On Wednesday 28 February, representatives from the member states endorsed the extension to the negotiating mandate with the European Parliament on the qualifications criteria for obtaining international protection.
They also added a range of information to request from people applying for international protection or benefiting from it.
According to this annex added to the negotiating mandate, this involves, for example, providing additional information about how to request a residency permit, carry out procedures for obtaining employment or what conditions are required for obtaining healthcare.
On 19 July last, the Council of the EU adopted its general position on this "qualifications" text.
The main objectives in this draft regulation are to attempt to ensure that the member states apply common criteria for identifying people who really need international protection and to provide them with the same raft of rights in all member states, in an effort to avoid secondary movements.
The draft defines the protection granted to beneficiaries, including the duration of permits and their rights on accessing employment, education, social security, healthcare, accommodation and integration. It also limits the right to remain to beneficiaries of international protection to the member state that granted them protection. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)