The 27 certify their agreement to unblock the reform of the common immigration policy

Italy supports the text after the doubts of recent days

BRUSELAS, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS)

The Twenty-seven have certified this Wednesday that there is a sufficient majority to establish their position on the key crisis mechanism in the reform of the asylum and migration policy of the European Union, thus overcoming the last obstacle open for governments and the European Parliament could resume negotiations with a view to closing the Migration Pact before the end of the European legislature in June of next year.

The adoption of the mandate on the mechanism took place in a meeting at the level of ambassadors in Brussels, as various diplomatic sources have informed Europa Press, after Germany and Italy have resolved the dispute that separated them regarding the situation of NGOs. who carry out rescue tasks in the Mediterranean.

In a statement confirming the agreement, the Minister of the Interior of Spain, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, assesses that this agreement represents a "great step forward" with which the EU is "in better conditions to reach an agreement on the entire of the asylum and migration pact with the European Parliament before the end of this semester".

Last week, the Interior Ministers already achieved an "unquestionable majority", in the words of Grande-Marlaska, which allowed them to establish the red lines in the negotiation with Parliament after Berlin withdrew its reservations, but it was decided to give Italy more time to to explain the agreement within his tripartite government and thus also be able to count on the support of this country, one of the most affected by migratory pressure.

The new mechanism reserved for exceptional situations in which governments will be forced to support one or more Member States that are overwhelmed by migratory pressure at their borders, in practice dilutes the mandatory relocation quotas because it offers 'solidarity to the letter' with different forms of financial compensation to avoid this distribution of the burden of reception.

According to the crisis instrument, the registration of applications for international protection must be completed in a maximum of four weeks, something that seeks to alleviate the burden on national administrations at times of mass arrival of migrants.

The solidarity measures include the relocation of asylum seekers or beneficiaries of international protection in other EU countries, but other measures will also be allowed, such as Member States providing help with the bureaucratic procedures involved in asylum management or contributing financial contributions to the most affected European partners.

These measures will require authorization from the Council in accordance with the principles of necessity and proportionality and in full respect of the fundamental rights of third-country nationals and stateless persons.

The renunciation of the entry countries to a system of mandatory quotas, however, remains unconvincing to Poland and Hungary, which flatly reject any responsibility in the migration management of other EU partners and remain against the agreement reached. Other countries such as Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have abstained.