The European Parliament (EC) decided today to start talks with EU member states on a series of legislative proposals to reform immigration and asylum policies.

MEPs approved the start of negotiations between the EP and the Council of the EU on all the files that were put to a vote.

Regarding the regulation on the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders, the decision to start negotiations was approved with 419 votes in favor, 126 against and 30 abstentions.

As regards the negotiations on the Central Conviction Information System (ECRIS-TCN), the result was 431 votes in favour, 121 against and 25 abstentions.

These rules will apply at EU borders for persons who do not in principle meet the conditions for entry into the respective EU Member States. The plan provides for procedures for identification, fingerprinting, security checks and a preliminary assessment of their health and vulnerability.

Through the amendments they approved, MEPs added an independent fundamental rights monitoring mechanism to the draft law, which will also control border surveillance to ensure that possible refoulements are recorded and investigated.

As regards the management of asylum and immigration which concerns the main legislative act of the package of measures, it was supported by MEPs with 413 votes in favor, 142 against and 20 abstentions.

This regulation will set out how the EU and its Member States will act together in the area of ​​asylum and migration management. Under the plan, improved criteria will be established for determining which Member State will become responsible for examining an asylum application (the so-called “Dublin criteria”) and for the fair distribution of responsibilities. MEPs also want the regulation to include a binding solidarity mechanism to help countries under migratory pressure, including after search and rescue operations at sea.

The decision to open negotiations on the crisis regulation was confirmed with 419 votes in favour, 129 against and 30 abstentions. The text primarily concerns sudden mass arrivals of third-country nationals leading to a crisis situation in a specific Member State, and provides for mandatory relocations and derogations in terms of control and asylum procedures, based on a prior assessment by the Commission.

In addition, with 391 votes in favor, 140 against and 25 abstentions, MEPs approved the negotiating mandate for changes to the current directive on long-term resident third-country nationals. The changes that the EP will seek include speeding up the granting of long-term permits in the EU after 3 years of legal residence and the possibility of integration of people with temporary protection status. Long-term EU residents will still be able to move to another EU country without additional work restrictions and their dependent children will automatically receive the same status.

Having received the approval of the plenary, MEPs can start talks with the Council of the EU, on the final form of these legislative texts and on the files on which the member states have already agreed their position, in particular on the control procedures.

The EP and the rotating EU Council Presidencies have pledged to work together to approve reform of the EU’s migration and asylum rules ahead of the 2024 European elections.