José Manuel Barroso is hoping for a second term as President of the European Commission. He has already received tacit support from the 27 member states of the EU. But he now needs the votes of parties in the European Parliament before he can be formally reappointed. While he can already count on the support for his candidature of the centre-right European People's Party group, the centre-left Socialists and Democrats and the Liberals and Democrats groups have so far withheld final anointment of Mr Barroso as President-elect. Centre-left parties have issued their own demands that Mr Barroso should address before they will give him support.

It is no wonder, therefore, that in his agenda for what he would do if re-elected, he has focused on issues that are both intrinsically important to the immediate future of Europe as well as having considerable appeal to the broad left of European politics. He needs their votes. Nobody should quarrel with the emphasis Mr Barroso places on taking the EU "out of the current economic crisis and tackling rising unemployment". The 41-page document he prepared listing the plans for his second term of office, tends therefore to highlight economic and social policies as being the most important actions in his work-plan, calling for "a stronger focus on social dimensions in Europe at all levels of decision-making". And, if truth be told, Malta too would echo Mr Barroso's emphasis on the need to get the EU out of the economic crisis in order to tackle the growing threat of unemployment on the island.

What about the vexed issue, for Malta, of illegal immigration? Should Mr Barroso have promised to do more?

When seen against the looming pressures of the economy and rising unemployment in Europe, he has probably got it about right. He talks of the next five years seeing "the development and consolidation of a true common immigration policy, set in the long-term vision that emphasises respect for fundamental rights and human dignity", linking this with the integration of migrants in Europe and matching the needs of the labour market. He has also added, encouragingly, that he might appoint a specific commissioner to deal with immigration.

The crux of the matter, however, is that unless member states show the political will to tackle the problems caused by illegal immigration - especially as these affect border states like Malta and Italy - there is precious little that the European Commission on its own can realistically do. For this Malta has to look to the Swedish Presidency for tangible action, in conjunction with the 26 other countries and, of course, the Commission.

High on this agenda for Malta must be the long-promised and long-awaited pilot project on burden-sharing tailored to the island's unique needs.

The so-called Stockholm Programme must be made to focus on the practical issues that matter if the flow of illegal immigrants from Africa is to be stemmed. This includes a number of priority areas: securing the cooperation of Libya, not simply based on some done deal between Italy and Muammar Gaddafi but through a formal EU/Libya agreement; coordinated initiatives across the EU to return illegally-staying migrants to their countries of origin; and an agreement on the establishment of the European Asylum Support Office.

Solidarity instruments to help southern EU states that are in the front-line wrestling with the practical problems of illegal immigration must be made to prevail.

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