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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBS #0307/01 0641348
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051348Z MAR 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000307 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS PREL PREF SMIG KCRM EUN
SUBJECT: EU MINISTERS REVIEW SITUATION OF IRAQI REFUGEES, STATE OF 
PLAY OF "SIS II" 
 
REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1538 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  Apart from the issue of Guantanamo detainees (see USEU mail 
exchanges), EU Home Affairs ministers at the February 26 Justice and 
Home Affairs Council meeting also covered a number of immigration 
and asylum issues, including the situation of Iraqi refugees in 
Europe, the state of play of the upgrading of the Schengen 
Information System ("SIS II") and a joint initiative by Greece, 
Cyprus, Malta and Italy on the fight against illegal immigration in 
the Mediterranean.  Full text of the Council conclusions is 
available from the Council website (http://consilium.europa.eu). 
END SUMMARY. 
 
IRAQI REFUGEES IN EUROPE 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  The Commission briefed Ministers in the JHA Council on progress 
made regarding the reception of Iraqi refugees following the 
adoption of conclusions by the November 27, 2008 Council (REFTEL), 
which called on Member States to take in Iraqi refugees in a 
particularly vulnerable situation.  Commission Vice-President Barrot 
offered no specific comment in contacts with press.  The Dutch 
reported on a high-level meeting convened in The Hague on December 
1-2, 2008 with the aim of contributing to a coordinated response by 
the EU to migratory flows from or to Iraq.  In particular, ministers 
also noted information provided by the Netherlands on the 
establishment of a "Temporary Desk on Iraq."  The Desk's mandate 
would be "to determine how immigration services could improve their 
practical cooperation on protection, particular pressures, 
resettlement and return." 
 
SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3.  The Commission made a presentation to the Schengen Mixed 
Committee (EU countries + Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and 
Switzerland) on the development of SIS II, the project of a second 
generation of the Schengen Information System necessary for 
outstanding Member States to be integrated into the database and 
fully participate in the border-free cooperation area.  Pending the 
development of SIS II, nine new EU countries were integrated into 
the current "SIS 1+" application (henceforth called "SISone4all") in 
2007 and  Switzerland joined the system in 2008.  The entry into 
operation of a new, technically upgraded SIS II application was 
originally scheduled for September 2009. 
 
¶4.  The Council adopted conclusions noting the current status of the 
SIS II project, "in which a number of problems persist," as well as 
the Commission's view that all technical outstanding difficulties 
"can be resolved without a major redesign of the SIS II 
application."  The conclusions recognize that the original target 
date of September 2009 for migration from the SIS 1+ to SIS II is 
"no longer realistic."  They welcome the completion of a feasibility 
study as a basis for creating a workable alternative technical 
scenario for developing SIS II based on SIS 1+ evolution as part of 
a contingency plan.  They request that the Presidency and the 
Commission submit "as soon as possible but at the latest by May 
2009, a report containing an in-depth assessment and comparison of 
both scenarios."   Minister Langer said it would be possible to have 
a clearly defined view of the options by mid-May so that the Council 
could decide on how to proceed from there. 
 
EUROPEAN ASYLUM SUPPORT OFFICE 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  Vice-President Barrot made a presentation to the Council of the 
Commission proposal for establishing a "European Asylum Support 
Office" as an agency (without decision-making powers) designed to 
coordinate and improve cooperation on asylum matters among EU 
countries and assist them in comparing good practices and organizing 
training at EU level.  The draft foresees that the agency, with an 
estimated initial budget of 5 million euro, will be governed by a 
management board where all Member States will be represented, 
together with the Commission and a representative of the UNHCR. 
Subject to approval by the Council and European Parliament, the 
Asylum Support Office could be operational in 2010.  Minister Langer 
told reporters the Commission presentation got overall support, 
saying the Presidency can now proceed with negotiations on the draft 
piece of legislation.   The decision on the future location of the 
new body has been reserved for the EU leaders. 
 
¶6.  EU officials noted significant differences in Member States' 
ways of dealing with applications for international protection. 
Many of these discrepancies are due, they said, "to non-legislative 
factors," such as the variety of practices or differences in 
information on the applicants' country of origin. Setting up an 
 
BRUSSELS 00000307  002 OF 002 
 
 
office to promote the exchange of information and to support the 
asylum authorities' day-to-day operations was part of EU efforts to 
harmonize these practices.  As an illustration, a country faced with 
a massive influx of asylum seekers would be able to request help for 
coordinating and arranging emergency accommodation and medical 
assistance. 
 
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Italy tabled a joint paper intended to 
raise awareness and to recommend action at EU level on the 
challenges posed by illegal migration and asylum in the 
Mediterranean.  The four countries are aiming at a reinforcement of 
practical cooperation measures and coordinated synergies to enhance 
the capacity of Member States to protect the lives of illegal 
migrants and to regulate the flows of migrants entering the EU by 
sea or land borders.  The measures would include a strengthening of 
FRONTEX (the Warsaw-based agency for the management of operational 
cooperation at the EU's external borders) and of joint operations in 
the Mediterranean region.  Commission Vice-President Barrot said the 
paper would be duly taken into account in preparations for the 
future five-year program of EU activities in JHA matters (the 
"Stockholm program," to succeed the current "Hague program" covering 
the years 2005-2009).  Barrot noted that the four countries already 
benefited from the European Refugee Fund.  He said he would pay 
visits to Lampedusa and Malta to further reaffirm the solidarity of 
the EU and the Commission with the countries concerned. 
 
MURRAY