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An area of freedom implying a common stable immigration policy and the establishment of a European asylum status.

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The Belgian presidency will guarantee continuity in order to favour the practical development of the initiatives taken under former presidencies and the further examination of the Commission�s proposals, mentioned in the Scoreboard. Our priorities must be seen in the perspective of a global and stable policy on migration flows, in which all immigration and asylum aspects are included. Choosing that kind of policy also implies the member states� commitment to consider the issue of immigration and its control in a common and non-isolated way. A more active policy will be consequently highlighted in order to achieve a harmonisation of asylum and visa-issuing procedures, a strengthening of the fight against illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings, a common policy on extradition and a better control at the current and future external EU frontiers. A European Ministerial Conference on Immigration will give further thought to a series of issues linked to migration problems. The main purpose of that conference is to prepare the guidelines and, for the European Summit in Brussels � Laeken, to provide the elements for the evaluation of the realisation of the Tampere conclusions.

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The Belgian presidency will carry on promoting the Swedish and Commission initiatives for the achievement of a European Asylum System. The following issues will be prior:

- directive on the minimal standards to grant and withdraw the refugee status; that directive surely constitutes a first step towards a common asylum policy.

- revision of the Dublin Convention: the exercise consists in amending that convention into an effective EU act, which would provide clear and, above all, operational rules on the determination of the state responsible for examining asylum requests.

- directive on the harmonisation of minimal common welcoming conditions for asylum seekers; it is about the harmonisation of the assistance to asylum-seekers while their cases are being examined. This text is aimed at reducing secondary movements of asylum seekers who are attracted by the diversity of the rules applicable in the different states.

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Controlling migration flows implies to reaffirm the need to fight against illegal or pseudo- legal immigration, including the struggle against trafficking in human beings and the networks. Furthermore, together with the harmonisation of asylum provisions, efforts should be made in order to set up effective European policies on extradition and control at the external frontiers. The Belgian presidency will also have to care for the enforcement of the declaration adopted on the occasion of the EU troika visit in Sarajevo. It confirms the mutual commitments between the Union and the western Balkan States to achieve a closer collaboration in the field of asylum and immigration. In that context, Belgium will organise an evaluation meeting in Sarajevo in November. The common policy on visa issuing will be strengthened, more specifically, by intensifying the consular cooperation. As far as prevention is concerned, Belgium shall concentrate on the study of the various abnormal forms of migration flows. It shall carry on optimising the "Early Warning System" (EWS) within the CIREFI group. Thanks to that system, the member states should be able to react immediately and to announce their reactions right away to the other states. The Belgian presidency will carry on evaluating the EWS in order to improve it. In accordance with the Tampere conclusions, Belgium will do its best to accelerate the adoption of the Commission�s proposals to approximate the status of third countries citizens who legally reside in a member state to that of the Union�s citizens.

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The fight against trafficking in human beings will be specially promoted. The objective is to develop a better coordination between the EU authorities involved and a more effective cooperation with the organisations and key countries. An operational High Impact action will be held at the future external frontiers of the European Union. Europol, Pre-Eurojust, the member states and the applicant countries will take part. An open debate will be organised with applicant countries on the occasion of a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Europol�s and Eurojust�s support in combating trafficking in human beings will be given priority.

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That conference should give rise to a large debate gathering numerous parties concerned by the immigration issue. The participation of the member and applicant states, the countries of origin, European institutions (Council, Commission and Parliament) and international organisations will allow an open and general discussion on the problem of migration and its major implications. The exercise consists in selecting those aspects and reflections, examined at the conference, on which Belgium will focus and which will be proposed as topics for the discussion between the Heads of State and Government at the Laeken European Council.

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