Dear all,
All our elements today are interconnected to comprehensively manage migration in all its aspects, from both the external and internal side.
As mentioned by Federica, the actions that we propose to launch in cooperation with Libya and its neighbouring countries, if they are rapidly and fully implemented, they can substantially reduce the irregular migration flows in the Central Mediterranean and the loss of lives at sea.
These actions complement and complete the work we started last year in the Eastern Mediterranean through the EU-Turkey Statement on the one hand, and on the other hand through the Partnership Framework in relation to Sub-Saharan African countries.
Successfully reducing the irregular flows in the Central as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean, and at the same time improving the conditions of migrants and refugees in all the countries eighbouring the EU, including in Libya, will also affect our internal policies on migration.
This would:
facilitate the discussions on solidarity and responsibility,
help us to advance on the revision of the Common European Asylum System
and facilitate the possibility of returning irregular migrants.
All this requires a collective effort of the EU and all its Member States, as well as of other key international actors, first of all the International Organisation of Migration, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Of key importance will be for us to urgently develop cooperation with all the relevant actors in Libya and the neighbouring countries, and mobilise adequate resources.
This is in the interest not only of the EU and of the migrants and refugees stranded in Libya, but also in the interest of the reconstruction of Libya as a country.
Our European Border and Coast Guard as well as Europol will play a key role in this new approach that we are proposing to adopt in the Central Mediterranean. Both agencies will actively contribute to the dismantling of smugglers and the organised crime networks hiding behind them.
In that sense, the European Border and Coast Guard is a central piece, not just to better secure our external borders, but it also interconnects our internal and external migration policy.
In 9 months we were able to adopt it; in the past 3 months we have made important progress to operationalise it. We now have different pools in place for rapid reaction and for return, increasing both the human resources as well as the technical equipment to assist Member States.
What is now urgently needed is for Member States to continue to cooperate and fill the gaps.
The vulnerability assessments process is also critical. The Agency must ensure a priority process for identifying the most urgent vulnerabilities.
Finally, the European Border and Coast Guard will also have a broadened mandate on return and cooperation with third countries.
That is why I am pleased that today we also adopt recommendations to the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations with Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Let me however remind that the European Border and Coast Guard does not replace the responsibilities and competences of Member States. It rather complements and supports their duties.
The first three months have shown great progress, now it is important to keep fulfilling all outstanding gaps. Fully operationalising the European Border and Coast Guard requires continuous and long-lasting efforts and a comprehensive approach.
The security environment is of course indivisible from the rest of our package today on getting back to Schengen, on better protecting our external borders, and managing the flows from Libya.
Today our 4th report on progress towards a genuine and effective Security Union is presented. It focusses on information sharing, protecting soft targets, cybersecurity and data protection in the security area.
All these are critical areas for the security of our citizens, and major priorities for our actions in the near future.
In the same vein, our efforts to return to a normalisation of the Schengen area must also be coordinated. We currently have temporary border controls in place: these are exceptional measures for an exceptional situation.
My position on Schengen has always been crystal clear. Our and my personal goal remains to gradually phase out the current temporary border controls and return to a normal functioning of the Schengen area as soon as possible.
Despite the progress and steady improvements over the past months, we are still not back to normal unfortunately.
That is why today we recommend prolonging temporary internal border controls in the same 5 Member States for an additional, strict and limited period of 3 months.
I want to be clear however: we only recommend that controls continue as far as needed, and always as a last resort. We explicitly encourage Member States to use alternatives, in particular police checks in the vicinity of the border.
These controls cannot go on forever and they will not. Schengen is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union, the most tangible example of European integration, and we must do everything to safeguard, defend and protect it.
Thank you.