In Luxembourg on Thursday 13 October, EU ministers for the interior will discuss the operational introduction of the new European Border and Coast Guard, which was officially inaugurated on 6 October. This is expected to have a permanent reserve of 1,500 guards by the beginning of December. Ministers will also discuss the two regulations still currently being negotiated with the European Parliament – the regulation on systematic controls (on the basis of police data systems) in European airports of nationals from third countries but also for EU nationals, and the regulation on registering travellers from third countries who come to the EU for short stays (entry/exit system).
They will also discuss new reforms of the European asylum system, particularly the Dublin Regulation, but are not expected to tackle the most sensitive issues such as the corrective mechanism for relocating asylum seekers.
During Thursday’s Home Affairs meeting, no decision is expected. Ministers are expected to continue to draw up a balance sheet of the progress made in the measures taken following the migration crisis of 2015 and with regard to the new European Border and Coast Guard and the EU-Turkey agreement of 18 March. At dinner, they will discuss progress with targeted partnerships with five African countries (Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Ethiopian and Senegal). These partnerships involve a combination of tackling immigration and strengthening the returns of irregular migrants, as well as development aid.
During a presentation of the new European agency, which replaces Frontex (see other article), some ministers are expected to point out the fact that the “context remains very worrying”, said one diplomatic source on Wednesday mornin,g but that things were, nevertheless, “moving in the right direction”. Since the beginning of 2016, around 435,000 illegal entries at European borders have been identified. This remains "enormous", the source said, but it was in fact a 48% reduction compared to the same period in 2015. The Eastern Mediterranean remains the preferred route of entry with 173,000 crossings, the diplomatic source stated - which represents a fall of 57%. The situation on the central Mediterranean route has remained more or less stable compared to 2015, with 128,000 arrivals.
On the question of migration, ministers will examine pending dossiers, such as the entry-exit system, that consists of a registration programme for shortstay travellers in the EU. Seven member states, particularly France, would like to include European nationals in this, which is not yet the case in the proposal. They will also discuss setting up the ETIAS system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, for which the Commission will be providing details in November.
As regards systematic external border controls, the principle for which – including for European nationals – was introduced by ministers at the end of 2015, divergences remain with the European Parliament, which would like to extend certain derogations. Some member states are opposed to this. The Parliament argues that there are practical difficulties, such as the long queues at European airports. The proposal seeks to help control travellers who cross EU borders on the basis of European police files, such as the SIS, irrespective of whether they are third country or European nationals.
In the context of a common European asylum system, ministers will hold an orientation debate on the new Eurodac regulation, the digital fingerprint database to which European law enforcement agencies will be able to have broader and easier access.
On the question of the Dublin Regulation, they will not going into any detail on the draft reform aimed at creating a corrective asylum seeker relocation mechanism when a country finds itself overwhelmed. This automatic and permanent mechanism in the event of sudden migratory crises, would be based, if accepted, on a relocation system through quotas calculated according to specific criteria. Many member states do not want this permanent mechanism and no majority has currently been obtained on this proposal put forward by the Commission last May. These countries believe that this would have the effect of making the first country where migrants enter less responsible, although the responsibility of this country, they believe, must remain the flagship principle for the Dublin system that organises the competencies between member states in terms of processing demands for asylum.
Th ministers will not be discussing alternative solutions, particularly the option of “flexible solidarity” advocated by countries in the east, which has gradually been winning support from Western Europeans. No alternative proposal is currently on the table but heads of state and government could, nonetheless, produce some possible options at the end of their meeting in 20-21 October to put this flexible solidarity into practice, for which the formula will not, however, be retained as it stands.
European Prosecutor’s Office. On Friday 14 October, justice ministers will take over from the interior ministers for a session essentially dominated by the issue of the European Prosecutor’s Office – which is supposed to receive the political approval of ministers after more than three years of debate. The Slovak Presidency wants to obtain a political agreement in principle on the final articles in the regulation on the Prosecutor’s Office, which will be tackling the fraud of European financial interests. This involves articles on the rules relating to legal controls, relations with third countries and cooperation with non-participating states, such as Denmark, Ireland and United Kingdom. On the directive on protecting financial interests (PFI), ministers could possibly speak in favour of including the issue of VAT fraud but as part of the regulation on the Prosecutor's Office - and only in cases of serious fraud, explained one source (see EUROPE 11643). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)