Malmström waits for ‘a Kosovo in the Med’ to activate Solidarity Mechanism

European Commissioner for justice and home affairs Cecilia Malmström has displayed little enthusiasm for activating the EU’s solidarity mechanism in support of Malta and Italy’s roles in succouring asylum seekers leaving Libyan shores.

“We cannot discuss numbers but this directive was born after Kosovo, so we’re talking of hundreds of refugees. We’re not there yet,” Malmström told journalists as she entered the Council building for today’s meeting with European ministers of the interior.

“I think it’s too premature… there are other ways to show solidarity to Italy and Malta, the refugees in Libya that are coming to Europe and who require international protection.”

In her blog today, Malmström writes that many issues that will be discussed today will be overshadowed by the current situation in the Mediterranean.

“The boats are still arriving in Lampedusa – sources say that they now even carry refugees from Côte d’Ivoire. Italy and Malta have both called for an activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. Everybody is talking about solidarity and today we’ll see what this means in practice.”

The Times today also reports that three EU member states – Belgium, Germany and Hungary – this morning offered to take migrants from Malta to ease the migration burden.

The Solidarity Mechanism that is envisaged in EU law caters for cases of mass influx of displaced persons. It provides that in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons, temporary protection must be given in all EU countries. Secondly, it promotes a balance of effort between Member States in receiving and bearing the consequences of receiving such persons.

The decision, which is binding on all member states, is taken by the Council of Ministers deciding by qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission.