EU member states had not yet decided on Wednesday 16 November to convene an extraordinary ministerial meeting to discuss the migration situation in the central Mediterranean, while France and Italy have been at odds in recent days over the reception of the SOS Mediterranean NGO boat, which rescued 234 people at sea.
The discussion focused on the general situation on this migratory route, which has seen more arrivals since the beginning of the year, with the Member States highlighting the importance of working on the ‘Migration and Asylum Pact’ and reaching “European solutions”, several sources reported.
“It is clear that there are tensions related to continued high levels of migration. It is therefore worth reaffirming that there is a common will to have a European response”, comments a European diplomat.
While the Member States were rather open to holding such a meeting, they wanted such an event to be well organised and based on concrete initiatives, the sources added.
In this sense, the action plan announced by the Commission with a list of concrete actions, which could arrive in the next few days, could be a starting point.
For the time being, the discussion will remain at ambassadorial level and it will be up to the Czech Presidency of the EU Council to decide whether to go further with an extraordinary meeting. The national ambassadors also discussed the agenda for the next formal meeting of the Home Affairs Council on Wednesday.
Migration and the situation in the central Mediterranean will be on the agenda with possible progress on the legislative parts of the ‘Migration and Asylum Pact’, but no political agreement is expected on this subject. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)