Brussels, 06/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 October, MEPs examined the results of the emergency European Summit on the migration crisis and most of the MEPs called on member states to go ahead and implement the decisions taken at the summit.
Pointing out, like Gianni Pittella, leader of the S&D group, that the institution had been promised to react and adopt as a matter of urgency the most recent decision to relocate 120,000 individuals, the MEPs made a number of criticisms. Some, like Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, France), pointed out the paucity of responses or, like Guy Verhofstadt, head of the ALDE group, criticised the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, for being slow to organise the special summit.
The MEPs raised the question of cooperation with Turkey, changes to the Dublin rules, opening legal immigration routes to the EU and management of the EU's external borders.
The president of the European Commission admitted MEPs that it had taken a little time for the Council to agree, but it was time to stop blaming. He said that through its rapid reaction, the EP had demonstrated that it was on top of European work and had in a sense forced the Council to follow suit. Juncker announced that staff from DG Migration and Domestic Affairs helping Greece would be doubled and 600 officials would be sent to boost Frontex. He spoke about the visit to Brussels the day before by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (see related article), saying that the EU and Turkey would “move together” on the question of immigration. Ten European officials would shortly be sent to Turkey to negotiate the arrangements, and the first vice-president of the Commission, Frans Timmermans, has been sent to Ankara too to negotiate these agreements.
The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that Turkey was a crucial partner. He said that one could have a desire to lecture Turkey or have it by Europe's side, and this was a dilemma that had to be solved. Tusk said there was no other option than cooperating with Turkey. The president of the European Council said that while there were still divisions over the management of migration, there was a little more hope today than there had been a few weeks ago that the EU would reach a common position. He pointed out the challenges facing Turkey, which said on Monday that 3 million more refugees might arrive from Aleppo and the surrounding areas and a victory of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, backed by Russia and Iran, would lead to a new wave of migrants. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)