Timmermans: Stronger than the challenge of the refugee crisis the EU

SUNDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2015

Timmermans: Stronger than the challenge of the refugee crisis the EU

In the first year of the mandate of the new European Commission was faced only crises and the current refugee crisis European politics is going through a severe test, but the European Union is stronger from this challenge, and "if we can get through this refugee crisis then all the other crises will be toys, "said vice president of the European Commission, Franz Timmermans in an interview on public Austrian Radio.

He, welcoming the agreement reached with Turkey on the refugee issue, considers it essential to continue the dialogue with that country, not only to the refugee crisis, but also in relation to human rights and the rule of law.

In his view it is necessary to bring anyone to the table, other than Turkey, both Russia as the US and Iran to discuss peace in Syria, because otherwise there will be no improvement to the issue of the refugee crisis.
Moreover, he noted that care should be taken so that refugees remain in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon and not to come to Europe, and this can be done if conditions improve in these countries, where necessary for this is schools, work and medical care.

As the vice president of the European Commission, the agreement with Turkey envisages the relocation of refugees and therefore it is important that people do not come to Europe through illegal traffickers, but the EU must be able to identify refugees where they are and then brings them to Europe.

Only then can a precise knowledge that helps genuine refugees and only in this way can prevent the drowning of so many people in the Mediterranean, he added.
Stressing the importance of protecting the EU's external borders, Franz Timmermans rejected the proposal of the head of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem to establish a "Mini Schengen" and expressed dissatisfaction with the existing delays, noting that there is progress but very slowly, something resulting in many people in the EU would no longer support the policy on asylum.

However he, as he said, does not believe in a dilution of the EU, and stressed that the EU is the best there is, he has not seen anything better in European history and therefore of great value to efforts that this refugee crisis does not lead to dissolution of the EU.