in place save and legal ways to EU for those in need of protection. Operation with 3rd countries, protection in the region and resettlement to the EU should become the model for the future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, The simple truth is, if Member States do not find a common approach to sharing the responsibility and handling the refugee crisis, at the end of the day not a single Member states will be able to handle that responsibility on its own. We either face this challenge together or we are giving up on facing it at all, with dire consequences for all and with unacceptable consequences for refugees who flee war and persecution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Each Member states share will be based on clear and simple criteria, population size and GDP, the resettlement efforts will also be taken into account in line with our objective to provide safe and legal pathways to Europe. All Member states will be required to contribute and to show solidarity. This may under conditions also take the form of financial solidarity temporarily a Member states that does not relocate asylum applicants; they will need to support those Member states who do.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Our proposal will allow establishing a sustainable and fair system to determine the Member States responsible for asylum seekers. It is based on a European reference system with an automatically triggered corrective solidarity mechanism. Once the number of asylum applications in a Member states exceeds 150 per cent of the allocate share based on GDP and population, the corrective mechanism will be automatically triggered.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, A reserve of 500 experts from Member States to be available when needed in urgencies, if a Member states is subject to a disproportionate pressure and needs support.