There is no agreement on migrants: Italy blocks the EU pact. Piantedosi returns to Italy and meets the ministers of Libya and Tunisia in Palermo

John

By John

The time is getting longer for the agreement in the EU on the crisis regulation included in the Pact on Migration and Asylum. According to several European sources, the expected approval for the meeting of the Permanent Representatives risks being postponed after Italy asked for time to evaluate the new compromise proposed by the Spanish presidency to meet Germany’s requests, in particular on protections for migrants and on the exclusion of NGO rescues from situations of exploitation of migration which, according to the legislation, would trigger the flow emergency. The slowdown could postpone the agreement expected for today.

“The Interior Minister is evaluating the German compromise proposal on the EU Pact on migrants. Italy didn’t say no, we asked for time to examine it like everyone asked. I remember that the proposal arrived this morning, not a month ago. The time is normal for a more in-depth evaluation from a legal point of view, also hearing the opinion of the other members of the government”. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said this in response to a question on Berlin’s proposal for the pact on migrants , especially concerning a clause on humanitarian aid. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi left the EU Internal Affairs Council and returned to Italy where he will have today
two bilateral meetings with the Interior Ministers of Libya and Tunisia
. The meeting of Interior Ministers continued by focusing on the dossier of combating drug trafficking. Representatives of 14 South American countries were also present.

“Progress has been made and I am optimistic that an agreement can be found today on the last tranche of the Migration Pact. Then we can begin the trilogues. As with other chapters of the Pact, there were tensions at the beginning but in the end we managed to manage” an agreement. This was said by the Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johanssonspeaking to reporters before the Internal Affairs Council.

“As we adopt proposals that are central to the Pact on Immigration and Asylum, I now strongly urge Member States to agree on the regulation of the crisis at today’s meeting of Home Affairs Ministers. Now we have to finish the job. We must guarantee the correct implementation of the Pact”. Thus the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen at the EPP summit in Split.

“On the regulation on crisis management” within the Pact for Asylum and Migration “we are negotiating the issue of individual standards, I am confident that in the end we will get a good result.” The German Interior Minister said this: Nancy Faeserarriving at the Home Affairs Council in Brussels.

On the management of migratory crises, a “better solution” is needed in the EU, “we must have clear rules at the external borders in order to avoid images like those of Lampedusa”. The Austrian Interior Minister said this, Gerhard Karner, arriving EU Home Affairs Council in Brussels. “We have seen the images of Lampedusa and how great the migratory pressure is on Europe. We must work hard and intensely on our Migration Pact, take further steps and bring it to life, this is what we are struggling with today,” highlighted Karner, asking to “make the EU’s external borders more secure”.

The meeting, in addition to the migrant dossier and the Memorandum on Tunisia, will see on the table the topic of temporary protection for Ukrainians and the fight against drug trafficking from South America.