Speech: Remarks of Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, at the end of the Home Affairs Council

It was a pleasure for me to have participated for the very first time at the Home Affairs Council. This is also the last Home Affairs meeting led by the Italian Presidency and I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to congratulate Minister Angelino Alfano for the impressive work that has taken place in the last six months.

In this Council meeting, I had the opportunity to discuss with the Ministers a number of pressing issues.

First, we discussed the migration and asylum flows towards Europe.

As it is well known, we are confronted with increasing pressures at our external borders and inside the European Union.Looking at the conflicts in our immediate neighbourhood, it is unlikely that the current dramatic situation is going to change anytime soon.

Therefore, we need to have a common understanding of the challenges. To address these common European challenges, we need to have a common approach which fully respects human rights.

I informed the Ministers on the progress that has taken place in the last months, in our effort to improve the management of migration flows. Here are some examples:

• 1. 

  On the 1^st of November, we launched operation ''Triton'' in the central Mediterranean. In the first weeks of this operation, and together with the Italian navy, 8952 asylum seekers and irregular migrants were rescued or intercepted and 42 facilitators were arrested [Frontex data as of 3 December 2014].

• 2. 

  We have expanded our cooperation with countries outside the EU, which are either countries of origin or transit countries. Specifically, we have just signed a mobility agreement with Jordan and in Rome last week, we established a concrete dialogue with many African countries. Our aim is to develop a comprehensive approach with countries outside the EU. We will also do our outmost to protect those in transit countries, through the Regional Protection Programme.

However, today's news of the tragic deaths of 18 migrants off the coast of Lampedusa, serves as a stark reminder that much more needs to be done. We need to provide credible responses in a spirit of greater solidarity and responsibility.

As a matter of priority, the Member States should focus on the implementation of the new rules of the Common European Asylum System.The full and efficient implementation of the Common European Asylum System will help reduce the gap between the few countries which currently receive the vast majority of asylum requests in the EU, and those who are not confronted with this challenge.

But if we want to make the difference, we need to turn good intentions into concrete actions: this means that all Member States have to contribute a credible number of resettlement places.

Resettling means saving the most vulnerable refugees from taking deadly journeys to Europe; resettling also means reducing the migratory and asylum pressure at Europe's borders, and, in particular, in the Mediterranean.

It is simply not sustainable to have a situation where the countries that resettle the most refugees are at the same time the countries that receive the most asylum requests.

We are currently studying a pilot project involving most - and I hope all, at some point in time - Member States, with the aim of achieving fairer burden-sharing and a credible number of resettlement places throughout the European Union.

Second, we discussed the functioning of the Schengen area.

I presented to the Ministers the report on the functioning of the Schengen area for the period May-October 2014. These 'health checks' are a good opportunity to identify and discuss the challenges that we face in the Schengen area.

One major challenge is irregular migration. The situation in the neighbourhood of the European Union continues to be unstable. This is reflected in the latest figures of irregular border crossings: in the first ten months of this year there were 229 000 irregular border crossings compared to some 94 000 during the same period in 2013.

There is always a risk of further instability. For example, in the event of sudden escalation of tensions in our Eastern neighbourhood, (notably Ukraine), this will add considerable pressure on our Eastern Schengen borders.

Therefore, we have a duty to respond to such challenges. This is why I very much welcome the entering into force, on 27 November, of the new Schengen governance.

The new system gives the Commission a central role when it comes to monitoring and evaluating the implementation on the Schengen rules. This means that we are better equipped to detect possible problems and to prevent them.

Above all, I will make sure that the Commission takes over fully its new role in order to further guarantee the free movement of hundreds of millions of Europeans.

Third, we discussed the fight against terrorism.

The issue of foreign fighters and returnees is one of the most urgent challenges that Europe currently faces. A growing number of young people are attracted by radicalised narratives and subjugated by the propaganda machine of terrorists.

They are likely to travel to conflict zones, to get trained in the use of weapons and explosives and to become familiar with violence and war.Once they return to the EU, they can represent a real threat for our security.

This is why we have to act at the EU level on three main priorities:

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  prevent and deter further departures;

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  monitor and pursue foreign fighters;

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  protect our citizens, societies and economies from attacks in Europe.

Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to discuss with the Ministers of Justice the necessity of new legislation for the prosecution of terrorists. We need to follow-up on this issue and improve all relevant legal instruments and present new EU legislation if needed.

When it comes to anti-terrorism measures and actions, the main competence lies in the hands of Member States. But since the Member States face the same problems, there is a need for European coordination and exchange of information.

That is why the European Commission plays an important role in this process:

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  We are strengthening the work of Radicalisation Awareness Network to fight violent extremism and radicalised propaganda.

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  We have begun to cooperate with Internet service providers and we are looking at concrete ways to work together (for example, how to disseminate counter-narratives online).

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  We are already working together with Member States to better analyse and monitor radicalisation hubs in the EU and to have a clearer overview of the recruitment and travelling patterns that facilitate the journeys to conflict zones.To this aim, we must better use the possibilities offered by the Schengen Information System. In other words, to allow accelerated and improved information exchange on specific check alerts issued on foreign fighters.

Another important tool that will allow better surveying and monitoring of recruitment and travelling patterns is the establishment of an EU Passenger Name Record system.

In fact, since PNR was the main issue that we discussed, I would like to make a few final remarks on this issue.

As you know, the European Parliament has decided to request an opinion from the European Court of Justice on the draft PNR Agreement with Canada.

The Commission obviously respects the decision and we hope that the Court will soon provide the necessary clarity, in order to move forward with this Agreement.

However, there is a distinction, which, I think, is of the utmost importance:

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  The decision to refer the Canada PNR draft agreement to the Court in Luxembourg should not impact the substance or the process on the EU PNR directive, which will be a crucial tool for the prevention and prosecution of terrorism in Europe.

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  The referral of the Canada PNR to the Court does not diminish the need for the EU to act; it does not diminish the importance of using PNR data by Member States. In fact, continued security gaps in Europe are best addressed by common EU rules on PNR.

I understand that this is a controversial issue. But I stand ready to work with the incoming Latvian Presidency - which I am already in regular contact - together with the European Parliament, in order to assist and to shape the current EU-PNR proposal.

Thank you for your attention

SPEECH/14/2421

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