The Council looked at the state-of-play of the
asylum package on the basis of a presidency paper.
The existing legislative framework in the field of
asylum lays down minimum standards. The Commission, in keeping with
the commitment to establish the CEAS by 2012, has submitted a
series of proposals aimed at greater harmonisation of national
asylum systems and higher levels of protection.
These are at different stages in the legislative
process:
- Qualification directive:
the Council welcomed the fact that the European Parliament endorsed
the compromise text agreed in July. This will allow final adoption
by the Council in the coming weeks.
- Dublin II system establishing procedures for determining the member
state responsible for examining an application for international
protection: in September 2011, the Council supported the idea to
include in the proposal the concept of an early warning and
preparedness process for evaluating the practical functioning of
national asylum systems, in the form of an 'asylum evaluation
mechanism'. On the so-called 'emergency' or 'suspension mechanism'
so far included in the Commission proposal a majority of member
states maintained their rejection.
- Eurodac regulation:
discussion on amendments to the rules regulating this fingerprint
database are on hold awaiting a proposal which would permit law
enforcement access.
- Asylum procedures and reception conditions
directives: revised proposals were
tabled by the Commission on 1 June 2011. Work is
ongoing.