Home affairs ministers to discuss security at Europe’s borders and EU’s migration and asylum reform

EU home affairs ministers will gather in Lille, France, on 3 February for an Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. The ministers will discuss the security of Europe’s borders and the reform of the EU’s migration and asylum policy. Another topic on the agenda will be the impact of climate change on civil protection. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting.

Day before the meeting, the French Presidency of the Council of the EU will organise a simulation exercise on managing cybercrime incidents for the home affairs ministers. Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will represent Finland at the meeting and in the exercise.

Legislative amendments among tools for improving the functioning of the Schengen area

The current situation at the EU’s external borders were discussed in a number of contexts last summer and autumn. The topic is of particular interest for Finland as the border between Finland and Russia is a Schengen external border. The home ministers will discuss the situation at the external borders especially from the perspective of improving the Schengen area.

“The Schengen Borders Code should be developed in ways that allow for Member States efficient, proportionate and more flexible ways to respond to changing situations at both internal and external borders, in full respect of fundamental and human rights,” says Minister Mikkonen.

As part of its Schengen package, the European Commission submitted a proposal in December to amend the Schengen Borders Code. The aim of the proposal is to improve regulation on the reintroduction of internal border control and create various coordination mechanisms for incidents and crises at internal and external borders.

The Commission has also presented a proposal to revise the Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism to improve the process of verifying that Member States have correctly implemented the Schengen rules.

In addition, the EU’s migration and asylum policy must be comprehensive, and progress must be made on reforming the Common European Asylum System to improve Member States’ capacity to respond to all kinds of migration movements and thereby enable the uninterrupted functioning of the Schengen area.

France proposes a new way forward in the migration and asylum reform

The EU’s migration and asylum reform, launched in autumn 2020, has made little progress especially with regard to legislation, and the French Presidency is now seeking a new way forward. France proposes that the reform should proceed gradually and strive to meet the needs of all Member States as far as possible at each stage.

The comprehensive road map put forward by the French Presidency would strengthen checks and registration at external borders, while providing support for those Member States that bear the greatest responsibility for border control and the reception of asylum seekers. France sets much store by the external dimension of EU policies and especially by improving cooperation in return issues with key partner countries. Finland supports the Presidency’s proposal to advance the reform gradually and to build trust among Member States.

The home affairs ministers will discuss the Presidency’s proposal for the first time at the informal meeting in Lille. They will pave the way for the March Justice and Home Affairs Council, where the ministers will seek to agree on a general approach on the new way forward.

More European cooperation in civil protection

The home affairs ministers will discuss the impacts of climate change on civil protection. Finland considers the issue important and topical.

“The risks associated with climate change do not respect national borders. We must step up European cooperation so that we can better prepare for the impact of climate change and develop our common capabilities effectively,” says Mikkonen.

Finland supports the objective to improve and enhance EU preparedness to respond to broad and serious disasters and crises. Strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation and resilience in society at the European level will contribute to better national preparedness in Finland. 

Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 22 16, [email protected]
Tiina Kivinen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 566 19 22, [email protected] (requests for interviews with Minister Mikkonen)