Pools Voorzitterschap en SCIFA (Strategische Commissie voor Immigratie, Grenzen en Asiel) eens over gemeenschappelijk Europees asielsysteem (CEAS) (en)

On 5-6 September in Torun, an informal meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) took place.

The participants - experts - discussed the future of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum and the Common European Asylum System.

All delegations were in favour of extending the mandate of the committee and presented their views on modifications to working methods.

Issues regarding the CARIM-East project were also discussed. This project relates to immigration from Eastern Europe in the context of the Eastern Partnership, which is the flagship initiative of the Polish Presidency. The presentation was prepared by experts from the Centre of Migration Research at the Warsaw University, which is a partner centre of the European University in Florence, the project coordinator.

In addition, during the meeting, issues related to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) were discussed. Its purpose is to ensure that all asylum seekers are treated in a fair and equal manner, regardless of where in the European Union an application for asylum is submitted. The new provisions will strengthen the protection of asylum seekers and ensure the relevant rights of detainees. The Common European Asylum System (CEAS) is one of the main priorities of the Presidency in the area of home affairs.

The vast majority of delegations participating in SCIFA endorsed the proposals of the Presidency, stressing the right approach to the Presidency to addressing the most difficult issues, namely those associated with horizontal issues in the CEAS, the evaluation mechanism for asylum (testing the effectiveness of the asylum system based on accepted criteria) and the procedural directive (setting out minimum standards for asylum procedures).

The Presidency proposed to work on the asylum evaluation mechanism as a potential instrument around which we can build trust between institutions and solve problems associated with the practice of asylum law in the EU. At the JHA Council in September, ministers will decide on the further direction of work on the emergency asylum evaluation mechanism.

At the same time it was recognised that further work and discussion require specific, detailed records of the above proposals. The Presidency announced further intensive work on this topic.

Informal SCIFA meetings are held by each Presidency. They are an opportunity for a free exchange of ideas and informal opinion between delegations. The participation in these meetings (at the invitation of the hosts) of academics, opinion leaders and international organisations has become a tradition.