MEPs prepare to take a stand on the influx of migrants linked to the North African uprisings. We talk to MEP Martin Schulz about Fukushima's lessons for Europe.

The News: Illegal immigration - Future of nuclear power

A new influx of migrants  on European coasts is being feared.

MEPs debate the issue  in the plenary on Monday.

Socialists and Democrats' Group Chair  Martin Schulz is our guest today,

on the eve of a debate on the future  of nuclear power plants in the EU.

And the rest of today’s news in brief.

This huge ferry is leaving  the island of Lampedusa

in order to take hundreds of illegal  immigrants elsewhere in Italy.

It’s an evacuation  for medical and media purposes.

Since the beginning of the year  over 22,000 migrants,

mainly Tunisians  wanting to travel to France

have saturated the accommodation  capacity of this small island.

On Sunday,  dozens of new boats arrived.

It underlines the lack of solidarity  among EU states.

Silvio Berlusconi,  who visited Tunis this Monday,

proposed to the new authorities  the repatriation of thousands of migrants

who've arrived in Italy  since the beginning of the year.

It’s outrageous that  Europeans would be resorting,

as it has been the case  with Italy sometimes,

to rejecting people,  making boats turn away,

without screening properly  to make sure

that our obligations towards  genuine refugees are fulfilled.

For its part, the EP will take a stand  on Tuesday on the migration flows

linked to the political instability  in countries like Tunisia and Libya.

We cannot cope with an influx of  immigrants in a very short period of time.

So we must have a policy of cooperation  with, for example, the Maghreb countries.

EU countries now need to be persuaded  to create a real migration policy.

Paris and Rome have decided  to organise, as soon as possible,

a summit to resolve their differences  on the reception of refugees.

What has the Fukushima disaster  taught us about nuclear safety in Europe?

Ahead of a plenary debate  on Wednesday,

Patrick Delfosse met the leader of the  Socialists and Democrats, Martin Schulz.

Mr Schulz, it seems that after Fukushima  many people changed their minds.

have decided to stop the full  nuclear option after 2020.

How is it Europe-wide,  what do you propose?

I've always been in favour of  a quick exit from nuclear power.

but I've never been able  to get a majority for this view.

Even after Fukushima we can't speak  about a mass movement against it.

More and more people  have doubts and questions,

but it will be a long fight to reach  a real exit. Have a look at France.

I’m happy to see my French colleagues  changing their minds,

but many others in other groups  don't even think about it.

That's why I say  we still have a long way to go.

Some changes occurred  in the new Member States.

Nuclear plants like Ignalina or Bohunice  were meant to close.

But the money for the closure is no longer  there, even worse, it's disappeared.

Is this right?  Do you have questions about it?

Nuclear energy is an expensive  form of energy, and it’s not certain

that the money has been well allocated.  There's been an inquiry.

There are suspicions that money has  been used for completely different things.

If you analyse the way  nuclear energy is financed,

it is relatively clear that  it is extremely expensive.

If you have to include the costs  of closing down or upgrading a plant,

that it makes nuclear energy an even  more expensive choice than the others.

You just have to  consider the budgets to say:

nuclear energy is not the responsible  option, technically or economically.

In the opening session of the plenary  the EP President Jerzy Buzek

spoke notably about  the violence in Ivory Coast.

The EP is worried that the last  elections have not led to stability.

He called for both parties  to end the violence

and said that those responsible  for crimes will be brought to justice.

Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani  presented a road map on Monday.

One priority is the EU’s  technological independence,

with the continuation of the satellite  navigation programme Galileo.

Other priorities are space exploration  and monitoring the Earth.

The legal battle between Airbus  and Boeing goes on.

The EU has appealed a ruling by the  WTO, the World Trade Organisation.

The WTO had confirmed that Boeing,  the American aircraft manufacturer,

had received over 5 billion dollars  in illegal state aid,

According to Airbus, the subsidies  could amount to 23 billion dollars.