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Actie tegen Stockholm Programma in Brussel
all included - 13.11.2009 14:22
Actie-bijeenkomst tegen de EU-bijeenkomst van Justitie en Binnenlandse Zaken met Stockholm Programme op agenda
Woensdag 25 november, 20.30h, Plantage Doklaan 12 Amsterdam
(kan je niet komen die avond, maar wil je wel gaan, geef het door: all included)
Stop het vijfjaren programma van dood en detentie!
Bescherming van vluchtelingen en migrantenrechten in plaats van een brute EU-grensregime!
Nee tegen het repressief Stockholm Programma!
30 november en 1 december 2009 in Brussel -
transnationale protesten voor de ingang van de ministeriële EU-bijeenkomst van Justitie en Binnenlandse Zaken -
Na Tampere en Den Haag zal het Stockholm Programma de komende 5 jaar het kader vormen voor Justitie en Binnenlandse Zaken (JBZ) binnen de EU en haar lidstaten. Het nieuwe programma zegt de "ruimte van vrijheid, veiligheid en rechtvaardigheid" op te bouwen. Maar in feite wordt het beleid voortgezet van een nog strikter regime van toezicht en controle en zal een ‘securitisatie’ van het sociale leven bevorderen, terwijl alle burgerrechten en privacy worden ondermijnd ondanks dat het tegendeel beweerd wordt.
Meest getroffen zijn de vluchtelingen en migranten, beschuldigd en gecriminaliseerd als "illegalen" en opgejaagd door nationale grensbewakers en EU-agentschap Frontex. Met de "road map van Stockholm" gaan de EU en de nationale regeringen verder met het escaleren van hun grensregime tot een echte oorlog. De rol van Frontex in de militarisering van de grenzen zal wederom worden versterkt. Vele duizenden mensen zijn omgekomen en verdronken in de afgelopen jaren toen zij probeerden de grenzen van Europa te passeren. Honderdduizenden zijn gedetineerd en gedeporteerd. Refoulement is een dagelijkse praktijk op alle hot spots van de EU-buitengrens: van Hongarije en Slowakije naar de Oekraïne, van Griekenland naar Turkije, van Italië naar Libië en van Spanje naar Marokko. De West-Europese Schengenlanden en Groot-Brittannië zijn de drijvende krachten in het externaliseren van migratiecontrole. Door middel van de Dublinregels worden mensen die asiel zoeken tegen vervolging en erin slagen om de grenscontroles te omzeilen en de Europese bodem te bereiken, gedwongen om in de oostelijke en zuidelijke EU-landen te verblijven of worden er naar toe uitgezet.
Vluchtelingen ontvluchten oorlogsgebieden en vervolging maar ook allerlei vormen van verwoesting. Armoede en ellende achterlatend zijn migranten op zoek naar een beter leven en betere perspectieven. Westerse bedrijven zijn verantwoordelijk voor een historische klimaatramp die de verarming versnelt. Economische wapens uit het globaliserende noorden veroorzaken vernietiging en verhuizingen over het hele globaliserende zuiden. Een scheiding tussen de bewegingen van vlucht en migratie is niet meer mogelijk. Beide weerspiegelen het complexe systeem van mondiale onrechtvaardigheid en dagen het ook uit.
Als bordercrossers in Ceuta of in Oost Europa, als bootvluchtelingen in de Middellandse Zee, vechtend tegen detentiekampen en voor legalisatie en rechten in heel Europa, niemand kan de transnationale dimensie en het groeiende belang negeren van de strijd van migranten en vluchtelingen. Dat is de achtergrond: mannen en vrouwen, minderjarigen en kinderen die vluchten of hun recht nemen om te bewegen, worden geconfronteerd met afschrikking, mishandeling en discriminatie. Ze worden gearresteerd voor maanden of jaren in gesloten kampen of onmenselijke gevangenissen, hun fundamentele sociale rechten worden geweigerd, ze worden uitgebuit in de laagbetaalde banen, vaak gechanteerd door werkgevers en bedreigd met uitzetting.
Een "vrij, rechtvaardig en veilig" Europa zou er heel anders uitzien:
- nodig is een uitbreiding van de bescherming voor vluchtelingen met inbegrip van elke levensbedreigende omstandigheden;
- nodig is de toegang voor eenieder tot een beter asielstelsel in het land hij/zij heeft gekozen;
- nodig zijn wettelijke mogelijkheden om te migreren naar betere en veilige leefomstandigheden;
- nodig is het recht van vrij verkeer en verblijf voor iedereen, ongeacht herkomst of identiteit.
Al deze behoeften zijn niet meer dan de eerste stappen voor een ander Europa in een wereld met gelijke wereldwijde rechten op een sociaal en politiek niveau.
Met deze eisen nodigen wij jou uit voor een 2-daags programma in Brussel:
Maandag 30 november:
11 uur: persconferentie met deskundigen en getuigenissen uit de verschillende hotspots van de EU-borderregime;
17 tot 19 uur: openbare protest met een zwemvest-installatie in verwijzing naar de strijd van de boatpeople; openbare projecties met stemmen van Pagani en Patras, van Ceuta en Calais;
19.30 uur: panel-discussie: hoe zich te verzetten tegen de oorlog tegen vluchtelingen en migranten? Bescherming van vluchtelingen en migranten rechten in plaats van een grens-regime!
Dinsdag 1 december:
9 (of 8) uur op Schuhmann-Station: protest-actie in de buurt van de EU-JBZ-conferentie gebouw.
Contact:  frassainfo@kein.org
 E-Mail: info@allincluded.nl  Website: http://www.allincluded.nl/
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| Read more about: anti-fascisme / racisme europa globalisering vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten | | supplements | | Stockholm Programme | all included - 13.11.2009 14:25
stockholm program
 http://www.se2009.eu/polopoly_fs/1.19577!menu/standard/file/Draft_Stockholm_Programme_16_October_2009.pdf
beside a few cosmetic reforms (perhaps concerning family reunification) and a
lot of „smoke and mirrors“ concerning refoulement and refugee
protection and minors ... it is – as the call for our coming protest
in brussels is titled – another 5 years program of death and
detention! (see our call at www.noborder.org)
following you find firstly a very few key-sentences, which express
clearly the continuity of the selective migrationregime, its „global
approach“, the strengthening of frontex, dublin II as a
„cornerstone“ ... afterwards you find the whole migrationrelated
parts of the official draft, which should be adopted by the eu-
interior ministers on 30th of november/1st of december in brussels.
Some key-sentences ...
...Europe will need a flexible and demand-driven labour immigration
policy, responsive to the needs of Member States' national labour
markets....
...strategic and systematic use of all available instruments of the
EU Global Approach to Migration - migration profiles, migration
missions, cooperation platforms on migration and development and
Mobility partnerships - for long-term cooperation on all dimensions
of this policy in close partnership with selected third countries
along priority migratory routes (mobility partnerships) ...
In order to create a comprehensive approach on return and
readmission, it is necessary to step up cooperation with the
countries of origin and of transit within the framework of the Global
Approach to Migration. ...
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) will be an important tool
in the harmonisation of the asylum policy and should therefore
coordinate all forms of cooperation between the Member States as
foreseen and outlined in the Hague Programme and the European Pact on
Migration. ...
The Dublin System should remain a cornerstone in building the CEAS
(Common European Asylum System) ...
The reinforcement of FRONTEX could include e.g. an enhanced role for
the Agency in the planning, participation in and evaluation of joint
operations as well as joint return operations and enabling it to
acquire its own resources. The European Council looks forward to the
continued development of the European Border Surveillance System
(Eurosur) with a view to ensuring that the necessary cooperation is
established between the Member States and with FRONTEX to share
surveillance data relating to the eastern and southern borders no
later than 2013. ...
The possibilities of new technologies hold great potential for
rendering border management more efficient as well as more secure.
This includes inter alia the use of gates for automated border
control. The European Council takes note of the ongoing studies of
Frontex in this field and encourages the Agency to continue its work
in order to establish best practice. ...
The European Council considers that technology can play a key role in
improving and reinforcing the system of external border controls.
The roll-out of the SIS II and VIS systems therefore remains a key
objective ....
Geographical priorities (...) The EU needs to intensify its
cooperation with Turkey to meet the common challenge of managing
migration flows. Taking into account geographical realities and
building on Turkey’s efforts as a candidate country, this cooperation
should focus inter alia on international burden sharing, joint
responsibility and common understanding.
(...) Efforts should be made to conclude re-admission agreements with
Libya, Turkey, Morocco and Egypt.
All Migrationrelated parts from the draft for the stockholm program
(...)
A Europe of responsibility, solidarity and partnership in migration
and asylum matters: The development of a forward-looking and
comprehensive European migration policy remains a key policy
objective for the European Union. Well-managed migration can be
beneficial to all
stakeholders. The European Pact on Immigration and Asylum is an
important basis for further development in this field. Europe will
need a flexible and demand-driven labour immigration policy,
responsive to the needs of Member States' national labour markets.
People in need of protection must be ensured access to legally safe
and efficient asylum procedures. However, in order to maintain
credible and sustainable immigration and asylum systems in the EU, it
is necessary to deal with illegal migration.
(...)
5. A Europe of responsibility, solidarity and partnership in
migration and asylum matters
The European Council recognises both the opportunities and challenges
posed by increased mobility of persons, and underlines that well-
managed migration can be beneficial to all stakeholders. The European
Council equally recognises that, in the context of an increased
demand for labour, flexible immigration policies will make an
important contribution to the Union's economic development and
performance in the longer term. Furthermore, the European Council
recalls that the establishment of a Common European Asylum System
(CEAS) by 2012 remains a key policy objective for the EU.
The European Council recognises the need to find practical
solutions which increase coherence between migration policies and
other policy areas such as foreign and development policy and
policies for trade, employment, health and education at the European
level. In particular, the European Council invites the Commission to
explore procedures that to a greater extent link the development of
migration policy to the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy for
growth and employment. The European Council recognises the need to
make financial resources within the EU increasingly flexible, both in
terms of scope and of applicability, to support policy development in
the field of asylum and migration.
The European Council recognises the importance of the European Pact
on Immigration and Asylum and underlines the need to implement the
measures in the Pact. The European Council calls for the development
of a comprehensive and sustainable European migration and asylum
policy framework, which in a spirit of solidarity can adequately and
proactively manage fluctuations in the migration flows and address
situations such as the present one in the Mediterranean. Serious
efforts are needed to build and strengthen dialogue and partnership
between the EU and third countries, regions and organisations in
order to achieve an enhanced response to these situations.
5.1. A dynamic migration policy
5.1.1. Consolidating, developing and implementing the EU Global
Approach to Migration
The European Council has consistently underlined the need for EU
migration policy to be an integral part of EU external policy and
recognises that the EU Global Approach to Migration has proven its
relevance as the strategic framework for this purpose. Based on the
original principles of solidarity, balance and true partnership with
countries of origin and transit outside the Union and in line with
what already has been accomplished, the European Council calls for
the further development and consolidation of this integrated
approach. The implementation of the Global Approach needs to be
accelerated by the strategic use of all its existing instruments and
improved by increased coordination. A balance between the three areas
(promoting mobility and legal migration, optimising the link between
migration and development, and controlling illegal immigration)
should be maintained. The principal focus should remain on
cooperation with the most relevant countries in Africa and Eastern
and South-Eastern Europe. Dialogue and cooperation should also be
further developed with other regions, such as Latin America, the
Caribbean and Asia.
To this end, the European Council emphasizes the following priorities:
• strategic and systematic use of all available instruments of the EU
Global Approach to Migration - migration profiles, migration
missions, cooperation platforms on migration and development and
Mobility partnerships - for long-term cooperation on all dimensions
of this policy in close partnership with selected third countries
along priority migratory routes,
• continued and expanded use of the Mobility partnership instrument
as the main strategic, comprehensive and long-term cooperation
framework for migration management with third countries. The European
Council recognises that Mobility partnerships add value to existing
bilateral frameworks by facilitating broader cooperation, increasing
transparency, improving policy coherence and ensuring cost-effective
operations between partners. Success in implementing these
partnerships requires improved coordination and substantial capacity-
building efforts in countries of both origin and destination. The
European Council calls for further development of the Mobility
partnership instrument. Partnerships should be flexible and
responsive to the needs of both the EU and the partner countries. In
order to maintain a balanced approach, they should include
cooperation on all areas of the Global Approach, and
• more efficient use of the Union's existing cooperation instruments
to increase the capacity of the central, regional and local
authorities of partner countries, with a view to ensuring well-
functioning infrastructures and sufficient administrative capacity to
handle all aspects of migration, including improving their capacity
to offer adequate protection and increasing the benefits and
opportunities created by mobility.
The successful implementation of the Global Approach to Migration
should be underpinned by regular evaluations, increased commitment
and capacity as well as improved flexibility of the financial
instruments of both the European Commission and the Member States
available in this field.
5.1.2 Migration and development
The European Council underlines the need to take further steps to
maximise the positive and minimise the negative effects of migration
on development. Effective policies can provide the framework needed
to enable countries of destination and origin and migrants themselves
to work in partnership to enhance the effects of international
migration on development.
Efforts to promote concerted mobility and migration should be closely
linked with efforts to promote the development of opportunities for
decent and productive work and improved livelihood options in third
countries in order to minimize the brain drain. To that end, the
European Council invites the Commission to submit proposals before
2012 on:
• how to further ensure efficient, secure and low-cost remittance
transfers, and enhance the development impact of remittance
transfers, as well as to evaluate the feasibility of creating a
common EU portal on remittances to inform migrants about transfer
costs and encourage competition among remittance service providers, and
• how diaspora groups may be further involved in EU development
initiatives, and how EU Member States may support diaspora groups in
their efforts to enhance development in their countries of origin,
• ways to further develop the concept of circular migration and
explore ways to facilitate both managed and spontaneous circulation
of migrants, including a wide-ranging study on how relevant policy
areas may contribute to and affect the preconditions for increased
temporary and circular mobility.
The European Council recognises the need for increased policy
coherence at European level in order to promote the positive
development effects of migration within the scope of the EU’s
activities in the external dimension and to link international
migration more closely to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals. The European Council calls on the Council to
ensure that it acts in a coordinated and coherent manner in this field.
The connection between climate change, migration and development
needs to be further explored, and the European Council therefore
invites the Commission to present an analysis of the effects of
climate change on international migration, including its potential
effects on immigration to the European Union.
5.1.3. A concerted policy in keeping up with labour-market requirements
The European Council recognises that labour immigration can
contribute to increased competitiveness and economic vitality. In
this sense, the European Council is of the opinion that the Union
should create flexible admission systems based on demand-driven
labour migration policies that are responsive to the needs of Member
States’ national labour markets. These systems must have due regard
for Member States' competences and the principle of Community
preference.
The European Council invites:
• the Commission and Council to consider how existing information
sources and networks can be used more effectively to ensure the
availability of the comparable data on migration issues with a view
to better informing policy choices,
• the Commission to evaluate existing policies that will inter alia
improve skills recognition and labour matching in the European Union;
the transparency of European on-line employment and recruitment
information, training, information dissemination, and skills matching
in the country of origin.
5.1.4. A proactive policy based on a European status for migrants
The European Council believes that the objective of granting third-
country nationals legally resident in the Member States of the EU a
uniform level of rights comparable with that of Union citizens should
remain the objective of a common immigration policy and should be
implemented as soon as possible, and no later than 2014. The European
Council also considers it important to review the current provisions
concerning family reunification.
The European Council therefore invites the Commission to submit
proposals for:
• an Immigration Code consolidating all legislation in the area of
immigration, which would be based on an evaluation of the existing
acquis communitaire and include, where necessary, amendments needed
to simplify and/or extend the existing provisions and improve their
implementation, and
• a revision of the directive on family reunification following a
consultation process.
Moreover, the successful integration of legally resident third-
country nationals remains the key to maximising the benefits of
immigration. European cooperation can contribute to more effective
integration policies in Member States. The objective of granting
equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all is at the
core of European cooperation in integration.
Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual interaction,
requiring not only efforts by national, regional and local
authorities but also a greater commitment by the host community and
immigrants.
Member States’ integration policies should be supported through the
further development of structures and tools for knowledge exchange
and coordination with other relevant policy areas, such as
employment, education and social inclusion. Access to employment is
central to successful integration.
The European Council also invites the Commission to support Member
States' efforts:
• through the development of a joint coordination mechanism using a
common reference framework, which should improve structures and
tools for European knowledge exchange,
• to improve coordination with other relevant policies, such as
employment, education and social inclusion,
• towards the identification of joint practices and European modules
to support the integration process, in particular the integration of
newcomers, including essential elements such as introductory courses
and language classes, a strong commitment by the host community and
the active participation of immigrants in all aspects of collective
life,
• towards the development of core indicators in a limited number of
relevant policy areas (e.g. employment, education and social
inclusion) for monitoring the results of integration policies, in
order to increase the comparability of national experiences and
reinforce the European learning process, and
• for improved consultation with and involvement of civil society,
taking into account integration needs in various policy areas and
making use of the European Integration Forum and web portal.
5.1.5. Effective policies to combat illegal immigration
The European Council is convinced that effective action against
illegal immigration remains essential when developing a common policy
on legal immigration. The fight against human trafficking in
particular must remain a key priority for this purpose. An effective
and sustainable return policy is an essential element of a well-
managed migration system within the Community. Member States should
intensify their efforts to return illegally residing third-country
nationals, and to allocate the necessary financial means for this
purpose. Such a policy must be implemented with full respect for the
principle of “non-refoulement” and for the fundamental rights and
dignity of the individual returnees. Voluntary return should be
preferred, while acknowledging the inevitable need for efficient
means to enforce returns where necessary. In order to create a
comprehensive approach on return and readmission, it is necessary to
step up cooperation with the countries of origin and of transit
within the framework of the Global Approach to Migration.
It is important to ensure that the newly adopted instruments in the
area of return and sanctions against employers, as well as the
readmission agreements in force, are closely monitored in order to
ensure their effective application.
The European Council believes that the focus should be placed on:
• continuous encouragement of voluntary return, including through the
development of incentive systems and by using the possibilities
offered by existing financial instruments,
• the conclusion of readmission agreements, on a case-by-case basis
at EU or bilateral level, either separately or as a part of Mobility
partnerships, with the principal countries of origin and of transit,
• the Commission to present an evaluation during 2010 of the EC
readmission agreements and, on that basis, the Council to define a
renewed strategy on readmission, including a common approach towards
third countries that do not cooperate in readmitting their own
nationals; increased practical cooperation between Member States,
with the support of Frontex, concerning for example joint return
flights, and the establishment of nationality of third-country
nationals eligible for return,
• Member States to put into full effect the Community provisions
pursuant to which a return decision issued by one Member State is
applicable throughout the European Union and the effective
application of the principle of mutual recognition of return
decisions by recording
entry bans in the SIS; and
• improving the exchange of information on developments at national
level in the area of regularisation.
5.1.6 Unaccompanied minors
Unaccompanied minors arriving in the Member States from third
countries represent a particularly vulnerable group which requires
special attention and dedicated responses. This is a challenge for
Member States and raises issues of common concern. Areas identified
as requiring particular attention are the exchange of information and
best practice, cooperation with countries of origin, the question of
age assessment and family tracing, and the need to pay particular
attention to unaccompanied minors in the context of the fight against
human trafficking. A comprehensive response at EU level should
combine prevention and protection measures while taking into account
the best interests of the child.
The European Council therefore welcomes the Commission’s initiative to:
• develop an action plan, to be adopted by the Council, on
unaccompanied minors which underpins and supplements the relevant
legislative and financial instruments and combines measures directed
at both prevention and protection. The action plan should underline
the need for cooperation with countries of origin, including
cooperation to facilitate the return of
minors.
5.2. Asylum: a common area of protection and solidarity
The European Council remains committed to the objective of
establishing a common area of protection and solidarity based on a
common asylum procedure and a uniform status for those granted
international protection combined with effective procedures capable
of preventing abuse. It is crucial that individuals, regardless of
the Member State in which their application for asylum is lodged, are
offered the same level of treatment as regards reception conditions,
procedural arrangements and status determination.
5.2.1. A common area of protection
There are still significant differences between national provisions
and their application. In order to achieve a higher degree of
harmonisation, the establishment of a Common European Asylum System
(CEAS) should remain a key policy objective for the EU. Common rules
could prevent or reduce secondary movements within the Schengen area,
and increase mutual trust between Member States.
The CEAS should be based on a full and inclusive application of the
Geneva Convention on the status of refugees and other relevant
international treaties. Such a system is necessary in order to
maintain the long-term sustainability of the asylum system and to
promote solidarity within the EU. To reinforce this, the European
Union should seek accession to the Geneva Convention and its 1967
Protocol.
Promoting solidarity within the EU is crucial but not sufficient to
achieve a credible and sustainable common asylum policy. It is
therefore important to further develop instruments to express
solidarity with third countries in order to promote and help building
capacity to handle migratory flows and protracted refugee situations
in countries of transit and origin.
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) will be an important tool
in the harmonisation of the asylum policy and should therefore
coordinate all forms of cooperation between the Member States as
foreseen and outlined in the Hague Programme and the European Pact on
Migration. In particular the European Asylum Curriculum (EAC) should
be further developed and become a common educational platform for
national asylum officials. Monitoring the quality of asylum decisions
will be another important task.
The Dublin System should remain a cornerstone in building the CEAS,
as it clearly allocates responsibility for the examination of asylum
application.
The European Council accordingly invites:
• the Council and Parliament to intensify the efforts to establish a
common asylum procedure and a uniform status for those who are
granted asylum or subsidiary protection by 2012 at the latest,
• the Commission to consider introducing an evaluation mechanism in
order to facilitate the alignment of asylum systems in the Member
States and, if necessary in order to achieve a Common European Asylum
System, propose new legislative instruments,
• the Commission to submit an evaluation of the European Asylum
Support Office to the Council no later than five years after its
establishment; a review of the tasks of the Office could be included,
• the Commission to create a mechanism for monitoring the quality of
asylum decision- making, and
• the Commission, to consider, after an evaluation of existing
legislation, the possibilities for creating a mechanism for the
mutual recognition of decisions granting protection.
5.2.2. Sharing of responsibilities and solidarity between the Member
States
The European Council stresses the need to promote solidarity with
Member States facing particular pressures. Mechanisms for sharing
responsibility between the Member States should therefore be further
analyzed and possibly developed. This should be done through a broad
and balanced approach. In particular as one of the keys to a
credible and sustainable CEAS is to build sufficient capacity in the
national asylum systems, the European Council urges the Member States
to support each other in building sufficient capacity in their
national asylum systems. The European Asylum Support Office should
have a central role in coordinating these capacity-building measures.
The European Council invites:
• the Commission to examine the possibilities for developing a
mechanism for sharing responsibility between the Member States while
assuring that asylum systems are not abused,
• the Council and the Commission to create instruments and
coordinating mechanisms which will enable Member States to support
each other in capacity building with regard to their national asylum
systems,
• the Commission to use, in a more effective way, existing EU
financial systems aiming at reinforcing internal solidarity, and
• the Council and the Commission to evaluate and develop procedures
that will facilitate the secondment of officials in order to help
those Member States facing a massive influx of asylum seekers.
5.2.3 The external dimension of asylum
It is of the utmost importance that the EU should show solidarity,
act in partnership and cooperate with third countries hosting large
refugee populations. A common EU approach can be more strategic and
thereby contribute more efficiently to solving protracted refugee
situations. Any development in this area needs to be pursued in close
cooperation with the UNHCR. The European Asylum Support Office should
be fully involved in the external dimension of the CEAS.
The European Council invites
• the Council and the Commission to enhance capacity building in
third countries, in particular their capacity to provide effective
protection, and to further develop and expand the idea of Regional
Protection Programmes, on the basis of the forthcoming evaluations.
Such efforts should be incorporated into the Global Approach to
Migration,
• the Council and the Commission to encourage the participation of
Member States in the joint EU resettlement scheme and increase the
total number of resettled refugees,
• the Commission to report annually to the Council and the
European Parliament on the resettlement efforts made within the EU,
to carry out a mid-term evaluation during 2012 of the progress made,
and to evaluate the joint EU resettlement programme in 2014 with a
view to identifying necessary improvements and further developing the
resettlement programme,
• the Council and the Commission to develop methods to identify those
who are in need of international protection in "mixed flows", and
• the Council and the Commission to find ways to strengthen EU
support for the UNHCR, both politically and financially.
6. Europe in a global world – the external dimension of freedom,
security and justice
The European Council emphasizes the importance of the external
dimension of the EU's policy in the area of freedom, security and
justice and underlines the need for the increased integration of
these policies into the general policies of the European Union. The
external dimension is crucial to the successful implementation of
the objectives of this programme and should in particular be fully
coherent with all other aspects of EU foreign policy.
Building on the Strategy for Justice, Home Affairs and External
Relations adopted in 2005 and other relevant acquis in this field,
such as the Global Approach to Migration, EU external cooperation
should focus on areas where EU activity provides added value, in
particular:
- Migration and asylum, with a view to increasing EU dialogue and
cooperation with countries of origin and transit in order to improve
their capacity to better manage migration flows and to ensure
protection and to benefit from the positive effects of migration on
development,
(...)
6.4 More secure access to the territory
6.4.1 Management of the external borders
The Union must continue to facilitate legal access to the territory
of the Member States while in parallel taking measures to counteract
illegal immigration and cross-border crime and maintaining a high
level of security. The strengthening of border controls should not
prevent access to protection systems by those people entitled to
benefit under them. The European Council calls for the clarification
and enhancement of the role of FRONTEX and the further development
of integrated border management.
The European Council therefore
• requests the Commission to put forward proposals to clarify
the mandate and enhance the role of FRONTEX, taking account of the
results of the evaluation of the Agency and the role and
responsibilities of the Member States in the area of border control.
In order to promote the proper enforcement of the applicable
statutory framework for Frontex operations, the Commission should
consider including a mechanism for reporting and recording incidents
that can be satisfactorily followed up by the relevant authorities,
• invites FRONTEX itself to consider, within its mandate,
establishing regional and/or specialised offices for this purpose,
based on operational needs, while maintaining efficient use of
resources.
The reinforcement of FRONTEX could include e.g. an enhanced role for
the Agency in the planning, participation in and evaluation of joint
operations as well as joint return operations and enabling it to
acquire its own resources.
The European Council looks forward to the continued development of
the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) with a view to
ensuring that the necessary cooperation is established between the
Member States and with FRONTEX to share surveillance data relating to
the eastern and southern borders no later than 2013. This development
should take into account the work in other relevant areas of the
Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union.
The possibilities of new technologies hold great potential for
rendering border management more efficient as well as more secure.
This includes inter alia the use of gates for automated border
control. The European Council takes note of the ongoing studies of
Frontex in this field and encourages the Agency to continue its work
in order to establish best practice.
The European Council also invites Member States and the Commission to
explore how the different types of checks carried out at the external
border can be better coordinated, integrated and rationalised with a
view to the twin objective of facilitating access and improving
security. Moreover, the potential of enhanced information exchange
and closer cooperation between border guard authorities and other law
enforcement authorities working inside the territory should be
explored, in order to increase efficiency for all the parties
involved and fight cross-border crime more effectively.
6.4.2 Information systems
The European Council considers that technology can play a key role in
improving and reinforcing the system of external border controls.
The roll-out of the SIS II and VIS systems therefore remains a key
objective and the European Council calls on the Commission and Member
States to ensure that they now become fully operational in keeping
with the timetables to be established for that purpose. The European
Council is of the opinion that an electronic system for recording
entry to and exit from Member States could complement the existing
systems.
The European Council invites the Commission to
• present proposals for such a system alongside a fast track
registered traveller programme with a view to such a system becoming
operational in 2015,
• to prepare a study on the possibility and usefulness of developing
a European system of travel authorisation.
6.4.3. Visa policy
The European Council believes that the entry into force of the Visa
Code and the gradual roll-out of the VIS will create important new
opportunities for further developing the common visa policy. That
visa policy must also be part of a broader vision that takes account
of relevant internal and external policy concerns. The European
Council therefore encourages the Commission and Member States to take
advantage of these developments in order to intensify regional
consular cooperation by means of regional consular cooperation
programmes which could include, in particular, the establishment of
common visa application centres.
The European Council also invites
• the Commission and Council to continue to explore the possibilities
created by the conclusion of visa facilitation agreements with third
countries in appropriate cases,
• the Commission to keep the list of third countries whose nationals
are or are not subject to a visa requirement under regular review in
accordance with appropriate criteria which take account of the
Union's internal and external policy objectives.
6.6.Geographical priorities
(...)
The EU needs to intensify its cooperation with Turkey to meet the
common challenge of managing migration flows. Taking into account
geographical realities and building on Turkey’s efforts as a
candidate country, this cooperation should focus inter alia on
international burden sharing, joint responsibility and common
understanding.
(...)
The European Council notes that the 2007 EU-Africa Joint Strategy and
Action Plan define the scope of cooperation in the areas of counter-
terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking. Both within the
EU-Africa Partnership on Mobility, Migration and Employment (MME) and
the EU Global Approach to Migration, the dialogue on migration should
be deepened and intensified with African Partners. Efforts should be
made to conclude re-admission agreements with Libya, Turkey, Morocco
and Egypt.
(...)
| | stockholm programme 2 | via all included - 13.11.2009 14:31
just a few words about the general intention of the stockholm programme (SP). what i see as a key issue in the programme is the so called "intelligence-led law enforcement", as mentioned several times in the SP. this is a general approach to all kinds of measures that should be adopted, by europol, eurojust, frontex and national police agencies. what does that mean?
for example, seen for border management, it is the idea of foreseeing risks (migrants movements) in the future and early develop counter strategies (or sending the RABITS). this does not mean the technical surveillance aspect only, but also databases or networks like the planned EUROSUR. the opening of the EURODAC database for police authorities shows this quite clearly: databases become more and more important, and linked/ combined with the data of other "sensors" (border control, satellites, police intelligence, SWIFT, PNR, data retention) police tries to have "situation awareness" of possible "risks" (ben hayes from statewatch calls this "full spectrum dominance", i would call it "C4ISR" according to the military concept of of "Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance").
in an earlier paper regarding the stockholm programme, the european ministers of interior named their problem of facing a "data tsunami" that they have to deal with, and that they need technical gadgets to "make the large amount of data useful for police authorities". of course, most of this data is about non-EU-citizens. one of the outcomes is the decision of the former five year plan (hague programme), that each member country must implement biometrics into their passports, leading to much more data and huge investments into the security industry by providing new kinds of documents, scanner, hand held devices and other applications at the orders (austria for example buys this from siemens).
according to a study of markets for "homeland defense", made by a german economic institute and the berenberg bank this march ( http://tinyurl.com/yl989y3), the sales foreseen for "homeland defense" will quadruple from 2005 to 2015 up to 180 billion dollar. 20% of these revenues will be done in the sector "secret service intelligence". that does *not* mean to reinforce secret services, but that police is more and more working *like* secret services and spend lots of money in IT, server infrastructure, technical sensors, space and software (around 35 millions).
so, i would suggest to see this "intelligence-led law enforcement" as a link to broaden the critique towards the stockholm programme and connect it with other struggles in the EU, because "intelligence-led law inforcement" has a lot to do with policing european dissent in many ways: freedom of internet, civil liberties, databases storing polictical activists (france, UK), summit protests, european movements for independence, data retention, file sharing etc. for example, several people of the european data protection scene are open to broaden the protests planned in brussels that hagen mentioned in earlier mails. how open is the frontex-campaign?
also, we should not forget that the EU is becoming a state with own powers and own police forces (frontex, europol, eurogendfor), that are more and more "independent" from the 27 member countries. with the lisbon treaty, that should be signed at the same day of the first adoption of the stockholm programme (1 december), the EU will give up the old system of "pillars". that means (simplified), that inner politics/ home affairs/ police collaboration will be decided and driven by the EU itself, and not anymore by the member states.
so, we face the problem not only being forced to deal with the consequences of the stockholm programme, but also the coming into force of the lisbon treaty at the same time. what do radical movements have to say to this?
unfortunately, the basic radical left critique towards the EU was strong in the 90ies, but is weak nowadays.
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