At the beginning of June, after months of negotiations and three years after Brussels presented its proposal, the Twenty-Seven reached a political agreement on one of the key pillars of the Agreement. Asylum and Migration Pact reform: substitution refugees. What they could not close in late July and during Spain’s EU presidency was this: Rules to be applied in crisis situationsWhen there is an avalanche coming.
An element that has continued to poison the negotiations for two months: The European Parliament blocked negotiations on two other provisions of the agreement in protest at the lack of progress, and Madrid tried to do so. in extreme to solve. “I don’t want to get away, but I hope that at the end of the day we can deliver good news on this issue,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on behalf of the semi-State. Following his arrival in the EU, he assumed the annual EU presidency. EU interior ministers meeting It will take place in Brussels this Thursday.
Twenty seven This Thursday, they are once again evaluating the reform and especially the external dimension of immigration. plan Ten points announced by President Ursula von der Leyen for guidance Situation in the Central Mediterranean And An agreement was signed between the European Union and TunisiaIt is planned to deliver 105 million euros of aid to the North African country in order to strengthen its borders and prevent immigrants from leaving. It’s a deal criticized by socialists, greens and leftists in the European Parliament, and even by the EU Ombudsman, who gave the European Commission three months to clarify whether the deal respects human rights.
Crisis management
However, there is a regulation that puts the entire negotiation process in a deadlock and threatens the possibility of completing the negotiations. new architecture of asylum and migration in time, before the end of the current legislature. About crisis management regulations and regulates this regulation Response in crisis or force majeure situationsAs is the case with mass arrivals of immigrants. At the meeting held on the 26th, the permanent ambassadors of the EU could not sign the agreement. Opposition by Poland, Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic and participation by Germany, Netherlands and Slovakia.
Since then, the Spanish presidency of the EU has intensified negotiations, especially in the last hours. “We have continued to work hard and have made a lot of progress in the last few hours. Nuances remain. Let’s hope that these small nuances will finally confirm that we have reached full agreement on an overall approach and authorization for the trilogies,” Grande-Marlaska explained.First priority for Spain. “We have been discussing the migration agreement for many years and we cannot afford to conclude this legislature in May next year without reaching an agreement and regulations on this issue.” he explained, insisting that “we are very close.”
Brussels optimism
The same optimism was expressed as follows: Commissioner of Internal Affairs, Ylva Johannson, when you arrive at the meeting. “I hope that Ministers will be ready to take the last small step today to agree on the Council’s position on the Crisis Management proposal,” he said, regarding the final piece of the puzzle that the EU had begun to put together after the crisis. The great migration crisis of 2015 and 2016.
“We have worked very intensively with Member States and the Spanish presidency is doing a great job in this regard,” he added. According to the new crisis mechanism, countries that are under great migration pressure, Extending the detention period of asylum seekers And delaying the registration of your applicationsamong other restrictions. An element of particular concern Germany Fear of countries violating the rules, causing a crisis situation and not guaranteeing the rights of immigrants.
What has changed in the last few hours that makes a deal valid? Basically, berlin tour He said he would be in a position to approve the deal after blocking it for months, a change of position that would remove the blocking minority. “We are almost reaching balance between the positions of different countries. This is a negotiation and the negotiation is to achieve the balance between the interests of all States,” the Spanish minister said.