(ANSAmed) - STRASBOURG, APRIL 24 - The Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly has approved with 108 in favour out of a
total of 151 the report which places blame on Italy and other
European countries (such as Spain) as well as NATO for the death
of 63 migrants in the Mediterranean in March 2011.
In voting on the report, the assembly rejected all of the
amendments presented by PPE representatives of the Italian
delegation which aimed to eliminate part of the text in which
Italy (as the first country to have received the call for help)
was to be held responsible for assistance coordination.
This is the reason for which 9 of the 13 members of the Italian
delegation in the chamber voted against the report by the Dutch
parliamentarian Tineke Strik.
''With this report a precedent has been set establishing that
the first country to receive an SOS has the duty to provide
rescue assistance,'' underscored Luigi Vitali (PDL), president
of the Italian delegation, adding that ''in any case this is not
a principle contained in any regulation in force''. According to
its sponsor, the regulation exists but has no binding value.
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