Resettlement of refugees: EU framework

‘EU Legislation in Progress’ briefings aim to provide Members of the European Parliament with systematic and automatic analysis on all substantial proposals for EU legislation at every stage of the legislative procedure. Each contains an account of the purpose, content and legal aspects of the legislation proposed, in particular analysing what the legislation would change, as well as any previous legislation and the background. An overview of stakeholders’ views is also provided, as well as the opinions of national parliaments and the two advisory committees.

They are all made publicly available for stakeholders and the public.

The briefings are continuously updated as they pass through the policy making process and the source url hyperlink above should take you to the latest available version.

Titles in the series since 2016 offer expanded information under the following headings:

Background
+ Introduction
+ Context
+ Existing situation

Proposal
+ The changes the proposal would bring

Views
+ Advisory committees
+ National parliaments
+ Stakeholders’ views

Legislative process
+ European Parliament
+ Council

References
+ EP supporting analysis
+ Other sources
Resettlement is one tool to help displaced persons in need of protection reach Europe safely and legally, and receive protection for as long as necessary. It is a durable solution which includes selection and transfer of refugees from a country where they seek protection to another country. Apart from providing international protection to refugees, its aim is also to strengthen solidarity and responsibility-sharing between countries. For a resettlement to take place, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has to determine an applicant is a refugee according to the 1951 Geneva Convention, and has to identify resettlement as the most appropriate solution.

On 13 July 2016, as part of the reform of the Common European Asylum System and the long-term policy on better migration management, the European Commission presented a proposal which aimed to provide for a permanent framework with standard common procedures for resettlement across the EU, and would complement national and multilateral resettlement initiatives.

On 25 October 2017, the European Parliament plenary confirmed the mandate to enter into interinstitutional negotiations with the Council, on the basis of the report adopted by the LIBE committee on 12 October 2017. The Council of the European Union's COREPER adopted its own approach on 15 November 2017

The first trilogue meeting between the institutions took place on 13 December 2017.

• Primary Source

EP: EPRS: Briefing: EU Legislation in Progress http://epthinktank.eu/eu-legislation-in-progress/

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union Resettlement Framework and amending Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council (COM (2016)468) http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-regulation-establishing-a-union-resettlement-framework-and-amending-regulation-eu-no-516-2014/

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