(ANSA) - Tallinn, June 30 - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that Italy and Greece needed extra help from the EU to cope with the Mediterranean asylum-seeker crisis. "Next week I'll meet the premiers of Italy and Greece (to talk about) what supplementary efforts the European Commission can make to alleviate the efforts of these two countries in their heroic battle," he said.
Juncker added that "the reform of the European asylum system has taken too long", expressing the hope that "unity will be demonstrated" over "the next six months" under the Estonian duty presidency of the EU. Juncker made the statement during a visit of the college of commissioners to kick off the Estonian presidency of the Council of the EU.