Malmström waits for ‘a Kosovo in the Med’ to activate Solidarity Mechanism

Little enthusiasm from Swedish commissioner on triggering burden-sharing mechanism for Malta and Italy.

European Commissioner for justice and home affairs Cecilia Malmström has displayed little enthusiasm for activating the EU’s solidarity mechanism in support of Malta and Italy’s roles in succouring asylum seekers leaving Libyan shores.

“We cannot discuss numbers but this directive was born after Kosovo, so we’re talking of hundreds of refugees. We’re not there yet,” Malmström told journalists as she entered the Council building for today’s meeting with European ministers of the interior.

“I think it’s too premature… there are other ways to show solidarity to Italy and Malta, the refugees in Libya that are coming to Europe and who require international protection.”

In her blog today, Malmström writes that many issues that will be discussed today will be overshadowed by the current situation in the Mediterranean.

“The boats are still arriving in Lampedusa – sources say that they now even carry refugees from Côte d’Ivoire. Italy and Malta have both called for an activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. Everybody is talking about solidarity and today we’ll see what this means in practice.”

The Times today also reports that three EU member states – Belgium, Germany and Hungary – this morning offered to take migrants from Malta to ease the migration burden.

The Solidarity Mechanism that is envisaged in EU law caters for cases of mass influx of displaced persons. It provides that in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons, temporary protection must be given in all EU countries. Secondly, it promotes a balance of effort between Member States in receiving and bearing the consequences of receiving such persons.

The decision, which is binding on all member states, is taken by the Council of Ministers deciding by qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission.

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jmissek tisthi minitru. irrezenja. ma gibx xejn mill Eu hlief jitmelhu bik. qas haqq il flus li qed tonfoq biex is siefer. ibqa hawn almenu twaqqax iktar il pajjizna ghan nej....
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Lets vote to get out of the EU....This is not a social EU but one which dry cleans your pockets and doesn't even give you the change. EU + PN = RIGHTS ONLY TO THE RICH AND POWERFUL!
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ARA VERA GHANDA GVERN MICKEY MOUSE, BLA BOCCI TAL-LAHAM U MINGHAJR IDEJN, MELA PAR IDEJN SODI. SABIEX THALLI LILL DIK IL-MARARAGEL TITNEJJEK BINA KIF GIEB U LAHAQ U QISNA MA NESISTUX VERA TRID TKUN HEKK. NO MORE NO LESS. QABEL IR-REFERENDUM KIENU QALULNA REBBIEGHA DEJJEM. TAL-GHAGEB DAWN TA' GONZIPN HUMA FUTURISTI U PROFETI LI QATT MA RAJNA BHALHOM. GHAX MINBARRA IL-POLITIKANTI KULHADD QED JISHET IL-MUMENT LI IVVOTA IVA. KIF FIL-FATT QED GARA F'HAFNA PAJJIZI TAL-UNJONI.
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Kif L-GHAXQA TARAK Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici ma dik l-GHAGBA Cecilia Malstrom il kummisarja tal UE bicca ta mara ghamlitek SKUZI TAPIT TITNEJJEK BIKu bil GVERN TIEGHEK