Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-04-08-Speech-2-168"
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"en.20030408.4.2-168"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to begin by pointing out that establishing common standards on the question of family reunification is for us an important element in a real common immigration policy. This is an outcome of the Tampere European Council deliberations and was recently confirmed at Laeken. It is, however, a very sensitive subject in which it is natural that national realities should loom large. Hence it is difficult to reach solutions and compromises, which indeed accounts for the fact that this proposal has been under discussion in the Council for almost two years.
The Commission has thus come up with this new proposal; although it is far from ideal, it is certainly feasible and will allow a start to be made on the process of harmonising legislation on admission for family reunification purposes. I must therefore congratulate the Commissioner, Mr António Vitorino, on the pragmatic approach that has made it possible to deal with the points that were still causing problems and include the compromises that have in fact been reached in the Council. I consider this solution of a multi-stage process a judicious one, as it provides for great flexibility on the points where there is still stalemate, while at the same time granting national legislations some room for manoeuvre. I also congratulate him on the provision he has termed a rendezvous, which establishes that this flexibility and derogation will be subject to priority review after two years.
For all these reasons, while congratulating Mrs Carmen Cerdeira Morterero on the work she has done, I have to criticise her attempt to broaden the scope of family reunification too far; I believe this is undesirable not just because it is not possible in this first stage in view of the diversity of national legislation on this subject, but also because it may lead to situations of uncontrolled abuse in which the receiving country is unable to create the necessary conditions for full integration and the peaceful coexistence of foreigners and nationals.
I should also like to recall that we have here a directive that is attempting to impose minimum standards, whereby the Member States, according to their traditions and national legislation, have every right to adopt more favourable rules on family reunification. I hope, Mr President, that, regardless of our differences of opinion – which are natural and, in any case, essential in a democracy – we can pool our efforts to set up a clear, transparent legal framework to ensure that legal immigrants are integrated into the receiving countries. Family reunification is certainly one factor in this framework that will encourage the personal stability of the immigrant and support this integration."@en1
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