30 Amendments of Georgios PAPANIKOLAOU related to 2009/2240(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament's resolution of 7 May 2009 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person (COD/2008/0243),
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Α
Recital Α
Α. whereas a fair and realistic migration policy in the European Union, entailing the establishment of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), must comprise an effective, sound and sustainable resettlement programme, providing a durable solution for refugees who cannot return to their country of origin and whose protection cannot be assured in first countries of asylum,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a fair and realistic migration policy in the European Union, entailing the establishment of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), must comprise an effective resettlement programme, providing a durable solution for refugees who cannot return to their country of origin and whose protection and livelihood cannot be assured in first countries of asylum,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Β
Recital Β
Β. whereas resettlement serves not only a humanitarian purpose towards persons resettled, but also to relieve third countries of the burden associated with hosting large numbers of refugees and is a very useful instrument for apportioning responsibility,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas strategic use of the resettlement programme could have direct and indirect benefits not only for refugees being resettled but also for other refugees remaining in the first country of asylum, for the host country and for other countries and also with regard to all international arrangements for their protection,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the need to show solidarity to third countries sheltering large numbers of refugees in need of international protection is a major factor and reflects the need to show solidarity within the EU also,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas cooperation with third countries which have already carried out several programmes of resettlement should be fostered, in order to benefit, through exchange of best practices, from their experience of reception and integration measures and the general quality of resettlement initiatives,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the European Resettlement Programme must not make the process of resettlement more complicated,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
Η. whereas the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is expected to become operational in 2010; whereas it will be able to offer support to the Member States in carrying out resettlement initiatives, while ensuring coordination of policies within the EU; whereas the European Asylum Support Office must actively participate in deliberations between the Member States, the Commission and the UNHCR,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas attention should be drawn not only to the need to involve more Member States in resettling refugees but also to the quality, sustainability and effectiveness of the resettlement, focusing on integration measures,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas access to job opportunities for adults and immediate integration of minors in schools constitute an essential step with a view to the success of an effective resettlement initiative and that they should for this reason have access to educational and professional guidance services,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas there are several entities, in public administration (such as municipalities) as well asnd in civil society, (varying from NGOs to charities and from schools to social services, that) as well as Churches have the experience and expertise necessary to carry out follow-up measures,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas without access to information, human resources, expert advice and permanent follow-up on the resettlement efforts, Member States which have never participated in resettlement programmes will face great difficulties in joining and it will be difficult to achieve the objective of involving more Member States,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for measures to inform the Member States and local authorities of the benefits accruing from the resettlement of refugees;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Member States to promote the creation of private funding mechanisms and more widespread public- private initiatives so as to underpin the European Resettlement Programme;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the opening of the new Emergency Transit Centre (ETC) in Romania offering temporary accommodation for refugees in urgent need of resettlement and/or refugees unable to remain in their countries of first asylum; calls on the Commission to make use of it and promote resettlement through the Emergency Transit Centre also;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes the ad hoc initiatives taken by a number of Member States in accommodating refugees in urgent need of resettlement while recognising the need for such initiatives to take a more structured form;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to establish a structured cooperation framework through measures to gather expertise and enable information collecting and sharing; stresses also that an effective EU Resettlement Programme must provide the Member States (those already participating in the programme and those that wish to participate) with access to human resources, expert advice and shared information that may be useful in any phase of the resettlement initiative; recognises that all those involved in resettlement, and especially resettled refugees, are a valuable source of information for the evaluation of resettlement initiatives;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the consideration and exchange of best practices which foster efficiency between Member States, which may include the promotion of joint programmes, peer evaluation, the setting- up of joint missions, the use of common infrastructures (such as transit centres) and organisation of missions to Member States to evaluate the ongoing resettlement initiatives;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Confirms moreover the view that the absence of mechanisms of cooperation and coordination between Member States raises the costs of the operations related to resettlement, makes them less attractive and reduces their strategic impact;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Insists also that the Resettlement Unit could play an important role in the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness and quality of the Resettlement Programme at the EU level, by issuing annual reports on all the activities, based on information gathered by the institutions/authorities involved in the resettlement initiatives in the Member States;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Recognises that certain Member States, particularly in southern Europe, are encountering additional difficulties with regard to resettlement measures since they are already under intense pressure as a result of migration;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls, nevertheless, for greater incentives to encourage more Member States to participate in the EU Resettlement Programme; acknowledges that while greater financial assistance is important, one should not undermine the contribution that the EASO can provide with regard to this aspect by helping to equalise and improve the quality of services offered to refugees in Member States and offering assistance with the most efficient practices for hosting and integration;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Recalls, at the same time, the European Parliament's recommendations of 7 May 2009 on mandatory solidarity as regards resettlement of refugees already in Member States; believes that the resettlement mechanism should therefore be open to and applicable for intra-EU resettlement of beneficiaries of international protection present in the territory of Member States that are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national asylum systems, due in particular to their geographic position or demographic situation; requests that adequate funds be earmarked to for such intra-EU resettlement programmes;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Considers that an effective EU Resettlement Programme must include provisions on follow-up measures, insisting on the quality of the resettlement in each Member State, good standards at every stage from recognition tof reception and integration of the refugees;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Is of the opinion that governmental authorities should foster maximum cooperation with non-governmental entities (international and local NGOs, for instance) and benefit from the expertise and proximity of the latter in providing the best and most efficient initiatives for resettlement of refugees; participation by civil society in the European Resettlement Programme will underpin support and reception initiatives by the Member States and local authorities;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Is of the opinion that governmental authorities should foster maximum cooperation with non-governmental entities (for instance Churches, international and local NGOs, for instance) and benefit from the expertise and proximity of the latter in providing the best and most efficient initiatives for resettlement of refugees;,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Advocates intensive efforts on the part of all the entities involved to grant the refugees, especially the most vulnerable, access to adequate housing, health care, education, language courses and psychological assistance, as well as access to the labour market, so as to ensure successful integration;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the UNHCR and local NGOs to establish clear criteria for quality resettlement and follow the resettlement of the refugees, in order to contribute to the evaluation of the resettlement activities in the Member States and their further improvement;