Brussels, 17/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - At the end of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday 16 March, the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, announced that a joint meeting between EU foreign and home affairs ministers could take place in July to discuss the EU's response to the migration situation in the Mediterranean.
The EU High Representative from Italy insisted that foreign affairs ministers had discussed the issue of immigration “for the first time in 10 years”, this Monday. This discussion is part of the framework for the future Agenda on Immigration that the European Commission is expected to present in the middle of next May. At this meeting, Mogherini and Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, responsible for migration questions, sent a letter to European ministers in an effort to stimulate this discussion and in which they mention the possibility of launching pilot projects on immigration and the fight against the trafficking of human beings by third countries. Other questions covered will include areas of reflection mentioned by Italy last week by the country's Minister for Home Affairs, Angelino Alfano. These suggestions include the setting up of migrant “centres” in non-EU transit countries in which demands for asylum could be processed. Mogherini said that this was just an idea, explaining that no decision had yet been taken and that the concrete proposals from the Foreign Ministers would come later. The High Representative provided assurances that the Foreign Ministers would be focusing on external aspects and cooperating with the High Commission for Refugees. (Solenn Paulic)