On Wednesday 15 November, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU defined its position on the regulation establishing a framework for the resettlement for admission into the EU of people requiring international protection. On the basis of this mandate, the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU explained in a press release that it would be beginning negotiations with the European Parliament, which adopted its position on 12 October.
Andres Anvelt, the Estonian Minister for the Interior, quoted in the press release, explained, “Resettlement is a strategic instrument for managing migration flows but it is also an important legal means of providing protection to those who really need it”.
The Presidency adds that the main objectives of this draft regulation are to provide common rules for humanitarian resettlement and admission, contribute effectively to global humanitarian resettlement and admission initiatives and help relieve pressure on third countries where a large number of people requiring international protection have been displaced.
The Council will adopt a European humanitarian admission and readmission plan for a two-year period on the basis of a Commission proposal. This plan will include the maximum total number of people to be admitted, as well as the contributions from the member states to these people and the overall geographic priorities. The member states will contribute to the humanitarian resettlement and admission plan on a voluntary basis.
On 12 October, Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) called on the member states to take charge of 20% of the annual global requirements issued by the UNHCR and highlighted the fact that the resettlement of refugees could not be linked to cooperation efforts on returns by the countries involved (see EUROPE 11882). Coreper has not retained the targets set out and is maintaining a link between the cooperation efforts made by countries on returns and the resettlement programmes. The date of the first trialogue had not yet been arranged when we went to press on Thursday 16 November. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)