The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted by the European Parliament (EP) on 10 April during its penultimate plenary session before the end of the current mandate.
The ten legislative files that collectively make up the Pact were all approved with varying levels of support from members (MEPs):
File: Regulation on asylum and migration management
Lead MEP: Tomas Tobé (Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), Sweden)
For: 322
Against: 266
Majority: 56
Abstentions: 31
File: Regulation on addressing situations of crisis and force majeure
Lead MEP: Juan Fernando López Aguilar (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Spain)
For: 301
Against: 272
Majority: 29
Abstentions: 46
File: Regulation on introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders
Lead MEP: Birgit Sippel (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Germany)
For: 366
Against: 229
Majority: 137
Abstentions: 26
File: Regulation on a European Criminal Records Information System – Third Country Nationals
Lead MEP: Birgit Sippel (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Germany)
For: 414
Against: 182
Majority: 232
Abstentions: 29
File: Regulation establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union
Lead MEP: Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe Group, France)
For: 301
Against: 269
Majority: 32
Abstentions: 51
File: Regulation establishing a return border procedure
Lead MEP: Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe Group, France)
For: 329
Against: 253
Majority: 76
Abstentions: 40
File: Regulation on the establishment of ‘Eurodac’
Lead MEP: Jorge Buxadé Villalba (European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Spain)
For: 404
Against: 202
Majority: 202
Abstentions: 16
File: Regulation on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection
Lead MEP: Matjaž Nemec (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Slovenia)
For: 340
Against: 249
Majority: 91
Abstentions: 34
File: Directive on laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection
Lead MEP: Sophie in ‘t Veld (Renew Europe Group, Netherlands)
For: 398
Against: 162
Majority: 236
Abstentions: 60
File: Regulation establishing a Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework
Lead MEP: Malin Björk (The Left Group in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL), Sweden)
For: 452
Against: 154
Majority: 298
Abstentions: 14
The package will now be sent to the Council of the EU for formal approval and the new legislation will enter into force shortly afterwards. The application of the nine regulations will take place within two years and EU member states will have two years to amend their national laws to make them compliant with the recast Reception Conditions Directive.
The European Commission is currently developing an overall implementation plan that is scheduled to be finalised before the end of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU on 30 June.
Work has also begun on a “gap analysis” for each member state which seeks to identify the adaptation that each of them will need to make in order to apply the new EU legislation.
There will be elections to select MEPs for the 2024-2029 mandate on 6-9 June in all 27 EU member states.
On 1 July, Belgium will pass the presidency of the Council of the EU to Hungary.
The next College of Commissioners is expected to be appointed by November.
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