While no breakthrough is expected on European asylum reform, however, EU interior ministers will be invited, at the EU Council meeting on Thursday, 7 March in Brussels, to take note of a progress report on the various elements of the legislative package (‘asylum’ package) presented by the Commission in May 2016. They should also have a discussion on this subject, a diplomatic source said the day before.
On 5 March, the European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, called on interior ministers, but also on European leaders, who will meet at the end of March, to make the necessary efforts to adopt this asylum package, which will leave Europe "protected” and less vulnerable, he said at a press conference (see other news).
However, the Romanian Presidency recently failed to receive a negotiating mandate from the EU Council on the most advanced parts of the ‘asylum’ package, which would have enabled it to make progress by organising trilogues.
The “logic package" - linked to the Dublin Regulation - prevailed, this source recalled, and ministers should therefore essentially continue their discussions on the temporary disembarkation regime for migrants.
The discussion began in January and is now proving to be "quite positive", added this source, refusing, however, to give a precise number of countries that have agreed to join this mechanism. "A large number" of countries support the general principles of this temporary scheme, which aims to relieve the countries of arrival, she said.
However, the questions raised by this mechanism remain broadly the same as those raised at the informal meeting of ministers in Bucharest - explains another source - and continue to focus on the migration routes concerned or on the types of action to express solidarity. For the Romanian Presidency, it will therefore be a question of continuing to clarify all these aspects.
After this discussion, the ministers will also have an exchange of views on measures to support North African countries in managing migration and actions that Member States can take to this end.
The discussion will be general and will cover a wide range of aspects, the mechanism of regional disembarkation platforms not being precisely identified as an element of the discussion. Rather, it is a question of how Member States can support the actions already carried out by these countries in the management of their borders or in the care of migrants.
Earlier in the morning, ministers were informed of the results of the first trilogue on the new mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, held on 27 February (see EUROPE 12204).
Terrorism and free elections
On their agenda, the ministers will have a discussion on the actions taken in recent years, particularly legislative ones, against terrorism; they will ask themselves what has worked and what still needs to be done in this area. One of the Commission's key legislative initiatives, the removal of terrorist content from the web within one hour, is currently being discussed in the European Parliament, as the EU Council adopted its mandate on 6 December (see EUROPE 12154). However, according to British MEP Daniel Dalton (CRE), rapporteur on this regulation, there would be no support for the European Parliament for this withdrawal measure within the hour, he said Wednesday at noon during a public debate.
Finally, the ministers will conclude their meeting with an overview of the measures taken at EU level to ensure free and transparent European elections, protected from foreign interference. The EU Council adopted conclusions to this effect on 19 February (see EUROPE 12197).
Money laundering
At this meeting, the EU Council will also take note of its decision to reject the new list drawn up by the Commission of 23 third countries whose anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing systems are deficient and threaten the European financial system (see EUROPE 12193). It is expected that the unanimous decision of the 28 Member States, accompanied by a political declaration, will be adopted without discussion at the beginning of the meeting (see EUROPE 12205). Nevertheless, it is not unlikely that the European Commission will take the floor to defend its list (see other news). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic and Marion Fontana)