"It is absolutely essential to convene an extraordinary Council of EU Heads of State and Government in the next few days to deal with an epic emergency comparable in intensity and scale to the fall of the Soviet Bloc in 1989", said Mario Mauro MEP, Head of the Italian Delegation (PDL) of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, explaining the content of a letter he sent today to the European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, to the European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, and the European Parliament President, Jerzy Buzek.

"What is happening in the Maghreb countries has to fully put into question the weakness of the EU Mediterranean Strategy. The European Commission's solidarity initiatives or parliamentary debates will not be enough, nor will the prompt use of FRONTEX instruments. We must realise that history is making us face a challenge that has to be tackled with the same determination and the same resources used in recent years to stabilise Eastern European countries. Southern European countries should not be left alone to deal with this urgency", Mr Mauro concluded.

For further information:
Mario MAURO MEP, Tel: +33-3-88-175387
Francesco Frapiccini, EPP Group Press & Communications Service, Tel: +32-473-941652

Notes to Editors:
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 265 Members.