92002E1898

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1898/02

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(1 July 2002)

Subject: Request for a report on the amount of EU aid supplied to the countries in which most illegal immigrants originate

EU development cooperation plays a strategic role in the prevention of immigration from outside the Community.

Unfortunately, not all the countries which receive EU aid cooperate actively with the EU Member States in combating illegal immigration and in clamping down on trafficking in human beings.

Should research not be carried out into the methods and the extent of those countries' cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration?

How much aid is supplied by the EU to the countries in which most illegal immigrants originate?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2002)

The Commission regards its development cooperation policy as playing an essential part in bringing major migratory flows under control in the longer term. With this in view, it shortly plans to present a communication on Development and Migration which should shed light on ways of tackling the underlying causes of this phenomenon.

As part of preparations for the Seville European Council of June 2002, certain Member States raised the issue of how to deal with third countries regarded as not cooperating actively enough with the Union to combat illegal immigration. The Commission endorses the balanced approach reflected in the conclusions adopted at Seville.

Those conclusions highlight the importance of an integrated, comprehensive approach which tackles the root causes of illegal immigration, and of the role played by economic cooperation, trade expansion, development assistance and conflict prevention. However, it should be remembered that migration is inextricably linked to differences in living standards and increasing inequality between countries and regions of the world.

The European Council also calls for a systematic assessment to be made of relations with third countries which do not cooperate in combating illegal immigration; that assessment will be taken into account in respect of relations in all relevant areas between the European Union and the countries concerned. The Commission will contribute to this exercise.

As for the importance of aid paid to countries of origin, more detailed information on immigration and asylum will be provided in the report on the effectiveness of financial resources available at Community level which the European Council has requested the Commission to submit by end-October.