While I hope fervently that war with Iraq can still be avoided, it is the responsibility of decision-makers to hope for the best but plan for the worst. The European Union must be ready to deal with the humanitarian consequences of conflict with Iraq, which could result in a tide of refugees into Iran, Turkey and beyond.

A common European approach to this potential crisis is essential if our area of freedom, security and justice is to have real meaning. I therefore call on the European Commission to draw up as a matter of urgency contingency plans for dealing with an influx of Iraqi refugees. Sufficient resources need to be made available to the UNHCR, UNICEF, the Kurdish administration of Northern Iraq, neighbouring countries and relevant NGOs to deal with a potential humanitarian crisis.

While we may well be able to learn from the experiences of Afghanistan and Kosovo and assist many of the refugees close to their homes, EU countries should also be prepared to share the burden of taking refugees who reach European shores. We also need to put in place financial support to neighbouring countries such as Turkey who will be most affected.