MEPs discuss and vote on Wednesday on ten new bills updating the EU asylum and migration rules, emphasising cooperation and mandatory but flexible solidarity. Plenary wraps up this term’s legislative work in the field of migration and asylum with a debate with the Belgian Council Presidency and the Commission on the outcome of negotiations over the Migration and Asylum Pact. The already agreed texts aim to improve cooperation among European states and enhance the EU’s response in case of crises. The Pact encompasses a new framework for a comprehensive asylum and migration policy based on solidarity, fair responsibility sharing, and updated rules on criteria and mechanisms to determine the member state responsible for examining an application for international protection (formerly known as the Dublin rules). Member states will be able to choose between relocating asylum applicants to their territory, making financial contributions or providing operational and technical support to member states under migratory pressure. There will be specific rules for crisis situations, and the rules on reception standards for asylum applicants will be updated. The amended qualification rules will set uniform standards across the EU to recognise people applying for international protection, as well as their rights. There will be a faster common procedure –including provisions on inadmissible claims and more expedited returns- across the EU to grant and to withdraw international protection, following an initial pre-entry screening and registration of fingerprints and facial images in a common database (Eurodac). Finally, a new EU framework for resettlement will regulate the opportunities for refugees in third countries to come to the EU, based on member states’ voluntary participation