European Council discusses Ukraine, the Middle East and migrants
Member countries are of the opinion that entry at the external borders of the Union should be better controlled
from our correspondent Beda Romano
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2' min read
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It will be a European summit, the one taking place between Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October, mainly devoted to the international situation: the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and the migration front. On the latter front, there is a desire on the part of the member states to make Europe 'more assertive', as one European diplomat put it. In difficulty on other fronts, on this France and Germany appear united.
The last months have shown a tightening of immigration in several European countries. In Germany, the federal government reintroduced temporary national border controls. In Finland, the parliament passed a measure that actually allows rejections at the border with Russia. In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that he would suspend the right to asylum for migrants entering the country from Russia and Belarus.
In essence, member states are of the opinion that entry at the EU's external borders needs to be better controlled; free movement in the Schengen area needs to be guaranteed; and innovative solutions need to be devised with which to manage the arrival of migrants. Member countries look with interest but also caution at the recent Italian initiative to set up a platform in Albania for migrants recovered at sea and their status assessed. Many question the practical mechanisms. Others on the moral value.
At EU level, the Twenty-Seven should ask the European Commission for a new legislative proposal on the return of irregular migrants without the right to asylum. The current legislative text is a directive dating back to 2008. It was criticised by non-governmental organisations as being too harsh. Politicians, on the contrary, considered it too soft. Over the years, attempts at reform were never successful.
Turning to more international topics, the Twenty-Seven will receive here in Brussels the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who is expected to present them with his peace plan with which to achieve to the end of hostilities with Russia. The member states will confirm their support for Kiev, even if Hungary continues to call for a ceasefire, complicating relations with the other governments to no small degree, as emerged last week from a heated debate in the parliament in Strasbourg.
