A Pact: What Else?
The entry into force of the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June could have been seen as a major turning point in the development of a common policy in these areas and hailed as such. Yet the reactions were rather low-key. Admittedly, the president of the Commission emphasised that the pact provided an effective, fair and firm solution to a European challenge. But a statement issued by the Cypriot presidency following the informal ministerial meeting convened for the occasion was cautious, emphasising above all the work that still lay ahead.
There is no reference to the pact in the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 and 19 June, although a strategic discussion on migration was announced for its October meeting. And the press conference organised by the eight European Parliament rapporteurs involved in the negotiations on the pact’s texts mainly confirmed the divergent views within the assembly. This is hardly surprising, given the uncertainties that continue to hang over this reform. And yet the pact is a remarkable political achievement, as well as the outcome of an unprecedented effort to coordinate the various parties involved in its implementation.
This article was first published by FEPS and the full text can be read there.
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