Advancing both the reform of the Schengen Borders Code and the piloting aspects of the free movement area through the new evaluation mechanism, and the Pact on Migration and Asylum with gradual steps based on the balance between solidarity and responsibility; and protecting European citizens through new tools for police cooperation.
These are the objectives that the French Presidency of the EU Council has set itself for the next 6 months, with Paris being particularly keen to make progress on texts that have just been tabled by the European Commission, such as the new Schengen Borders Code presented on 14 December (see EUROPE 12853/1) or the recommendations on police cooperation presented on 8 December.
On the Pact on Migration and Asylum, given the sensitivity of the dossier, France is not setting itself any specific objectives to obtain partial agreements on this or that regulation, but will try “to move forward with a gradual approach. It will ensure that every step of the way strikes a good balance between the protection of external borders, responsibility and solidarity”, it announces in its work programme.
It will continue to promote work on the external dimension of migration with strengthened partnerships with third countries, and will have to manage the response to the phenomenon of instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes. In particular, the French Presidency will have to make progress on the proposal for exceptional measures for Poland, Lithuania and Latvia based on Article 78.3 and presented in early December (see EUROPE 12844/11).
As regards the strengthening of police cooperation, the implementation of the interoperability of European information systems will be pursued and the negotiations with the European Parliament on the revision of the Europol Regulation will be concluded. The French Presidency of the EU Council will start discussions on the revision of the Prüm Regulation, the directive on the exchange of information and the police cooperation code.
It will also continue its efforts in the field of counter-terrorism and radicalisation. “Measures to secure European territory in the face of the threat posed by the return of foreign terrorist fighters and developments in Afghanistan will be examined, as well as how to prevent terrorist acts within the Schengen area”, the programme states.
The fight against drug trafficking, by addressing the dual dimension of security and health, is also a priority with the revision of the mandate of the Drugs and Drug Addiction Monitoring Centre.
Link to the programme: https://bit.ly/3EOfJcZ (in French) (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)