The Dutch government intends to have an impact on the deliberations on the future of the European Union at the meeting of the EU Twenty-Seven.
In advance of the European Summit in Sibiu, where deliberations on the EU's strategic agenda to 2025 will begin (see EUROPE 12247/1), the Netherlands sent its partners documents on the following six themes: migration, security, a strong and sustainable economy, climate action (see EUROPE 12250/2), defending European values in the world, and EU governance.
On the subject of migration, for example, the Netherlands highlights the close links between the European asylum system and the Schengen area of free movement of persons. “Lack of mutual trust in respective asylum systems of Member States is an obstacle in getting ‘back to Schengen’”, they stress.
The Dutch approach to migration issues mainly involves advocating a tightening of European rules with, as a starting point, effective protection of the EU's external borders and strict limits on secondary movement, where migrants who are already in the EU travel to a Member State other than the one where they apply for asylum.
The Dutch government recommends that, where there is strong migratory pressure on a front-line country, a system for relocating refugees should be set up at EU level via a "separate legal framework”.
The Netherlands also believes that “it is far too easy to stay in the EU illegally”, noting that the number of irregular migrants who travel within the EU and appear on more than one occasion in Eurodac, the European fingerprint identification system, continues to increase.
In order to restrict secondary movement, they advocate reducing the delays inherent in asylum application procedures. In their view, reception conditions need to be further harmonised “including limiting the access to social benefits, accommodation and withdrawing the procedure in case of non-cooperation of the asylum seeker”. In addition, returning illegal migrants to their countries of origin is the “Achilles' heel” of the EU's migration policy, according to the Netherlands, who believe that the priority for such operations should be those people who disturb public order.
The Dutch government also believes that integration of refugees in Member States should be encouraged, particularly by means of a specific allocation from the European Social Fund after 2020 (ESF+).
No compromise on the rule of law
“The rule of law is a key priority”, stress the Dutch authorities, who want to make this principle a condition for European co-financing. They support the idea, promoted by Belgium and Germany in particular, of establishing a peer review mechanism for the rule of law in order to increase dialogue between Member States (see EUROPE 12217/3).
On the subject of EU governance, the Netherlands emphasises the European Commission’s function: its role as Guardian of the Treaties could be strengthened to ensure better compliance with EU rules.
“How, with 28 Member States, can we pursue this goal of more convergence in EU implementation?”, asked a diplomat on Monday, 6 May. He was of the view that the Commission's role should be refocused not just with regard to legislative initiatives, but also so that it can monitor the implementation of the rules and ensure that there are no major differences in national legislation.
In their document, the Dutch government identifies several areas where EU legislation could be better applied: the internal market, workers' rights, food safety, the environment, animal welfare, financial penalties of an administrative or criminal nature.
Last of all, in addition to increased transparency in the legislative process at EU level, the Dutch government advocates continued respect for the principle of subsidiarity. Speaking to the European Parliament in June 2018, the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, rejected the idea of an ever closer Union, calling on the EU to focus on areas where it brings greater added value (see EUROPE 12040/2).
It should be noted that the idea was put forward of a 'green card', which would allow national parliaments to take the initiative by asking the Union to act in a particular area.
To read the positions formulated by the Netherlands, go to: http://bit.ly/2Wv4Abv. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with Hermine Donceel)