Title	Exchange of Letters Between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Commission (Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security)
Publisher	UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Author	European Commission
Publication Date	15 February 2005
Cite as	UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Exchange of Letters Between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Commission (Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security), 15 February 2005, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/42135cba4.html [accessed 25 May 2023]
Comments	Mr Lubbers signed an agreement, in the form of an exchange of letters, with EC Vice-President Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security (JLS). This replaces a previous arrangement between HCR and then DG JHA geared to the first phase of EU harmonization, and refers to key elements of the Hague Programme. The exchange of letters deals primarily with asylum issues within the European Union, but also the 'external dimension' of EU asylum policy (including the development of Regional Protection Programmes, in conjunction with EC DG Relex and EC DG Development). The letters call for further dialogue on policy issues related to refugee protection between UNHCR and the European Commission, as well as "regular and systematic exchanges of information and analysis on particular issues arising from Member States' national law and practice in relation to the Common European Asylum System and how that affects the situation of refugees, asylum seekers and other persons of concern to UNHCR." This includes a commitment to cooperate on the monitoring and analysis of national law and practice on asylum, and encouraging greater practical cooperation between national asylum services, as well as other 'challenges' of the common European asylum system.