The Conference aims at presenting the results of the second comparative law study undertaken by the Academic Network Odysseus. After examining the regularisation of illegal immigrants in the Year 2000, the Netwok has decided to study the question of subsidiary protection of displaced persons in the European Union. This topic is at the heart of the EU agenda, since the European Commission adopted, on the 12th of September 2001, a "proposal for a Council directive laying down minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals and stateless persons as refugees, in accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and the 1967 protocol, or as persons who otherwise need international protection" [COM (2001) 510].

The Conference pursues a dual objective. First, to assess the extent to which domestic laws of the Member States provide humanitarian protection to displaced persons who do not fall within the scope of the Geneva Convention, but who nevertheless cannot be deported on the basis of international law and particularly the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights. Secondly, to evaluate in a prospective way the proposal of directive drafted by the European Commission on the basis of Article 63 §2 of the Amsterdam Treaty.

During the different sessions, each specific subject will be introduced by a comparative law report, followed by a presentation of relevant national legislation which will illustrate the great diversity of answers set up by the Members States of European Union.

The present Conference is a joint initiative of the Research Centre for International and European Aliens and Asylum Law of the University of Konstanz, Germany and the Odysseus Academic Network.