Migration | EU leaders 'agree to take operational decisions’ in December

Leaders of the European Union agreed to meet in December with a view to take operational decisions on migration, a conclusion which was pushed for by Malta.

Addressing the Maltese press after a three-hour meeting of the EU heads of state and government, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the Council accepted to take operational decisions in December, including on the use of efficient short-term policies.

"This is the positive message from today's meeting. We got what we were really after: a specific timeframe. It would have been unacceptable if the debate were to be postponed until June," Muscat said.

#EU binds itself to December deadline for operational decisions on #immigration. #Malta proposal accepted -JM #EUCO — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) October 25, 2013

However, according to Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, the Council's conclusions were disappointing.

The wording of the Council's conclusions have now also included the use of "illegal entries".

"The Summit conclusions on immigration are actually a step back on previous drafts," Busuttil said on Twitter.

The Summit conclusions on immigration are actually a step back on previous drafts. #EUCO — Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) October 25, 2013

Having been placed at the last minute on the Council's agenda, Italy's Prime Minister Enrico Letta thanked the member states for discussing migration. During his intervention, Letta also had words of praise for the stand that Malta was taking.

But he also urged fellow member states to take a solid stand on the issue, reiterating that irregular migration was a European problem.

Reacting to Busuttil's comments, Muscat told MaltaToday that the Opposition leader was "once again on the wrong side on the fence".

"After years of failure by the PN, Dr Busuttil still cannot understand that Malta has finally achieved a timeline which should lead to concrete solutions. We're not there yet, but things finally look more positive," he said.

Having been placed at the last minute on the Council's agenda, Italy's Prime Minister Enrico Letta thanked the member states for discussing migration. During his intervention, Letta also had words of praise for the stand that Malta was taking.

But he also urged fellow member states to take a solid stand on the issue, reiterating that irregular migration was a European problem.

According to the official conclusions, the European Council said that, "based on the imperative of prevention and protection and guided by the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, determined action should be taken in order to prevent the loss of lives at sea and to avoid that such human tragedies happen again".

The European Commission said the newly established Task Force for the Mediterranean, led by the European Commission and involving Member States, EU agencies and the EEAS, to identify priority actions for a more efficient short term use of European policies and tools.

"The Commission will report to the Council at its meeting of 5-6 December 2013 on the work of the Task Force with a view of taking operational decisions," the Council concluded.

The Maltese Prime Minister was also very categorical in declaring that Malta would be holding member states "accountable for this specific commitment" which the European Council bound itself to.

"We are also glad that short-term is being used to signify the urgency of the matter. This is the first time that Malta teamed up with other countries in leading a major political activity," Muscat said.

Malta was pivotal in adding conclusions on migration, originally a sentence expressing solidarity with the recent human tragedies.

Muscat said that today's conclusions were just one of three steps: the second step would following in December's Summit and third in June during the summit on migration.

"We want Europe to abandon its policy of talks and deliver concrete action," he said, also welcoming the fact that the European Council was now talking on "illegal entries".

Also of significant importance was EU leaders agreeing that prevention was part of the solution.

Among the proposals put forward is that countries of origin should have their own representation office in front-line states.

Muscat said Malta found "vociferous support" in a proposal to have asylum systems in place closer to the migrants' countries of origin. "This would avoid having people risking to cross the sea," he said.

On Frontex, Muscat said the organisation shouldn't be "a further burden on recipient member states" but should have proper rules of engagement.

Front-line states have also called for closer cooperation between Europe and countries of origin and transit, particularly Libya. The Prime Minister insisted that Europe had "a historical responsibility" towards the African continent, adding that Libya could not be abandoned to turn into a "failed" state.

In the upcoming meeting of the Task Force for the Mediterranean, Malta will be insisting that applicants should be repatriated "in the shortest timeframe" should their asylum request be refused. A second proposal is for member states to be in a position to issue travel documents if the country of origin fails to do so.

Muscat said Malta would also see that existing agreements - the Cotonou agreement - between countries of origin and the European Union are adhered to. This agreement stipulates that countries that are benefiting from international development aid have to accept back those migrants who were refused asylum in member states.

Malta wants the issue to be discussed in next April's EU-Africa summit.