The State of the European Union. The European states facing the reforms of the Union

THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

146

States for the management of asylum and re-

ception systems.

All in all, 2018 is proving to be a landmark

year in terms of the convergence of European

norms and practices related to migration and

asylum.

The Commission has recently urged the

European Council to unblock debate on migra-

tion and asylum agreements in general and

those related to the pending reform of the

Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in

particular with the objective of developing a

“more effective and fairer approach to balanc-

ing solidarity and responsibility”.

In December 2017 the European Council in-

formed the Permanent Representatives

Committee of progress made on the reform of

the CEAS and the proposed regulation on reset-

tlement.

Following consultations on the pending re-

form, the Maltese presidency emphasised that

the system needed to be efficient, discourage

secondary movements and offer effective soli-

darity to Member States facing “disproportion-

ate migratory pressure”. The presidency also

expressed support for accelerating procedures

for people from safe third countries and safe

countries of origin and individuals whose claims

are likely to be unfounded as well as effective

return procedures, which it considers an integral

part of migration system management. The

European Council hopes to reach a consensus

on this issue during the first semester of 2018.

Issues related to the Reception Conditions

Directive yet to be resolved include measures

intended to prevent secondary movements,

assignment of residence, asylum applicants’

https://www.cear.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IN FORME-SECA.pdf;

https://www.cear.es/wp-content/up loads/2017/03/CINCO-PUNTOS-CRITICOS-SECA.pdf

access to the labour market, the reduction and

withdrawal of material reception conditions and

provisions for unaccompaniedminors. The first tria-

logue on this topic took place in December 2017.

Differences of opinion between the Council

and the European Parliament regarding recogni-

tion regulation expressed during the four tria-

logues devoted to that topic to date have

slowed progress in that area. Issues to be de-

cided upon in future negotiating sessions con-

cern the uniform status of refugees and sub-

sidiary protection, the duration of residency

permits, alternatives to secondary movement

and systematic status reviews and the three-

month additional residency periods granted to

people whose refugee or subsidiary status has

been withdrawn

Regarding the Common Asylum Procedures

Regulation, the Presidency has stated that more

discussion should take place regarding the con-

cept of safe third countries and that the concept

of safe third country adopted must conform to

the provisions of the Geneva Convention and

EU law.

Progress has been made on the Resettlement

Regulation, on which further negotiations are

scheduled to take place during the first semes-

ter of 2018. The text agreed upon by the

European Parliament provides for humanitarian

admission and underscores the voluntary nature

of resettlement.

Regarding emergency relocation and reset-

tlement agreements adopted by the Council in

2015, it must be noted that Member State com-

mitments assumed through two schemes

agreed upon that year to relocate a total of

160,000 people stranded in Greece and Italy

have not been fulfilled. Only 33,521 people

have been relocated by means of this mecha-

nism. Moreover, the European Commission re-

ferred the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland