Friday, 6th November 2009 - 10:20CET

EU negotiations with Libya to continue this month

The fifth round of Framework negotiations between the European Commission and Libya will take place this month, with cooperation in migration, asylum, border management and visa forming part of the negotiation package which is yet to be agreed on.

This was said by European Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner to MEP Simon Busuttil MEP, in reply to a European parliamentary question.

Despite being non-committal on the timing of this agreement, the Commissioner said she was aiming to build upon concrete results already reached in these negotiations.

Ms Ferrero-Waldner referred to development cooperation with Libya in a number of areas in the short term to prevent the entry into, exit from Libya of illegal immigrants as well as improving the treatment of migrants in respect of human rights and international law, including the facilitation of their identification.

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner expressed her positive consideration towards extending its assistance towards funding pilot actions in Libya, subject to an agreement with its authorities.

Simon Busuttil is EPP spokesperson on justice and home affairs and has conducted two EP delegation missions in Libya during the last parliamentary mandate.

Previous article • Mental health crisis intervention service to be set up
Next article • Press bodies slam student newspaper ban

Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Monday, November 23, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

louise vella (2 weeks, 3 days ago)

Will there be 20 rounds, 100 or a 1000 rounds of talks before Libya agrees to stop the illegal immigrants and their boats from leaving the Libyan shores? And how many years? Would it not be more practical for the EU to stop the boats or dissuade them with a coastguard?

Mark Seychell (2 weeks, 3 days ago)

As noble as this proposal sounds, unfortunately whether Libya agree or not, the Libyan authorities will simply take no action as usual.

Charles Sammut (2 weeks, 3 days ago)

If Libya allows illegal immigrants to depart from its shores, it is critcised. If It tries to stop them it is also criticised in the name of "human rights".

When is it going to dawn upon the EU luminaries that "human rights" can never be universal but are relative like everything else? Likewise, the value of human life varies widely all over the planet.