On Thursday 3 July, the coordinators of the S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), Fabienne Keller (French) and Tineke Strik (Dutch) respectively, denounced the alliance between the EPP and ECR groups, supported by the PfE and ENS groups, in awarding the EPP the report on the new concept of safe third countries (STC) and the ECR the report on safe third countries of origin (SCO), two legislative texts amending the Asylum Procedure Regulation (see EUROPE 13623/1, 13644/9).
As rapporteur on the Asylum Procedure Regulation, Fabienne Keller criticised in particular the failure to respect a tacit agreement between the parliamentary committee coordinators, including the EPP leader, Lena Düpont. Under this informal agreement, the EPP was given the STC Regulation and Renew Europe the Safe Country of Origin Regulation.
But the EPP ultimately chose to ally itself with the ECR, with the support of the far right. A new departure from the pro-European majority, argued the French MEP, who pointed out that the EPP had never done such a U-turn in the LIBE Committee.
“By acting in this way, the EPP is undermining the construction of ambitious and effective solutions with pro-European forces on migration, as was the case during the previous mandate with the adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum”. At a time when citizens are expecting swift, firm and humane responses to migration management, “the EPP is choosing to ally itself with those who want to deconstruct Europe”, criticised Fabienne Keller.
For Tineke Strik, “the EPP just broke the cordon sanitaire, forming a coalition with the extreme right to commit a coup, allocating two migration laws. This is a new low: sacrificing human rights and the Rule of law for political games”. For the German MEP Birgit Sippel (S&D), “the EPP has struck a dirty deal with the anti-European far-right groups in order to seize the Safe Third Country proposal. As part of their deal, the EPP gifted the proposal on Safe Countries of Origin to a group that only one year ago largely did not even support the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and has now brought forward a motion of censure against Commission President von der Leyen. This should not become the new normal”.
“Since the beginning of the term, the EPP Group has worked constructively with the main political groups in the LIBE Committee. We had contributed relentlessly with ideas and proposals, showing willingness to cooperate and flexibility on various points. Unfortunately, none of these efforts led to a stable communication and cooperation”, said Lena Düpont.
According to one source, this chaotic allocation is partly linked to Renew Europe’s very strong demand to lead the European Parliament negotiations on the return regulation, which the EPP also wanted. Malik Azmani (Renew Europe, Dutch) was appointed rapporteur for this text. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)