As expected, on Monday 8 December the ministers of the Member States approved by a large majority the revisions to the Asylum Procedure Regulation aimed at creating a common list of ‘safe countries of origin’ and a revised concept of ‘safe country of origin’ (SCO) as well as a revised concept of ‘safe third country’ (STC) (see EUROPE B13760A13).
Under the SCO, Member States can refuse to examine an asylum application in detail on their territory if the person concerned is a...