EU ambassadors reach a first agreement on the reform of the common migration pact

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.

Last week, the Interior Ministers already achieved an “unquestionable majority”, in the words of the Spanish Minister Fernando 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 more time to Italy to explain the agreement within its 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.

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.