2023-10-04 19:50:21
Time.news – “The EU ambassadors have reached an agreement on the Regulation which addresses crisis and force majeure situations in the field of migration and asylum”. The announcement comes, in a post on X, from the Spanish presidency of the EU Council. Followed, shortly afterwards, by the words of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission: “I welcome the positive political agreement reached by the Member States”.
“This – adds von der Leyen – is a real turning point that allows us to continue negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. United we can realize the Pact before the end of this mandate“.
I welcome the successful political agreement reached by the Member States on the Crisis Proposal.
This a real game changer that allows us to advance negotiations with @Europarl_EN and @EUCouncil.
United we can deliver on the Pact before the end of this mandate.
#MigrationEU— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 4, 2023
What the text contains
The reference to NGOs that was inserted last week and which had caused the negotiations to stall has disappeared from the text. This is what Time.news learns from a diplomatic source. The same source explained that what made today’s agreement possible was the agreement reached by Italy and Germany after several diplomatic discussions, with Berlin’s step backwards compared to last week’s meeting of the EU Internal Affairs Council and therefore with the return to the text approved in July by the member states, including Italy.
Unlike July, only Poland and Hungary (against), the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria (abstained) did not support the agreement. Today’s approval of the EU Council’s mandate on the Crisis Regulation, the main obstacle to the start of the final negotiations on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, will allow the start of trilogues with the European Parliament.
Furthermore, the document defines the framework of action for States in dealing with difficult and crisis scenarios, adapting some rules, such as those relating to registration of asylum applications or the asylum procedure at the borderand giving countries under pressure the possibility to request solidarity and support measures from the EU and its member states.
Specifically, “in a situation of crisis or force majeure, Member States may be authorized to apply specific rules regarding the asylum and return procedure. In this sense, among other measures, the registration of applications for international protection may be completed within four weeks of their submission, easing the burden on overburdened national administrations,” the Council explained.
As regards the request for support and solidarity, “a Member State that finds itself facing a crisis situation may request solidarity contributions from other EU countries”, specified the Council. These contributions can be in three ways.
The first consists of “the relocation of asylum seekers or beneficiaries of international protection from the Member State in crisis situation to the Member States that provide support”. The second concerns “responsibility compensation, i.e. the supporting Member State assumes responsibility for examining asylum requests with the aim of alleviating the Member State which finds itself in a crisis situation”. The third method involves “financial contributions or alternative solidarity measures”.
The Council clarified that these exceptional measures and this solidarity support require the authorization of the Council in accordance with the principles of necessity and proportionality and in full respect of the fundamental rights of third-country nationals and stateless persons.
Scholz: “A historic turning point”
The agreement reached in Brussels between the 27 member countries of the European Union on a key text for migration policy represents “a historic turning point”: the German Chancellor declared it on
Metsola: “An important step”
“Today’s agreement between member states on the Regulation on crises” on migration “is an important step that unlocks one of the greatest challenges of our generation. Now we must create an EU Pact on migration and asylum. The European Parliament is ready “. The president of the European Parliament declared it.
Tajani: “Success of the Italian government and the EU”
The agreement reached by the EU on the regulation of crises for migrants will allow “speed up the time needed to provide a concrete response to the fight against traffickers” and will pave the way for new EU rules, approved before the end of the legislature. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is convinced of this. The head of diplomacy, who says he is very satisfied, speaks of “the success of the Italian government and the EU”.
“We had asked to work for an agreement between all EU countries, but surprisingly Germany had presented a text that also referred to NGOs and that didn’t suit us because it went against our interests”, recalled Tajani.
“In the end, diplomacy, common sense and the line of the Italian government prevailed. We are more than satisfied because this agreement will allow us to speed up the approval of the text in the Commission-Council-Parliament trilogue discussions to give new rules to the fight against illegal immigration. We cannot waste any more time, we need an agreement before the end of the legislature.”
“We have launched appeals to the EU and the UN, many have listened to us, France has followed our line, now it seems that Germany has adopted a less rigid position and this allows us to speed up the process and give a concrete response to the fight to traffickers,” he added.
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