EU fails to agree on relocation proposal

EU justice ministers will return to the question of mandatory quotas for refugees at a meeting in Luxembourg on October 8th, after failing to secure agreement on the European Commission’s proposal to relocate refugees across the bloc.

Speaking after a seven-hour meeting of EU justice ministers which ended without agreement on Jean-Claude Juncker’s proposal to relocate 120,000 refugees across EU member states, Luxembourg’s interior minister said that most countries had backed the plan in principle, but it was too early to secure definitive agreement on the plan.

European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans said that while a decision to "shut up all the borders" would be unrealistic and populist, it was equally unrealistic to allow all migrants to enter Europe. Nonetheless, a coherent response was needed from the EU, he said.

“We are in a hurry, the situation is dire and difficult. But as they say, ‘winter is coming’, and Europe must be prepared.”

Mr Timmermans expressed confidence that all member states could agree to the proposal. “I think we need to convince everyone and some member states are still not convinced that this is the way forward or have questions about parts of the proposals. Let’s clarify, let’s convince.

"In June, nobody thought it possible for us to get an agreement on 40,000, we now have an agreement on 40,000." Statement In a statement, the European Commission described yesterday's meeting as a "first-step" though added that the discussion was "only the beginning". "More must be done to cope with the enormous challenges Europe and its citizens are facing at the moment."

The European Commission has been pushing a mandatory relocation scheme for refugees in a bid to ensure that all member states accept their fair share of refugees. But while the proposal has strong support from France and Germany, it has been met with scepticism by a number of central and east European member states.

Ministers also considered yesterday proposals to strengthen the bloc’s returns policy, including the establishment of reception centres in Italy and Greece. An increase in EU aid to UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, was also agreed.

In addition, Ministers decided to exclude Turkey from the list of "safe countries" proposed by the European Commission. Speaking after the meeting, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said this was a recognition of the internal situation in Turkey.

Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, the head of the Greens in the European Parliament, Philippe Lamberts, described the failure to reach agreement as “disheartening” and “shameful”.

Disheartening "It is disheartening that, despite the ever more dramatic humanitarian crisis on the EU's southern borders, EU governments could only agree to prolong their internal squabbling until next month," he said. "It is shameful that despite the dramatic nature of the humanitarian emergency, many EU governments are still turning their backs on their European partners and refusing to accept their responsibility.

Claude Moraes, chairman of the Civil Liberties Committee in the European Parliament, strongly criticised ministers for failing to back the plan. “Today should have been the most important council meeting to take place on justice and home affairs in the EU’s recent history,” he said. “Member states have yet again failed to make tough decisions and provide an organised and compassionate response to the refugee crisis.