Denmark not part of European asylum office

Setting up of a European Asylum Support Office as proposed by the Commission will not include Denmark.
The Commission has recently adopted a proposal for a Regulation to establish a European Asylum Support Office. This proposal is presented under the Pact on Immigration and Asylum in response to a request by the European Council.
The Justice and Home Affairs Council held a two-day meeting on 26 February and 27 February in Brussels. The Council started with a public exchange of views on a new proposal for establishing a European Asylum Support Office, following a presentation by the Commission.
What is proposed by the Commission is the speedy establishment of an operational agency to coordinate and step up cooperation on asylum between Member States, thus helping to harmonize different national practices. The Office will also help to align existing asylum rules in the EU, according to press releases by the Commission.
However, due to the Danish exemptions of all measures in the area of freedom, security and justice, Denmark is not going to be part of the office and will have no influence on the decision making process, according to Danish national newspapers, Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten.
Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot, responsible for freedom, security and justice, said: “We are actively working to put in place the Common European Asylum System. In this context, it is essential that we align not only our laws but also our practices. The asylum authorities of the Member States have crucial need of material support for their day-to-day operational requirements. Support teams deployed by the Office will also help to find solutions to emergency situations, such as a mass influx of asylum seekers.”
European Economic and Social Committee strongly backs the Commission’s proposal to set up a European Asylum Support Office.
Mario Sepi, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) issued a statement in which he declared the EESC’s wholehearted support for the Commission’s proposal to establish a European Asylum Office.
Current practice in the implementation of the right of asylum illustrates the fact that there are major differences in the way Member States deal with applications for international protection. For example, an Iraqi has a 71% chance of obtaining protection in one Member State but only a 2% chance in another. The Policy Plan on Asylum adopted by the Commission in June 2008 proposed an ambitious extension and overhaul of European legislation on asylum. This work is in progress but needs to be underpinned by a stepping-up of administrative cooperation between the Member States with a view to aligning national practices.
The Office will support Member States in their efforts to implement a more consistent and fair asylum policy, for example by helping to identify good practices, organizing training at European level and improving access to accurate information on countries of origin. It will also be responsible for coordinating support teams made up of national experts that will be deployed at the request of Member States faced with a mass influx of asylum seekers into their territory. It will also provide scientific and technical assistance for the development of asylum policy and legislation.
The Office will be set up in the form of an agency, an independent European body. The Commission and the Member States will be represented on the Management Board, which will be the Office’s governing body. The Office will work closely with the authorities responsible for asylum in the Member States and with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. There will also be a Consultative Forum for dialogue with civil society organizations.
If the proposal is adopted quickly, the Office could be up and running by 2010. Its headquarters will be established in an EU Member State by decision of the Heads of State and Government.

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