Brussels, 26/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The laborious talks between European leaders in the night of Thursday 25 to Friday 26 June that led to a bare-bones agreement on relocating from Italy and Greece to elsewhere in the EU some 40,000 immigrants in need of international protection (see EUROPE 11343) has had a mixed reaction from the political groupings at the European Parliament.
The Greens/EFA sarcastically commented, in the words of Greens/EFA chair Philippe Lamberts, that solidarity is for other people to do, which he said was the underlying message issued by the summit. He said the leaders had emerged strengthened by their 'common action' that has now become the EU logo, namely to brush problems aside and thus help make the problems bigger. The Greens/EFA feel that the member states took part in an auction in which each was free to offer as little as they liked in terms of accepting refugees.
The S&D group cautiously welcomed the member states' agreement on relocating 40,000 individuals and criticised the member states' refusal to agree on a binding mechanism, as desired by the European Commission. At least there's some kind of agreement, said the Italian leader of the S&D Gianni Pittella, while expressing concern about the details and the focus on sending immigrants back rather than on solidarity.
The Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, railed during the night against his fellow leaders for their reluctance to help Italy and Greece, and Belgian prime minister Charles Michel also expressed disappointment about the talks on migration on Friday 26 June, on the second day of the European Summit. He said Thursday's decision was pathetic and it has been a pointless meeting where virtually no progress had been made. The Belgian leader added that there was a desire from some around the table to show solidarity when it suits them and only when it suits them, which was not acceptable. Europe's leaders at the talks on Thursday, he said, had demonstrated that they did not have a sense of repsonsiblity.
The final version of the conclusions document talks about the temporary and exceptional relocating over two years from Italy and Greece, the member states in the front line, of 40,000 individuals to other member states who clearly need international protection, and all the member states will participate in this. The leaders said, however, that the figures pledged in July would be subject to decision by consensus.
The leaders stressed at length the importance of setting up 'hotspots' to sift asylum-seekers and asked the European Commission to prepare a roadmap on aspects of this by July. They also stressed the readmission policy via high-level exchanges with countries of origin and countries through which the migrants had travelled. Frontex may be given new powers vis-a-vis returns. The situation in the Balkans was also taken into account upon request from Hungary and Bulgaria, which complained about excessive levels of tension over migration.
The agreement was welcomed by Poland, the country of origin of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who opposed the idea of compulsory quotas. Poland's prime minster, Ewa Kopacz, reacted on Friday that they had got what they wanted.
On Friday, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, criticised the length and complexity of the debates, which had lasted nearly six hours. He said they had had tough, frank and honest talks, particularly over the words 'voluntary' and 'compulsory.' Tusk said he thought that words had consequences and that the debate about the meaning of voluntary and compulsory went well beyond a mere question of form.
The president of the European Council pointed out that the acceptance of migrants that was demanded by Brussels was a totally new measure for some countries, which have no experience in the matter. Donald Tusk added that the summit on migration was probably the toughest he'd chaired since he took office as president of the European Council in December.
On Friday, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, criticised the length and complexity of the debates, which had lasted nearly six hours. He said they had had tough, frank and honest talks, particularly over the words 'voluntary' and 'compulsory.' Tusk said he thought that words had consequences and that the debate about the meaning of voluntary and compulsory went well beyond a mere question of form.
The president of the European Council pointed out that the acceptance of migrants that was demanded by Brussels was a totally new measure for some countries, which have no experience in the matter. Donald Tusk added that the summit on migration was probably the toughest he'd chaired since he took office as president of the European Council in December. (Solenn Paulic with CG and JK)