Juncker wants to tackle migration at February summit
Juncker wants to tackle migration at February summit
Politico, 20 Jan 2016
URL: http://www.politico.eu/article/juncker-we-need-ano
Juncker wants to tackle migration at February summit
Commission president worries meeting of EU leaders will be dominated by Brexit talks.
By MAÏA DE LA BAUME 1/20/16, 2:55 PM CET Updated 1/21/16, 12:21 PM CET
STRASBOURG — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that a summit of EU leaders in February may need to be prolonged to address the refugee crisis “in sufficient depth.”
Juncker told journalists in Strasbourg he feared that the next full gathering of European leaders, on February 18 and 19, would be dominated by the question of U.K. membership in the bloc and leaders would not be able to discuss the migration issue.
“I am worried that we won’t have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth,” Juncker said, adding that he would ask European Council President Donald Tusk to consider prolonging the meeting.
The remarks came a day after Tusk told the European Parliament that a summit in March would be “the last moment to see if our strategy works” — a further sign that EU leaders expect the February meeting to be dominated by the debate over Brexit.
Both Juncker and Tusk said the EU was failing to deliver on its strategy for addressing the migration crisis, and blamed the national governments.
Juncker said the Commission was working on measures needed to fight the refugee crises. “We are currently reviewing the current measures … and where we can strengthen them,” Juncker said at a press conference with European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
In the past eight months, only 272 refugees of a planned 160,000 have been relocated under a controversial Commission plan that several countries have opposed. During that time period, EU leaders have held seven summits at which they tried to find consensus on an approach to migration.
CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct an error in the official translation from German to English of Juncker’s remarks, which said he would ask for a “further” summit.
Authors:
Maïa de La Baume
Commission president worries meeting of EU leaders will be dominated by Brexit talks.
By MAÏA DE LA BAUME 1/20/16, 2:55 PM CET Updated 1/21/16, 12:21 PM CET
STRASBOURG — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that a summit of EU leaders in February may need to be prolonged to address the refugee crisis “in sufficient depth.”
Juncker told journalists in Strasbourg he feared that the next full gathering of European leaders, on February 18 and 19, would be dominated by the question of U.K. membership in the bloc and leaders would not be able to discuss the migration issue.
“I am worried that we won’t have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth,” Juncker said, adding that he would ask European Council President Donald Tusk to consider prolonging the meeting.
The remarks came a day after Tusk told the European Parliament that a summit in March would be “the last moment to see if our strategy works” — a further sign that EU leaders expect the February meeting to be dominated by the debate over Brexit.
Both Juncker and Tusk said the EU was failing to deliver on its strategy for addressing the migration crisis, and blamed the national governments.
Juncker said the Commission was working on measures needed to fight the refugee crises. “We are currently reviewing the current measures … and where we can strengthen them,” Juncker said at a press conference with European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
In the past eight months, only 272 refugees of a planned 160,000 have been relocated under a controversial Commission plan that several countries have opposed. During that time period, EU leaders have held seven summits at which they tried to find consensus on an approach to migration.
CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct an error in the official translation from German to English of Juncker’s remarks, which said he would ask for a “further” summit.
Authors:
Maïa de La Baume