Ahead of the European summit on 18 and 19 June, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to the EU heads of state and government on Wednesday 17, to review the progress made on migration policy.
The president first welcomed the Pact on Migration and Asylum’s entry into force on 12 June (see EUROPE 13887/8). Praising a “predictable, coherent and dignified system”, she called for implementation “grounded in the principles of fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity”.
She then referred to the reform of the Return Regulation, the provisional agreement on which was also approved during the European Parliament plenary session on the same day (see EUROPE B13890A13). “We are turning the page on [a] 20-year-old rulebook”, she acknowledged.
Ms von der Leyen also noted that the Commission will present a proposal this autumn to digitalise case management of returns and readmissions.
While it will be a secondary topic, the migration issue will indeed be addressed during the leaders’ discussions later this week. According to the latest draft European Council conclusions, dated 16 June, the EU27 are expected to “take stock of progress” and call for “intensified work to continue on all strands [of migration], including on the external dimension and comprehensive partnerships, in line with EU and international law”.
Ms von der Leyen’s letter: https://aeur.eu/f/me4 ; and the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/mdt (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)