Over the dinner of the European Summit on Thursday 14 December, the European leaders once again discussed the controversial matter of the compulsory relocation mechanisms for asylum seekers. The aim is to set a clear political line on the reform of the so-called 'Dublin' regulation on the European asylum system, which they have pledged to conclude by June 2018.
Leaving the meeting, Jean-Claude Juncker said that it had not been ruled out that if the Council fails to reach consensus at the highest political level, it could vote on this reform by qualified majority.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stressed that solidarity could not apply only to the external plank of the migration policy but must apply internally as well. She went on to say that work must continue on the reform of the European asylum system which, in its current form, is not working.
Calling for solidarity with the countries that are responsible for protecting the external borders of the EU, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, said that it was not possible to meet one's obligations with one's cheque book, in a thinly-veiled reference to the offer made by the countries of the Visegrád group to Italy (see below).
There are still considerable disagreements between the member states, particularly concerning the internal strand of the migration policy, the outgoing Austrian Chancellor, Christian Kern, observed.
According to a European source, no new elements were brought to this discussion of the European leaders, but the elements of solutions to the migration crises, such as relocation, remain on the table. An end to compulsory quotas of asylum seeker was hence not signed off on during this discussion, the source clarified. “Everybody reiterated the sensitive nature” of the matter, the source added, noting that the discussions had been calm and sober, unlike previous meetings to prepare for the summit. At this stage, discussions will continue at the level of the leaders' 'sherpas'.
Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, created a row earlier this week by stating in his preparatory note that these quota systems had proven ineffective and highly divisive. The European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, described the note as anti-European and unacceptable (see EUROPE 11924).
“Differences of opinion and disagreements should not be exaggerated”, said a French government source on Thursday ahead of the discussion of the leaders, adding that by asking the leaders to discuss the matter, Tusk was doing his job and that the future of these quotas would lie at the centre of the discussions. In any case, France is prepared to “seek elements of consensus on the form of this solidarity”, the source added.
According to another European source, the wording of Tusk's note may have been a bit clumsy, but by observing that the temporary but compulsory process of relocating asylum seekers from Greece and Italy had been “ineffective”, Tusk meant that “32,000 people relocated to the member states in two years have not stopped 2 million people coming to Europe in the same period seeking asylum in the EU; in this sense, they have been ineffective as they have not succeeded in reducing flows of migrants”, the source explained. “This is the fundamental point. As it is extremely divisive, is it worth building these mechanisms into the future systems?”
Upon his arrival in Brussels, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, said that solidarity on the part of all member states should certainly be expressed, but “without ending up in excessive stalemates”. Rutte said that it was inconceivable that the member states should pick and choose from the range of solidarity measures, adding that the Estonian compromise recently proposed could be a useful basis.
The proposed compromise of the Estonian Presidency does not stipulate a compulsory relocation of asylum seekers, but subjects this to an agreement between volunteer countries (see EUROPE 11915).
Visegrád countries make a financial gesture as a symbol of their solidarity
On Thursday, upstream of the European Summit, the leaders of the countries of the 'Visegrád Group' (V4) - namely, the leaders of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungary, Viktor Orbán, Slovakia, Robert Fico, and the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš - had met the Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to discuss the highly controversial question of the solidarity between member states in migration matters. At the meeting, the Visegrád countries announced financial aid of €35 million to the Trust Fund for Africa and its North African plank.
In a joint statement, the four leaders of these countries stressed that this action aims once again to demonstrate their firm belief that the migration pressure on Europe can be tackled effectively by ensuring the protection of the external borders, whilst tackling the root causes of migration.
Italy welcomed the pledged financial support, but Gentiloni stressed that it would not change the considerable differences of opinion on the relocation of refugees.
Juncker stressed that the meetings, the last of which was held in October, had been very useful. For instance, they had provided an opportunity to tackle the misunderstandings on either side, President Juncker added. He is hoping for the “closest possible cooperation” with the 'V4' countries. Appearing alongside Prime Minister Orbán following the meeting, the Commission President went on to say that these four countries had provided proof that they were fully aligned with Italy in terms of solidarity. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with the editorial team)