Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, joined the Justice and Home Affairs Council that was held in Brussels on Friday.
Ministers held an extensive exchange of views on the progress of the implementation of the EU-Turkey declaration from mid-March 2016, as well as on general migration issues. During the debate, Minister Asselborn warned against a failure of the agreement with Turkey, whilst expressing concerns about certain political developments in the country.
"Cooperative solutions regarding the definition of terrorism could eventually be pursued on the side of the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member," the Minister suggested.
The Luxembourg Foreign Minister further called for increased cooperation between EU Member States: "More efforts should be made regarding the relocation and implementing our September decisions. In Greece, 65% of people - especially among those stuck in Idomeni - are eligible for relocation!"
Ministers then exchanged views on visa policy and reached an agreement regarding the revision of the suspension mechanism, so that negotiations with the European Parliament can begin as soon as the position is defined. The new suspension mechanism is intended to apply to all existing agreements on the liberalisation of the visa regime.
Finally, Ministers heard from the Commission on the status of the proposal for a European Border Guards Body.
Photo by MAEE (L-R): Thomas de Maizière, German Minister of the Interior; Jorge Fernández Díaz, Spanish Minister of the Interior; Jean Asselborn, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Asylum Luxembourg
