Short shots: EU immigration policy
The European Commission will soon present a Green Paper (i.e. a non-legislative document) examining the changes to the European education landscape to accomodate migrant children, the institution’s press service is reporting.
Also, the recent Eurobarometer survey shows that European citizens want to see the Union - not national governments - take the lead on key issues in interior policy (dubbed Justice and Home Affairs in EU jargon), including on counter-terrorism and immigration measures. The Lisbon Treaty foresees a change of legal basis under which legislation can be proposed and approved for matters in this area, giving greater influence to the European Parliament, the only directly elected body of the European Union.
July 4th, 2008 at 5:50 am
The devil is in the detail:
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb_special_en.htm#290
Page 40/62 gives the quantity of people questioned.
The UK was represented by 0.0027% of the voting public.
Not as many as one would like to offer credible results.
Also, I have reservations on the phrasing of some questions and the effect of leading people’s decisions on subsequent questions.
In short the survey is flawed.
Even the survey authors are using careful language:
“Generally speaking it can be postulated that EU citizens are most supportive of more EU influence in areas of justice and home affairs where they may expect a higher level of security from EU action than from national action.”
Generally speaking one has to take such surveys with a large dose of salt!