Rome believes that immigration quotas could be offered by the EU to partner states that agree to combat illegal immigration and sign readmission agreements with the “fifteen,” which assume a willingness to take back those who illegally entered EU countries from their territory. Each EU country would then set such quotas itself.
Italy's Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu told his colleagues that by this method - immigration quotas plus readmission and cooperation agreements - “Rome curbed immigration from Albania and reduced immigration from Tunisia by 90%.” His colleagues asked the European Commission to study the matter by spring 2004 and answer how realistic and effective it might be. So far, however, no fundamental agreement has been given. The main doubt is to what extent the proposed quota would reduce the main source of trouble in this area - illegal immigration.
The Italian initiative gained greater support from Mediterranean countries, as well as from Ireland and Austria, where such a system already operates. “The idea is good if systems for assessing the effectiveness of cooperation with third countries are also established,” stressed the Spanish Interior Minister Ángel Acebes. His country, incidentally, has already agreed on a quota system with Morocco and Ecuador.
The northerners, however, are still cautious, although only Finland has raised formal objections. This group of states prioritizes the fact that the situation on national labor markets is not uniform, and therefore the issue of legal immigration policy should remain the prerogative of member states, not the EU as a whole.
European Commission member António Vitorino, responsible for justice and home affairs, does not argue with this: “Quotas will not be determined in Brussels, but by each country, depending on the state of its labor market, its capacity to receive immigrants, and historical and cultural ties.” He recalled that the EU feels a need for legal immigration, which is driven by demographic and economic reasons.