Video: https://youtu.be/dS3SKFzcU20
Today was the last JHA Council of the Slovak Presidency.
I want to take this opportunity to once again warmly thank the Slovak Presidency and my friend Robert Kalinak, for consistently delivering excellent work in the Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings.
We have made great progress on issues that touch on migration, border management and security.
Our biggest joint achievement and milestone in the last 6 months was of course the European Border and Coast Guard. It is operational now, with the rapid reaction pool fully ready since yesterday.
I also want to congratulate the Presidency for reaching agreement on the systematic checks at our external borders for all citizens (EU and non-EU) last week, which we proposed exactly a year ago. This will be an additional tool in our fight against the threat of foreign terrorist fighters.
Let me also thank the Presidency for the work undertaken on the Entry Exit System proposal, which we further discussed today. This work will continue in the next weeks in order to solve some outstanding issues. Achieving a partial general approach by the end of the year, as envisaged by the Presidency, would be very welcome.
Yesterday we also reached an agreement on the visa suspension mechanism in record time – and I invite the European Parliament and Council now to give visa liberalisation to Georgia and Ukraine soon.
Moving from borders and mobility to security, here we also made important progress.
We reached an agreement on the terrorism directive recently, which will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools they need to fight the evolving terrorist threat. It will make the EU safer, while respecting our high standards of fundamental rights.
For the Firearms Directive, final negotiations are still ongoing, and I hope an agreement is within reach before the end of the year.
Finally, we made important progress in our discussions on how to reform the Common European Asylum System. I have to admit, Robert: starting your Presidency when the Commission drops 7 legislative proposals on your table is not the easiest!
But of course the question of Dublin and sharing responsibility and solidarity is not just legal but also political.
There is convergence on a number of important principles and today's discussions were encouraging.
We need now to continue the good work done so far and build up a robust and future-proof system that strikes the right balance. We need a clear, predictable, efficient but most of all fair Dublin system that enables us to act in a structured and effective manner both in times of calm and in times of crisis.
On the new European Union Agency on Asylum, discussions have advanced very well. The Presidency, with the support of the Commission, is working hard to find an agreement in the Council before the end of this month.
Regarding Eurodac, I am very pleased that the Council was able to reach a partial general approach today.
On the remaining elements of our asylum reform package, there is progress on the Qualification and Reception Conditions Directives, the Asylum Procedures Regulation, and discussions on the EU Resettlement Framework proposal have also started.
I also welcome the adoption by the Council of conclusions on the integration of third-country nationals. Because it is not just about hosting, it is also about belonging. It is the number one investment that we should not underestimate or neglect. We have to learn from the past, and turn the recent migration flows into an opportunity for Europe's societies as a whole.
All of these elements, and all this progress, will help us establish a truly comprehensive asylum and migration policy in the EU, ready for the future.
As we close the year and close this Presidency, we know that a lot of homework still awaits us on both migration and security issues in the next months.
We now count on the Maltese Presidency to take over and continue the discussions in the right direction, in a true European spirit.
