Press Release: Taking forward the common immigration and asylum policy for Europe

On 17 June, 2008, the Commission adopted a Communication on 'A Common immigration policy for Europe: principles, actions and tools' and a Policy Plan 'Asylum – an integrated approach to protection across the EU'. The Communication put forward ten Common Principles on which to base the common immigration policy, grouped under the three main strands of EU policy: prosperity, solidarity and security. The Policy Plan on Asylum provided for the architecture of the second phase of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Both addressed the remaining elements on immigration and asylum of The Hague Programme. They should be endorsed by the European Council of 15 October 2008 and will, in the course of 2009, feed into a new five-year Programme in the Justice, Freedom and Security area.

ESO: Background information: COM (2008)359 http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-a-common-immigration-policy-for-europe-princip/

European Commission: MEMO/08/404: Questions and Answers on the EU common immigration policy http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/404&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/08/403: Questions and Answers on the Policy Plan on Asylum http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/403&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---