On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union Resettlement Framework and amending Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council
AFET-PA-601073
Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Laima Liucija Andrikienė
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The Committee on Foreign Affairs draft opinion proposes amendments to the proposed regulation establishing a Union Resettlement Framework. It removes the words "a large-scale" before irregular inflow in several places, adds regional stability and international law to the criteria for choosing third countries, and deletes the list of cooperation conditions.¶¶¶ It also changes the annual plan from a "maximum total" number to a "target" number, deletes the exclusion of persons who stayed or entered irregularly, and broadens family unity to all persons referred to in point (b)(ii).¶¶¶ The opinion makes the High-Level Resettlement Committee mandatory for UNHCR and IOM to be invited to, and adds Union Delegations to local coordination arrangements.¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Foreign Affairs proposes amendments to the proposed regulation: it removes "a large-scale" from irregular inflow references, adds regional stability and international law to the criteria for third countries, deletes the cooperation conditions and the exclusion of irregular stayers, changes the maximum total number to a target number, and broadens family unity.¶¶¶
Key points
- Deletes "a large-scale" before irregular inflow in Recital 9, Recital 10 and Article 3(3)(b).¶¶¶
- Adds the impact on regional stability of the third country to the criteria for assessing the number of displaced persons.¶
- Adds that financial and technical assistance should especially aim at increasing reception capability, protecting persons in need of international protection and developing an effective asylum system.¶
- Replaces the Union's overall relations with the third country by respect for international law by that country, and adds the Union's overall relations with the third country and with third countries in general.¶
- Deletes the list of a third country's effective cooperation with the Union in migration and asylum as a criterion.¶
- Adds other third countries' resettlement commitments to the criteria.¶
- Specifies that vulnerable persons include in particular the categories listed, and removes the condition that minor children be unmarried.¶¶
- Removes the requirement that the father, mother or other responsible adult be responsible for an unmarried minor.¶
- Extends family unity to all persons referred to in point (b)(ii), not only those in that point.¶
- Deletes the ground for exclusion of persons who irregularly stayed, entered or attempted to enter the Member States in the five years before resettlement, and deletes the related prima facie exclusion from targeted schemes.¶¶
- Changes the "maximum total" number of persons to be resettled to a "target" number in Article 7(2)(a) and Article 8(2)(b).¶¶
- Adds Union Delegations to local coordination and practical cooperation arrangements, and makes it mandatory to invite UNHCR and IOM to the High-Level Resettlement Committee.¶¶
Who is affected
- Member States, which would resettle persons under a target number rather than a maximum total.¶¶
- Third-country nationals and stateless persons in need of international protection, for whom exclusion grounds are removed and family unity broadened.¶¶¶
- Third countries from which resettlement occurs, assessed on regional stability, international law and other countries' commitments.¶¶¶
- UNHCR and IOM, whose invitation to the High-Level Resettlement Committee becomes mandatory.¶
- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, invited to attend the High-Level Resettlement Committee when associated with the annual plan.