Amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the application of the ‘safe third country’ concept
A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.
Where it stands: Completed: published in the Official Journal on 26 February 2026 and now EU law.
- ✓ Referred to committee 10 July 2025
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 3 December 2025
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 9 December 2025
- ✓ Negotiations with the Council Deal approved in committee 27 January 2026
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 10 February 2026
- ✓ Published as law 26 February 2026
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. For a law, Parliament’s adopted text is its first-reading position; Parliament and the Council then negotiate a common text (trilogues) which both must approve before it is published as law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- LIBE — Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Rapporteur
- Lena DÜPONT PPE
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Cecilia STRADA S&DFabrice LEGGERI PfEAssita KANKO ECRFabienne KELLER RenewErik MARQUARDT Verts/ALEIlaria SALIS The LeftEwa ZAJĄCZKOWSKA-HERNIK ESN
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The adopted text encourages Union-level agreements and adds transparency obligations, while removing the connection and transit grounds for applying the safe third country concept. It also clarifies that unaccompanied minors are exempt from agreements unless they pose a security danger, and allows member states to use all grounds before examining merits. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The changes broaden the safe third country concept by allowing application without a connection, based on transit, and with more flexibility for unaccompanied minors, while adding transparency requirements for agreements. The text encourages Union-level agreements and removes a safeguard that previously ensured access to asylum procedures when conditions could not be applied. Transparency obligations are strengthened by requiring information to Parliament and Member States, but the earlier requirement to inform when opening negotiations is dropped. The other changes are formal: renumbering of recitals and minor wording adjustments. see the changes →
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Outcome
- 26 February 2026 Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
- 24 February 2026 Signed by the Presidents of Parliament and the Council
The last step before the act is published in the Official Journal.
- Plenary stage
- 10 February 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a clear majorityFor 396 Against 226 Abstained 30
Final vote on the provisional agreement at 12:58 · 61% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
Show all 2 ballots in voting order
1. Proposal to reject the text 12:58 A10-0255/2025 – Lena Düpont – Proposal for rejection – Am 14= 15= 16=Rejected2. Final vote on the provisional agreement 12:58 A10-0255/2025 – Lena Düpont – Provisional agreement – Am 13Adopted - 3 February – 6 February 2026 16 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- Negotiations with the Council
- 27 January 2026 Committee approved the deal reached with the Council
The provisional agreement from the trilogues goes to the whole Parliament for a vote.
- 17 December 2025 Trilogue meeting
Negotiation between Parliament, Council and Commission on a common text.
- 17 December 2025 Plenary endorsed the mandate to negotiate with the Council
Parliament’s negotiators can now seek a compromise text with the Council (in “trilogues”).
- Plenary stage
- 17 December 2025 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a clear majorityFor 384 Against 237 Abstained 31
Decision to open negotiations with the Council at 12:22 · 59% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
- 9 December 2025 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 3 December 2025 Committee vote: report adopted
LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 6 November 2025 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) proposed changes to the draft.
- 17 October 2025 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 10 July 2025 Referred to the LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.