By Martin Banks - 30th May 2011
This is not then the time for us Europeans to become less open
Herman Van Rompuy
EU council president Herman Van Rompuy has made an impassioned plea against people becoming "less tolerant and more selfish".
His comments come in the wake of the latest row on illegal migration between Malta and Italy, with the latter accusing Malta of failing to help migrants in distress.
On Sunday, the Italian coastguard said it had been forced to help a vessel in distress carrying 209 migrants and took them to Lampedusa island, off the Italian coastline, because it said Malta had failed to intervene.
Italy later said Malta had "once again" shirked its responsibilities towards north African migrants, leaving it up to Italy to "avoid a new tragedy".
Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Van Rompuy said, "Let us not forget history. It is on the march in north Africa and the Arab world.
"This long march to freedom and justice. This is not then the time for us Europeans to become less open, less tolerant, more selfish or materialistic, even more racist."
Although Van Rompuy did not mention the latest spat between Italy and Malta directly, his comments will be taken as an implicit reference to the continuing plight of migrants trying to escape to Europe from Libya and other trouble-torn areas of the Arab world.
Van Rompuy was speaking at a news conference after a meeting between top EU officials and senior representatives from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions.
Speaking at the same event, parliament's president Jerzy Buzek said that "solidarity-building" in Poland in the recent past had been achieved "on the basis of close cooperation" between the church and citizens.
The Polish deputy added, "Religious communities are of paramount importance for the social fabric in EU countries. This is also true for the dynamic changes in our neighbourhood.
"Parliament has always stressed that the freedom of religion or belief is one of the most fundamental human rights.
"In order to be fully effective, the EU needs to cooperate with religious groups on issues ranging from education and healthcare, to rebuilding post-conflict societies."
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