European Commission
Malmström

I am following the developments in Libya with great interest. At the moment, it is not yet clear if Gaddafi, one of the cruelest dictators in the world, has been overthrown, but it does look like his days in power are numbered. Gaddafi and his government must now be held accountable for what he has done to his own people during the 42 years his terror regime has held on to the power. EU has assisted the Libyan people with humanitarian aid during the spring, you can read more about the assistance here. As with Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year, the EU also stands ready to assist Libya with it’s democratic transition. The road to democracy after Gaddafi will be long, but a democratic Libya would be a tremendous success, not only for the Libyan people, but for the whole region.

2011-06-23 Solidarity, tolerance, and mutual respect, these values have been cherished and protected in the EU for more than half a century. I am therefore saddened and concerned to see that these values risk losing respect and support around Europe. In recent years, we have witnessed growing support for populist movements and far-right political parties in the EU. In my areas of responsibility – asylum, migration, integration, and border cooperation – I can see that xenophobia is on the rise. Developments this spring illustrate the situation quite clearly.

Political leaders all over Europe have been quick to condemn the violence in Libya, in Syria, in the Ivory Coast, and to congratulate our Northern African neighbours in their fight for democracy and freedom. But when it comes to dealing with the consequences of these developments, and particularly when it comes to dealing with the men, women, and children coming to Europe for protection or in search of a better life, European leaders have not been as supportive.

EU Heads of State and Government are meeting in Brussels today and tomorrow to discuss asylum, migration, and the governance of the Schengen area in view of recent events. I urge them to confirm that we need a long-lasting and well-functioning relationship with the Southern Mediterranean countries on mobility, as well as security, and that we are serious when we say that we are open to helping them on the path to democracy and economic progress.

I also urge them to back the Commission’s recent and revised proposals for asylum Directives so that we can reach a decision on the completion of a Common European Asylum System by 2012, a deadline which all EU countries have already committed to. The need for common regulations is pressing.

2011-06-01 The meeting with the African Union continued today. Focus in the discussions were on how we can support a democratic development in Northern Africa, especially Egypt and Tunisia. We also discussed the situation in Libya. Libya is a member of the AU but there are different opinions within the AU on how to address the country. I continued the discussions I had yesterday with Bience Gawanas, Commissioner responsible for Social Affairs. Amongst other things we discussed common efforts to combat trafficking.

The Commission adopted today two amended directives within the Common European Asylum System. The ongoing negotiations are tough and two of the directives are particularly difficult, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. It is of the utmost importance that there are clear standards for the treatment of asylum seekers and special attention must be given to those with special needs, for example unaccompanied minors. Today’s proposals aim at breaking the deadlock position. I will discuss these in the Council meeting next week and also at the Summit, end of June, and I am really hoping that they will give me a clear signal to conclude the negotiations. See the press briefing here.

2011-05-31 The African Unison succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002. There are currently 53 member states (all African states except for Morocco). The African Union coordinates African interests and supports democracy, good governance and economical and social development.

The European Commission and the AU’s Commission meet once every year and this time we met in Brussels. Today we have had bilateral meetings in different constellations. I have discussed migration, visa issues and the situation in Libya with my African counterparts.

2011-05-30 Today I met with religious leaders from all over Europe. The meeting was chaired by President Barroso, together with President Buzek of the European Parliament and President Van Rompuey of the European Council. There were representatives from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions as well as from the Buddhist communities. This is an annual meeting and it provides a more informal setting to discuss and exchange ideas. The meeting today focused on the developments in Northern Africa and how we can further support democracy and freedom of religion in the area. All participants expressed their willingness to work together promoting the values of freedom and democracy as well as the respect for human dignity, and not the least, the need to strengthen women’s role in these countries.

The situation in Libya is extremely worrying. I saw Gaddafi’s speech yesterday where he showed his true colours. I’m pleased to hear about the Libyan ambassadors and politicians standing up to Gaddafi and clearly stating that the violence is not acceptable.

We have to prepare for the worst case scenario and prepare to address a potential situation of migrants coming from the region to the EU. We are exploring the possibility for the Commission to propose that these migrants could stay in the EU temporarily if the situation should deteriorate.

In light of the recent events in North Africa and the Middle East it’s clear that we must renew our European Neighbourhoods Policy (ENP) with more concrete goals. One main element of an enhanced ENP is mobility, for Eastern as well as Southern partners. We need to create an environment where we allow businesses to reinforce their contacts and cooperation, be more open to receive and provide training to students and allow researchers to benefit of the knowledge and expertise available in the EU. We also have to facilitate labour migration.

For me it’s also crucial that a greater emphasis is put on democracy, rule of law and human rights. We haven’t done enough in this respect.