18/11/14
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12 July 2011
The EU has come one step closer towards agreeing on the Common European Asylum System today, as the European Parliament’s Civil, Justice and Home Affairs Committee approved today the proposal to amend the Directive on standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the protection granted. The amendment was proposed by the Commission in October 2009.
"I welcome this agreement which will clarify legal criteria to define the grounds needed for protection. This will reduce differences in the level of rights granted to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. Today's agreement brings us one step closer to our overarching goal of completing the Common European Asylum System by 2012. I am confident that the amended Directive can now be swiftly adopted. It will help ensure that current and future inflows of refugees are addressed by the EU in a uniform manner, and on the basis of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility", said Cecilia Malmström.
Read the statement in full.
The LIBE committee today also voted on the Directive for better combating sexual abuse of children and on giving Frontex a stronger mandate. Both of which were proposed by the Commission last year. Read Cecilia Malmström's statements from when the three EU institutions reached political agreements on on these proposals in the last weeks (sexual abuse of children - stronger mandate for Frontex).
