In the run-up to the European Council, Nicolas Schmit addressed the European Parliament, highlighting the "tireless" work carried out by the Council and the Luxembourg Presidency on the refugee crisis
Jean-Claude Juncker i and Nicolas Schmit at the European Parliament, on 14 October 2015
Minister Nicolas Schmit, responsible for relations with the European Parliament during the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU, addressed the plenary session of the European Parliament held in Brussels on 14 October 2015. He spoke during a debate on preparations for the European Council of 15 and 16 October 2015, in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
"The European Council in October will once again be dedicated to the refugee crisis", which requires "shared solutions", Nicolas Schmit stated by way of introduction. He specified that Heads of State and government of the EU countries will address "three fundamental aspects", i.e. cooperation with third countries in order to prevent migration, strengthening protection of the EU's external borders and, finally, responding to the influx of refugees in Europe and European policy on returns.
Cooperation with third countries
Cooperation with third countries, in particular countries of origin and transit is an "absolute priority" for Nicolas Schmit. Referring to the High Level Eastern Mediterranean - Western Balkans route conference held on 8 October 2015, he stated that it marked "the beginning of a process which would enable us to strengthen cooperation with all our partners, in the interests of everyone concerned, for more effective management of migration".
He also made reference to the Valetta Summit on migration, to be held with African countries on 11 and 12 November 2015, which will pave the way for "a stronger partnership leading to concrete measures". Within this context, he stressed that development and migration are two sides of the same coin. "These two major summits constitute tangible proof of the EU's determination to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned", he said.
Stronger cooperation with Turkey will also be on the European Council's agenda, with a view to adopting a joint action plan, he added.
Strengthening protection of the EU's external borders
"The Treaty is very clear, we need to progressively put in place an integrated external border management system", stated Nicolas Schmit. He indicated that the European Council intends to set out concrete principles in this regard for Member States, who are responsible for protecting their national borders, as well as for European agencies, and in particular Frontex, whose tasks in this area should be reviewed and reinforced.
The response to the influx of refugees in Europe and the return policy
Nicolas Schmit stressed the importance of a "coherent, credible and effective" return policy for migrants from third countries staying in the EU illegally, which fully respects the human rights and dignity of the individuals concerned, as well as the principle of non-refoulement. In his view, such a policy is "an essential element of an overall EU migration policy".
He explained that "identification and registration is the first step", before praising the introduction of the first hotspot in Italy. "The decisions on relocation taken by the Council are being put into practice, and full implementation must be ensured", he added.
The European Council will also address the "external element" of the EU's migration and refugee policy. Discussions will centre on ways to eradicate "the causes of these human tragedies", on the EU's role on the international scene, and on the current political situation in Syria and Libya.
"The Presidency has ensured that the Council has worked tirelessly to find responses to the crisis", stated Nicolas Schmit, before emphasising that "important and significant" results have been achieved within "very tight" deadlines Specifically, he referred to the adoption of decisions on the relocation of 160,000 refugees as well as the conclusions on the future of the return policy, adopted by the JHA Council on 8 October 2015, which sets out the work to be undertaken in precise terms. On this occasion, the Council also held an in-depth discussion on managing the EU's external borders, and adopted a financial package in order to ensure rapid follow-up to the policies on the ground.
British referendum, COP21, Five Presidents' Report
The European Council will also set out the next steps for the process leading up to the UK referendum on EU membership, indicated Nicolas Schmit. He will also be informed by French President François Hollande i on progress on preparations for the United Nations Conference on climate change (COP21) to be held in Paris in December 2015. Finally, the European Council will assess the progress made on the Five Presidents' Report on Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), achieved on the basis of a report prepared by the Luxembourg Presidency. Against this background, Nicolas Schmit stated that furthering EMU is "a priority" for the Presidency.
Jean-Claude Juncker criticised the little willingness showed by Member States when implementing their financial commitments.
In his speech, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, pointed out that the refugee question is a long-term issue and it is not enough to respond with crisis management measures. He expressed the view that the Commission should "establish a permanent mechanism for work in this area", and that Member States "would be well advised" to take account of the Commission's recommendations.
Whilst welcoming the commitments, particularly budgetary, on refugees undertaken by the Heads of State and government during the European Council of 23 September 2015, the President of the Commission made reference to the little willingness showed by the Member States when it comes to implementing their decisions. Although the Commission has made budgetary proposals in this regard, which have been given the green light by the European Parliament, Member States have failed to take action. Whether we are talking about promises made about reinforcing the European agencies working on the ground, or budgetary promises, we are still waiting for the contributions. "I want the Council to finish the job tomorrow", said Jean-Claude Juncker, adding that "we need action".
The President of the Commission also referred to the Turkish question, noting that while he was "fully aware of the problems currently facing Turkey", the EU needs this country and vice-versa. "With Turkey, which is a useful but difficult partner, we must make progress because this country has become the gateway to Europe for hundreds of thousands of refugees". Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his conviction that Turkey must be placed on the list of safe countries of origin within the meaning of the Return Directive. Otherwise, we must be consistent and stop the accession negotiations, he confirmed. He also called for the negotiations on visa liberalisation to be sped up, and a declaration in principle by the EU on opening new chapters in the accession negotiations.
The debate
During the debate which followed, the main political groups stressed the need for a clear and united European response to the refugee crisis. They also supported the Commission's proposals on the need for long-term solutions and underlined the importance of cooperation with third countries, in particular countries of origin and transit.
However, some MEPs accused the Commission of seeking to "outsource" management of the EU's external borders to third countries, pointing in particular to the risks in terms of respect for human rights. While many stressed the importance of cooperating with Turkey in this area, others cautioned against placing it on the list of safe countries of origin, which would be tantamount to offering recognition for a policy which they consider to be incompatible with the rule of law.
The main political groups also rallied to the Commission's criticism of the Council, in relation to the failure to make the necessary funds available in order to manage the refugee crisis.
Concluding the debate, Nicolas Schmit acknowledged the long-term nature of the crisis and the fact that action should be taken not only in times of crisis.
As regards criticism of the Council, Nicolas Schmit pointed out that Member States are confronted with considerable constraints, particularly in terms of budget and human resources. "There is real pressure on Member States, but the commitments made must be implemented as far and as quickly as possible", he stated.
Finally, regarding the Five Presidents' Report, Nicolas Schmit again stressed the importance of furthering EMU instead of waiting for the next crisis to happen.
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