Displaced persons: temporary protection in the event of a mass influx, Member States' admission

PURPOSE : to establish minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons from third countries who are unable to return to their country of origin and to promote a balance of effort between Member States in receiving and bearing the consequences of receiving such persons. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Directive 2001/55/EC. CONTENT : This Directive: - establishes minimum standards to ensure a balance in the efforts of the Member States in receiving refugees and displaced persons; - establishes a maximum duration for the temporary protection arrangements. The text provides for a duration of one year with the possibility of an automatic extension byu two six-monthly periods. Where reasons for temporary protection persist, the Council may decide a further extension of up to one year; - provides for the protection to be granted immediately, once the Council has decided by qualified majority that a mass influx has occurred; a Council decision extending the duration of temporary protection shall also be adopted by qualified majority; - lays down the obligations of the Member States with regard to: the rights to be granted to beneficiaries of teporary protection, in particular the right to work, housing, emergency health care, maintenance support, education and the right to family reunification; mechanisms for access to the asylum procedure; measures relating to return following the end of temporary protection measures; - establish a solidarity mechanism based on the principle of double voluntary actions (requiring the consent of both the person benefiting from temporary protection and the host Member State). ENTRY INTO FORCE : 07/08/2001. IMPLEMENTATION : 31/12/2002.�