The LIBE (Civil Liberties) Committee adopts its position on key asylum and migration files. After the vote, the rapporteurs brief journalists on the outcome of the vote. The following legislative proposals have been voted: Screening regulation, rapporteur Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, Germany), Asylum and migration management regulation, rapporteur Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, Sweden), Crisis and force majeure regulation, rapporteur Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, Spain),Asylum procedure regulation - update of an existing mandate, rapporteur Fabienne KELLER (Renew, France). The transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please, check against delivery.

Brussels

vote

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

press conference

LÓPEZ AGUILAR, Juan Fernando (S&D, ES)

SIPPEL, Birgit (S&D, DE)

asylum procedures in the EU (T)

Asylum policy (T2)

KELLER, Fabienne (Renew, FR)

TOBÉ, Tomas (EPP, SE)

new pact on asylum and migration (T)

Press conference by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Chair of the LIBE committee, and by Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE) Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE) and Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), Rapporteurs on the new asylum and migration rules

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOB&Eacute; (EPP, SE), MEP, Excusing my voice. As you heard. The negotiations have been very tough, and it's been very tough on my voice as well. But, I will try to do my very best. I would actually start by saying that what we have seen today is a historic vote, because the European Union is at a crossroad. Either the political deadlock, on migration will continue or we will strive to find a common and constructive way forward.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, And we could either choose to tackle this complex issue jointly, or we could see that member states would go on and act independently. And I think today the European Parliament took responsibility to move forward, showing an ability to also find common ground. I think all our political groups have made compromises, knowing how important it is that we now have a strong position from the European Parliament in the upcoming negotiations with the Council.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, The main purpose of the file that I've been working on, the Asylum and Migration Management regulation is to reinforce mutual trust between Member States. This is vital to the success of a joint European response. We have now voted in favour of a legal framework that achieve a fair balance between solidarity and responsibility.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, With this regulation, we establish a mechanism that provides true solidarity, but also allows flexible and voluntary contributions, a mechanism that is predictable, sustainable and fair. The guidelines is, in general, increased cooperation between Member States and more support from the Union. We propose the solidarity pool, based on the projected annual solidarity needs, transformed into pledges provided by the Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, The Member States that are considered to be under migratory pressure will have a fast track access to the pool. The establishment of the solidarity pool is vital to ensure a speedy and well-prepared response to migratory pressure. Member States can contribute with relocation, but also with the capacity building measures in the Member States that is under pressure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, This regulation also contains an updated version of the Dublin mechanism to enable an effective application of the rules on determining the Member States responsible for examining an application for international protection. I think another important part in migratory management is the external dimension and the strengthening cooperation with third countries.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, In general, we need more cooperation in this field and this regulation can help the European Union achieve that. But to sum it up, the European Parliament's commitments here today highlights now the urgency to move forward also in the Council. I'm proud of what we have achieved and I would like to thank all the shadows and other political group for their support.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), MEP, And I also must say that I have had great cooperation together with the rapporteurs that are on the stage together with me today. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, Good afternoon, everybody, and thank you for attending this press point on this most relevant step forward that we have just made and signed by voting. The main files of what we have called for years. The New Migration and Asylum Pact. Let us have clear some preliminary ideas. First, we are not working in a legal vacuum here. There is such thing as a European asylum system. We have put it in place by a so-called asylum package.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, We have worked hard in order to see how it was implemented, but through all the years it was only obvious that it was showing problems in its implementation and violations, increasingly so of the law that was already in place. That is why we welcome president Von der Leyen and to start out of this mandate of the European Parliament 2019, making her commitment that she would deliver a new migration asylum package.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, Consisting of regulations, all regulations that means binding law enacted by this Parliament, the first place for all of the member States and hence creating the rights that the citizens may seek for redress before the judicial system in the Member States and also the foreigners, because let's face it, migration and asylum is about foreigners, not about European citizens. It is not the European citizens who migrate. It is not the European citizens who seek for asylum. It's someone else.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, It's foreigners who also are human beings and they are entitled to claim for their redress, to protect their fundamental rights when needed. Having said this, we have been well aware right from the outset of our work that we were intertwined. We were interconnected. This is meant to be a new system and a new balance between the main principles which are enshrined in the Treaty of Lisbon, namely in the Treaty of Functioning of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, Responsibility, which is shared responsibility and solidarity, which has to be effective solidarity, credible solidarity. And the way we see it, binding solidarity, mandatory solidarity when needed. Having said this, let me also add that the regulation of which I have been the rapporteur working hand by hand with the shadows whom I respect and thank for their constructive work all the way to the very day in which we have voted this package today in the LIBE committee, is the crisis regulation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, So first thing, let us have definitions clear, crisis is not the ordinary situation, is not the ordinary regim to respond to challenges related to migration and asylum in the country. Crisis is the ultimate scenario, as I have put it graphically, more than once. Crisis is not a letter A of the alphabet. It's kind of a letter Z of the alphabet. You should be the last resort. On what is a crisis?

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, A crisis is when a member state clings to the Commission cards, to the Commission seeking for special relief from the Commission because there has been an expected massive mass influx of arrivals in an external border of that member state, particularly after a search and rescue operation. It familiar, is it not? It's a familiar situation. We have known it for years. Of course, we have seen that in the frontline member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, We have seen that time and again in Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Italy, Spain for sure, not only in the Mediterranean, but also in the Atlantic through the canary en route to the European Union. So the point is that at a certain situation, we call it crisis. It's massive and unexpected, and the consequence is that it renders non-functional the ordinary rules, which are the ones in charge of my colleagues here.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, The files that they have been working on hand by hand with my team, with my negotiating team. And we might and with myself as a rapporteur on the fire. So the ordinary regime goes to these files, but the extraordinary regime that is emergency, that is a crisis situation so clear definitions and then clear governance of the crisis. The Member State asks for the Commission to come with that solidarity answer.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, And that solidarity relies on what we call a solidarity pool. That is, that beforehand all the member states have some kind of a crisis preparedness. And some solidarity tools are disposal to help the member state that declares itself in a situation of crisis. And in a week the Commission decides a so-called delegated act. You know how it's like.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, A delegated act which is binding also for the for the member States by stating that the solidarity pool is sufficient or on the contrary, in five days raising up the solidarity response by some solidarity, additional help from the rest of the Member States. And that means that the ordinary rules of the realm of qualifications of the other files, which are component element of the systems, are not functioning anymore.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, We need some special kind of announcer and that special kind of an answer number one tool is mandatory relocation. Mandatory relocation programs. We have worked real hard to give it a sound legal basis, mandatory relocation programs. Then the second tool is the so-called prima fascia approach. That means that certain categories of people, because of the country where they come from, because of a certain part of the country they come from, not in the overall territory of the country, but a certain region which is extremely challenging or defying or dangerous for their personal integrity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, Then they are to be given as to this country of origin or pertinence to a particular vulnerable group, prima facie recognition within a month of the registration. Determining whether the applicants fall within the categories of person not unexamined on the merits, not a full exam examination on the merits, just they fall into the category sufficient or they are somehow excluded from those categories of persons, including the security consideration.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, If it's a threat for the Member state, then those will not be included in the prima facie international protection. And finally, the third pillar of the discussion we've had through these couple of years is the derogations. What do we mean by derogations? We mean that we have a special regime, which is the regulation on asylum and migration management run. We have a qualification, we have asylum procedure and we have the screening.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, That is the ordinary regime, but then it takes a time extension to handle that special situation we call a crisis. And that means that we have been really engaged in setting a clear principle as to what extension it should happen. First, the registration for the application shall be extended to four weeks, and that means reducing considerably the initial proposal by the Commission. Then the asylum and the return border procedure shall also be extended to four weeks.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, The initial proposal of the Commission was eight weeks and some members legitimately so. They made the point that they would seek for 16 weeks of extension. We made it in four weeks of extension and finally we didn't allow a scope border procedure, exceptions or derogations. So we have struck the balance. And finally we have some solidarity at site.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, And that is the point I'm making here, because let's face it, how many million times we have heard not only in this but in the situation, but also in the European Parliament, the theatrical claim for solidarity, the theatrical demand for solidarity. The theatrical complained about solidarity not existing of the lack of solidarity. Now we are putting a real tool for solidarity to be credible.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, The delegated act, which establishes relocation program, mandatory relocation programs as a help, as a relief for those countries which happened to be facing a massive influx, sudden arrival, particularly after search and rescue operations. Naturally, that is a situation in which the so-called frontline member states, limited, limited uranium or to the Atlantic would be more likely to face. But they are not the only ones. It may also happen elsewhere.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, So we are putting up here some system. We are building a system that makes sense all together, working all together. And the prima facie the final point is of course related to the qualifications Directive, regulation, qualifications, regulation. So it is not an an invention. We have not made it up the concept was already in place.

SOUNDBITE (English), Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), MEP, So I'm making this point precisely because it shows that all the pieces of the Migration and Asylum pact are intertwined and they are closely related. We are doing here a very cooperative and constructive effort to provide the Member States actual EU law to face the kind of situations we have been arguing about for all too long. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&amp;D, DE), MEP, Thank you very much and thanks to my colleagues for all the explanations. I might start with a small point. At the beginning, my colleagues already underlined how important it is that we as Parliament were able today to come up with compromises on all the files of the so-called new pact. And it was not easy because the starting point was that we all had totally different positions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, And still those different positions still exist. But that makes it even more important and valuable that we were able to come up with compromises on all the files. I do remember very well that in the past months we were criticised, especially me as a rapporteur on screening, that, hey, we are ready, we would like to start trialogues, but Parliament is not there with the screening regulation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, That's true. We took our time, but it was for good reason because we wanted to create the whole system on all the files that were proposed by the Commission. And now we are here. We as Parliament are ready to talk about all the files, to start the trialogues on all the files, but the Council is not there yet. So the Council still is not having a position on AMR, on EPR, on crisis. So we really encourage them to do their job and also come up with a position so that we can start the work together to create this system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, Now, talking about screening, first of all, as a principle, this is not creating something totally new. All the checks that are now in the screening, yes, they are very concrete prescribed, but in general those checks are already possible at our external borders today. So they are more precisely described, but still they remain an instrument to be used at our external borders.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, I am also happy that as a matter of principle, we keep the legal fiction combined with the border procedure in EPR as an option for Member States. But it should also be very clear that if a member state decides to use the border procedure, then this definitely will mean that they have to use the legal fiction of non entry, meaning a person is on the ground of European Union but is legally seen as not yet having entered European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, Also, we have mandatory checks regarding health and vulnerability so that very early stage we find out what additional support people might need. We also make sure that the rules from the earlier files, like, for example, the reception conditions, that is more or less ready. The files since 2016 do apply, at least for those who indicate from the very beginning that they wish to apply for asylum.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, I am also happy that we manage different to the Commission proposal and totally different to some ideas from the Council to not forget about the monitoring mechanism but expand this mechanism. Why is it? Now it's totally fine to have a monitoring system for the screening procedure itself. So to see what is happening once you are in the screening, How is the screening done? How are your rights respected?

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, But that doesn't mean you have a chance to go into the screening. So therefore we extended the monitoring mechanism from only the screening procedure to border surveillance, sending a clear signal that here still we have a problem with member states regarding respect for fundamental rights. We also made some clear rules, and I already talked about the checks that we do against different existing databases.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, We also wanted to make sure that the principle of not extreme funding, access rights to ever more people, the checks can be done mainly based on a hit noted principle and thus making sure that data are protected. But nevertheless, those who are doing the procedure can do their job. So we are here today with majority to decide on compromise on these files.

SOUNDBITE (English), Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), MEP, Fabienne Keller will not talk about her file, but once again, for me, it's important to underline that now it's on the Council to come up with their papers because only deciding one or the other file will not lead to the result that we need to have and hopefully a fully functioning asylum system. To have that we need all the files and therefore, once again, I am putting pressure on the Member States to come up with their positions.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, Thank you very much. I'll make the comments in French. Thank you very much. We get a sip of for that presentation on the screening regulation. After I heard from Thomas Tobe, who just put forward the Dublin Circus of the Room, and then our chair, one, Fernando Aguilar Lopez, who presented the regulation on the crisis arrangements. Now this is a this is a fork in the road, a crossroads.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, Two and a half years that we've been working on our different text, but also working together. And we met often as rapporteurs and we really wanted to make sure that this reform of asylum and migration move forward with sustainable, realistic and well thought out long term solutions. Now, with my group, we played a central role that's really our job as a centrist group. We aim to find a compromise, compromises a middle ground.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, We'd like to salute the balanced solutions we found on the one hand, solidarity and on the other, responsibility. We found the balance which we then incorporated each of our different tacks. Now, as all three of my colleagues have said, Birgit, Tomas and Fernando. Well, we've met our commitments. We had an agreement and our committee has now voted these four texts. We will continue to work with Council to implement the roadmap.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, And this has been the case since for the five different presidencies involved French, Czech presidencies and their ambassadors. Then the Swedish presidency, Belgian and Spanish presidencies will be involved with this. We've had a number of different rapporteurs as well. We've had, I believe, four meetings so far, and those meetings were characterised by a good working environment.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, We worked across the horizontal borders between the different parts of the text. We could cover all aspects of the new pact so that it could be up to meeting its commitments and requirements and then be ready for negotiations, discussions with Council as soon as possible. Now, my text for which I was rapporteur, that's the one with the border procedures, I'm very happy that we did find common ground and we adopt a number of different amendments.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, The procedures are more harmonised, they're more effective across the European Union. So after the screening, those who are requesting asylum need to be dealt with in the same way in all 27 countries with the same guarantees. That's the point of this text. Now, the procedures at the border has been revised to make sure that there is a quick evaluation of requests for asylum for individuals who are unlikely to be declared to be refugees.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, Now, the third aspect of this compromise is that there's going to be a greater involvement of the European agencies to provide technical and operational assistance to member states in the procedures. That's particularly true for the agents of the European Union for asylum, which is now up and running, and also a role for Frontex in this, and then also a group role for the fundamental for the respect of fundamental rights when it comes to defining procedures at borders.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, That's one of our main priorities. Member States need to put into place an independent control and monitoring about procedure so that all the fundamental rights are respected and all the procedural rights are respected as well for asylum seekers. Now Thomas, I was shadow for your your text.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, I'd also like to thank really all the colleagues as we tried to find this balance between solidarity and the respect for the Dublin principles as we implement them to make them better, to also make sure that we look at the first country of contact and then also family reunion aspects and see also links with member states.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, So a new Dublin, if you will, a more balanced, a Dublin, more respectful of the rights of seekers. Now for these texts, compromises had to be found. They had to be negotiated and they were often transversal. There are, of course, links between these different tacks. We're talking about the same asylum seekers and immigrants. There was all characterised by a very positive effort to try and build a European a truly European asylum policy. Here.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), MEP, And anyone who thinks that there's simple solutions want you to believe that, well, we would just show that how much work actually goes into this, and it's work that will continue. It has to be it has to be pragmatic. It has to prepare and prepare. Well, the coming negotiations with Council, we hope those negotiations will be successful.

Q&A Question regarding the contributing countries in terms of in ordinary and extraordinary times. Second question regarding the screening that may include detention subject to the relevant union national law regulating that matter.

Q&A Question regarding dropping one of the major innovations the Commission introduced into the pact. Second question regarding search and rescue situations are particularly in crises.

Q&A Question regarding the obligatory or mandatory relocation in the case of a crisis.

Q&A Question regarding the regulation forseeing that the criteria of first entry does not apply in case of disembarkation following a search and rescue operation.

Q&A Question regarding the Member States getting to an end of what they have to do before the term is out next year.

Press conference by Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Chair of the LIBE committee, and by Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE) Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE) and Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), Rapporteurs on the new asylum and migration rules

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LIBE - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs