In a notable success for the Irish Presidency, the European Parliament has
formally adopted all remaining measures before it concerning the Common
European Asylum System (CEAS). The Directive on Reception Conditions, the
Dublin Regulation and the Procedures Directive were passed by the European
Parliament today after a debate in Strasbourg yesterday which was attended
by Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton. The final
element of the CEAS, the Eurodac Regulation, agreed under the Irish
Presidency, will be adopted by Council on 20 June.
Speaking after the vote, the Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and
Defence, Mr. Alan Shatter, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Council,
said
“The Common European Asylum System is another step in the harmonisation of
national asylum systems in the European Union during a time of increased
asylum applications in the Union. This package of measures highlights the
value of the European Union in bringing Member States together to tackle
shared concerns. The new rules will offer asylum seekers higher and more
consistent levels of protection throughout the Union. Building on the hard
work of previous Presidencies, the Irish Presidency is proud to sign-off on
the package of measures and achieve what was one of the key objectives of
our Presidency Programme.”
The completion of the CEAS has been a key priority for the European Council
which called for an updated asylum system when adopting the Stockholm
Programme in 2009. The operation of the system will be underpinned by the
activities of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) which is now fully
operational, and a number of dedicated funding programmes which will
support Member States in their efforts to effectively implement the new
legislation.
Other elements of the CEAS already adopted include the Qualification
Directive which was adopted in December 2011 and the Regulation
establishing the European Asylum Support Office which was adopted in May
2010.
Today the European Parliament voted on three legislative measures:
· The Directive on Reception Conditions which lays down standards for
the reception of asylum seekers and will provide better and more
harmonised standards of living to applicants for international
protection, irrespective of in which Member State the application has
been made.
· The Dublin Regulation establishes the criteria and mechanisms for
determining the Member State responsible for examining an application
for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a
third-country national or a stateless person. The new rules will
also introduce a mechanism for early warning preparedness and crisis
management.
· And the recast of the Asylum Procedures Directive, the principal
objective of which is to establish common procedures for granting or
withdrawing international protection with a view to similar cases
being processed similarly and with similar outcomes.
The Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton, said
“Today we have come to the end of a long road towards putting in place the
various measures that were needed to make up this second phase of the
Common European Asylum System. The challenge now is for Member States,
with the support of European Asylum Support Office, to work towards the
effective implementation of the new legislative framework so as to ensure
that the interests of all stakeholders, particularly those persons who have
had to flee persecution in their own country, are protected.”