Next week, the Commission will reveal whether it intends to open infringement proceedings against member states which have thus far failed to relocate any asylum seekers, Natasha Bertaud, spokesperson for European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, said on Tuesday 6 June.
The Commission was reacting to the announcement from the Czech government on 5 June that it would not take any further asylum seekers under the relocation decisions adopted in September 2015 which set quotas of refugees to be taken by the member states, with the aim of relocating 160,000 people over two years.
Prague highlighted security problems in its decision no longer to receive people from Greece or Italy. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in an interview with a Czech news outlet on 6 June, pointed out, however, that the Czech Republic had taken “only 12 people since last year”, leaving the country considerable room for manoeuvre to take in more people and abide by the principles of solidarity and responsibility, said the spokesperson.
In a new interim report on relocation on 16 May (see EUROPE 11789), Commissioner Avramopoulos indicated that the Commission was running out of patience with the countries that were dragging their feet in implementing the decisions of September 2015 and could, once the full report is presented next week carry out its threats of opening infringement procedures. Most firmly in the Commission’s sights are those states which have hitherto not taken any asylum seekers: Hungary, Poland and Austria.
As for the Czech Republic, Jean-Claude Juncker will travel to Prague on Thursday and Friday, Bertaud said, to discuss all these issues. The meeting of home affairs ministers scheduled to take place in Luxembourg on 9 June will also provide an opportunity to speak about relocation procedures, the issue almost certain to force its way onto the agenda although it is not officially down for discussion, a European source has said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)