On Monday 8 December, the Council of the EU approved a political agreement on the creation of the annual Solidarity Pool for 2026.
As Agence Europe reported on Friday 5 December (see EUROPE 13767/14), the Member States approved commitments that have been scaled down to reflect the fact that the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ will not come into force until mid-2026.
The EU27 thus approved commitments for 21,000 relocations and €420 million in financial aid, as announced on 5 December. But the quantified commitments country by country remain confidential and will still have to be approved by another decision, probably ratified on 16 December.
The ‘Pact’ provides for a minimum annual commitment of 30,000 relocations and €600 million, but only for one year. The Member States obviously pounced on the opportunity offered by the 2026 timetable and an entry into force in the second half of the year. While some countries wanted a strict halving, the southern EU countries, the main beneficiaries of aid, managed to convince them to increase their commitments.
The Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU had proposed several formulas, but the criterion of seasonal arrivals was finally deemed fairer for the countries of arrival, allowing agreement on the latest figures.
At a press conference at the end of the meeting, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, welcomed that a decision had been reached on this issue on 8 December. Asked about the fact that the Council of the EU had already reduced the proposed figures, he explained that it was up to the Commission to propose estimated figures and for the EU Council to decide.
According to one diplomat, the Member States can in fact decide to commit to figures “below” the Commission’s recommendations.
As agreed in the ‘Pact’, member countries can choose between three types of solidarity measures: relocation, financial contributions and alternative solidarity measures. Each Member State is free to choose the type of solidarity measure it wishes to implement and may also opt for a combination of different measures.
The European Commission had concluded on 11 November that Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain were eligible for solidarity measures under the common fund.
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland will be able to request a total or partial reduction in their contributions to the common fund. And another group of countries considered to be at risk from migratory pressure will be able to request assistance from EU agencies and European financial support, such as France and Germany.
But the latter two categories of countries cannot refuse to help the former. The Commission will also be able to impose compulsory decisions on payment or relocation if the various commitments do not enable the desired figures to be achieved.
In a message published on X, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reiterated his opposition to the Pact on Migration and Asylum. “With today’s decision, Brussels is attempting to force Hungary to pay even more or take migrants in. This is unacceptable (...). The rebellion begins!” (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)