Video: https://youtu.be/24cnXlKEIS8
Dear all,
It is good to be back in Zagreb, in Croatia. A key Member State and an important partner for us when it comes to tackling the common challenges of migration, border management and security together.
I would like to thank Davor Božinović for his warm welcome and the very constructive discussions we had earlier today on all these issues.
We had the chance to discuss many common priority issues today that I will also have the chance later to raise with the Prime Minister Plenković.
On migration, as you know, we have made substantial progress at EU level.
This has resulted in a significant drop in the number of irregular arrivals as well as secondary flows along the Western Balkan route, thanks to the operationalisation of the European Border and Coast Guard and the steady results of the EU-Turkey Statement.
Now is the moment to build on the progress we have achieved, and move towards structurally well-managed and regular migration.
We should not forget that Italy and Greece are still under pressure. This is why relocations must continue. We also need to continue showing solidarity to people in need of protection by offering them safe and legal ways to Europe.
We have made available half a billion EUR for another 50,000 resettlements in the coming two years. On both relocation and resettlement, I count on Croatia to continue its efforts and showing a European spirit of solidarity.
We have offered more than 100 million EUR under the home affairs funds for 2014-2020 and I count on Croatia too to make good use of all our financial support.
In addition to our forthcoming migration efforts at EU level, I have also proposed last week how we can preserve and strengthen Schengen for the future.
Let me repeat once again very clearly: the absence of internal border control constitutes the very essence of Schengen.
This is why we have proposed to update the Schengen Borders Code to adapt the rules for the reintroduction of temporary internal border controls to the current needs to respond to evolving and persistent serious threats to public policy or internal security.
We have also introduced stronger procedural safeguards to ensure that border controls at internal borders remain an exception – a measure of last resort – and are used only if necessary and proportionate, limiting the impact on free movement.
In other words: the reintroduction of border control at internal borders is and should remain the exception.
But a stronger Schengen means also a unified and inclusive Schengen.
Croatia’s continuous efforts are showing good results and our common goal is to reach the point where we complete and confirm this good progress.
I want to thank the Croatian authorities for their positive attitude and cooperation during the recent Schengen evaluation missions.
We are working with Croatia to positively conclude all the Schengen evaluations as soon as possible.
This will allow the Commission to complete the first stage and conclude that Croatia is ready to join Schengen, and then it will be for the Council to decide. It is in our common interest that we are all full members of Schengen.
I am also happy to see the excellent cooperation between Croatia and Slovenia at their common border, following the introduction of new rules covering systematic checks of our security databases.
The new rules are implemented smoothly, and Croatia’s access to the Schengen Information System on 27 June has also been crucial for this.
We have now more than 70 million pieces of information entered into the system. Member States are feeding the system and exchanging more information than ever before.
We have been calling for this stepped up information exchange for years now. It is essential if we want to increase the security of our citizens and know who is crossing our common external borders while ensuring limited impact to the traffic flows.
Our EU Entry/Exit System, which will register entry and exit data of non-EU nationals crossing our external borders, and the future European Travel Information and Authorisation System [ETIAS] for visa free travellers, will give us even more key information.
I would like to close with security – an area which is at the top of our citizens’ concerns;
where we have made real progress over the last two years, but where we still need to do much more. The recent attacks in Marseille, Barcelona and London show beyond doubt that the security environment remains volatile. Our work at European level will be stepped up.
On 18 October, we will announce new, concrete operational actions to enhance our support to Member States against terrorism.
We will mobilise all our expertise and resources across the board:
– from protecting citizens in public spaces,
– to restricting terrorist access to the means to conduct attacks,
– and to stepping up our work against terrorist propaganda online.
At the same time, we will not overlook more medium-term, structural actions to step up security in the EU.
And by this I am referring to the interoperability of our databases at EU level;
and the project to get our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to work together against terrorism, in an EU Intelligence Unit.
For me, the latter would be the essence of a genuine and effective Security Union in Europe.
And we will do our utmost to make it a reality.
On all migration, border and security issues, Croatia plays a crucial role in the European Union, and also in the region of the Western Balkans.
I count on Croatia to continue all its European efforts, and of course, Croatia can continue to count on our continuous –and my personal- support too.