EU Summit, the focus of leaders on migrants

Summit of EU heads of state and government today and tomorrow in Brussels. The June European Council will begin at 13 with a leaders’ lunch with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which will focus on global and geopolitical issues. After the usual introductory speech by the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, it will be the turn of Portuguese premier Antonio Costa, outgoing president of the EU Council, to take stock of the presidency which will end on 30 June. Then, for approximately five hours, the working session will be held, centered on Covid-19, with the issue of combating variants, and on migration. At dinner, leaders should talk about external relations, especially Russia and Turkey. There will certainly be conclusions on Russia, which should reflect the principle of ‘selective engagement’, that is, to fight where it is needed and interact where it is appropriate. High Representative Josep Borrell had spoken of “pushback”, that is to react, “constrain”, to harness, and “engage”, to interact. All “simultaneously” and “in this order”. Conclusions are also expected on Belarus, Ethiopia, Sahel and Libya, albeit “short”, informs a senior EU official. The mention of Libya, Ethiopia and the Sahel affects the countries of first arrival, including Italy. On Friday morning the discussion will focus on economic issues, in particular on the recovery from the crisis caused by the pandemic.At dinner it is also expected that the law approved by Hungary on the access of minors to content dealing with issues relating to LGBT people will be discussed. which raised the protests of 17 countries, led by Belgium. Italy also signed the declaration, after listening to the explanations of Hungary. Given the number of countries that have signed the declaration, the source informs, “President Charles Michel felt it was important that it could be discussed. More than likely at dinner it could be developed by looking into the eyes. Leaders will talk to each other, rather than talk to each other. ‘one of the other “. On the subject of migration, the conclusions will focus, with a pragmatic approach desired by the countries of first arrival to move a dossier that has long been stranded, on the only corner on which leaders can find an agreement at the present stage, that is, the external dimension. In this context, explains a senior EU official, “we believe that there is room for improvement” in relations with countries of origin and transit. The leaders will therefore ask the Commission to present “concrete proposals”, in “September-October”, to “work on illegal crossings, returns, readmissions and the root causes of migration”. Returns, for example, have long remained entrusted to the bilateral dimension, which does not help the effectiveness of an action that is already complicated in itself, given the reluctance of many countries to sign repatriation agreements. A greater role of the EU in this could help. The internal dimension, on the other hand, which is the one that most interests the countries of first arrival but which is also the most complicated, given the internal political needs of each of the 27 member states, is still “a controversial issue among leaders “, confirms the source. Of course, in the summit “solidarity can be discussed”, but the conclusions “will focus on the external dimension”, because there a consensus can be found. Most likely the internal dimension of migration, that is also how to distribute the burdens among the Member States (read relocation), will be raised, but “some leaders – predicts the source – will say that we must go ahead with the pact on migration, others will say that not there is no need “. On the internal dimension, therefore, there is stalemate, but this is not a novelty and in Brussels it was widely expected. It is “possible”, if not “probable”, the source predicts, that leaders “touch on the issue” of relocations, but “the conclusions focus on the subjects on which there is consensus”. The redistribution of irregular migrants remains a “very controversial” subject, so much so that “to my knowledge, the issue has not been addressed” in the European Council “for three years, since June 2018”. In that European Council Giuseppe Conte, then premier of the yellow-green coalition, had to keep his colleagues ‘hostages’ until five in the morning, as the Bulgarian Boyko Borissov complained, to get the issue explicitly mentioned. Since then, being a matter on which leaders continue to disagree deeply, it has not formally returned to the table of the EU’s political steering body. Those conclusions of June 2018 stated that “with regard to the reform aimed at creating a new common European asylum system, considerable progress has been made thanks to the tireless efforts of the Bulgarian presidencies and the presidencies that preceded it. Several files are close to the conclusion “. And again:” It is necessary to find a consensus on the Dublin regulation – the leaders said three years ago – to reform it on the basis of a balance between responsibility and solidarity, taking into account the people disembarked following search and rescue operations “. The European Council, the leaders continued, “underlines the need to find a rapid solution to the entire package and invites the Council to continue its work in order to conclude it as soon as possible”. Since then, the reform of the Dublin system has made no progress, if not limited. On the other hand, it is likely that progress will be made today on relations with Turkey, as regards migration. Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed, meeting Mario Draghi in Berlin, that Ankara makes a lot of efforts to help millions of refugees and therefore deserves to be supported. There is an agreement with Turkey that dates back to March 2016, which was found overnight by Merkel with the then Turkish Foreign Minister, who essentially outsources the management of migratory flows from Syria, in exchange for substantial financial aid to Ankara. The heads of state and government should also launch an agenda for leaders, which lists the priority issues to be addressed in the next summits scheduled between now and December 2021 or March 2022. The senior EU official mentions “Covid, which will remain fundamental, digital and cybersecurity, China, Russia and Turkey, relations with the US and the UK, climate, industrial strategy and the Eurozone summit “. Among the “pieces of the puzzle” mentioned, there is no migration.