While Italy declares a state of emergency on its territory to cope with the influx of arrivals on its shores, the European Union has been struggling to reform its Pact on Migration and Asylum for several years. This legislative package, presented in September 2020 by the European Commission, aims to reform the EU’s asylum policy, including a new balance between solidarity in asylum matters and responsibility for controlling external borders, as well as enhanced cooperation with countries of origin and transit of migrants. In November 2022, a twenty-point plan was announced by the Commission. Since then, however, negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament have been dragging on. Can we therefore expect a common position of the EU interior ministers by the summer? Is an adoption of the reform before the European elections in spring 2024 credible and sufficient at a time when the EU has to respond to the next migratory challenges (war in Ukraine, global warming)?

We are pleased to welcome Corinne Balleix, member of our migration group and specialist in EU asylum issues.