Member States’ ambassadors to the EU agreed on Wednesday 5 January to the principle of a new ‘Operational Mechanism for the Coordination of Actions on the External Dimension of Migration’ to implement the European Council’s request of 16 December to “closely monitor the rapid and effective implementation of the EU’s external migration policy and give it fresh impetus where necessary”. However, they asked for more time to define all the modalities and a new text had been circulated during the day, a source said.
The ambassadors will return to the issue next week in the presence of Vice President Margaritis Schinas, who, along with Commissioner Ylva Johansson, was appointed in December by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to coordinate external migration policy actions, another source said. The Vice President will be asked to say which priority countries the EU should work with. On Wednesday morning some countries were still seeking assurance that this mechanism for steering actions on the external dimension of migration does not duplicate current structures. But the proposal was generally well received, added our second source.
The European Council’s request aims to address shortcomings in the way the European Commission conducts various projects with third countries by creating much more effective coordination of projects such as targeted partnerships with key countries or specific funding projects devoted to the external dimension of migration.
The aim is to structure cooperation with countries of origin and transit on all routes to support their efforts to prevent irregular migration and improve returns, as well as the implementation of readmission agreements.
It is a question of mobilising the levers available and ensuring the unity of the Member States at every stage, says the first source. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)