Informal meeting of heads of state or government, Brussels, 23 September 2015

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details 23.09.15
Publication Date 23/09/2015
Content Type

European Council President Donald Tusk decided on the 17 September 2015 to convene an extraordinary, informal meeting of the heads of state or government on 23 September 2015 to discuss how to deal with the refugee crisis.

This would follow on from an extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council which was held on the 22 September 2015.

EU leaders met in Brussels on 23 September 2015 to:

+ decide on practical priorities for immediate application
+ discuss how to respond to long term migratory challenges, the protection of the EU external borders and the external assistance to refugees and countries in our neighbourhood.

EU leaders agreed on a list of priorities :

+ assist Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and other countries in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis
+ mobilise at least €1bn additional funding for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food program
+ reinforce cooperation and dialogue with Turkey at all levels
+ assist the countries of the Western Balkans in the management of refugee flows
+ increase funding to address the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa
+ tackle the dramatic situation at the EU external borders and strengthen their control
+ assist frontline member states in the establishment of hotspots, to ensure a correct identification of migrants and at the same time ensure relocation and returns

They also called for renewed diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis in Syria and ensure the formation of a government of national unity in Libya.

'It is clear the greatest tide of refugees and migrants is yet to come, so it’s clear that we need to correct the problem of open doors and windows', said President Tusk. 'Now the focus should be on external assistance to refugees and countries at our borders'.

Migration would again be on the agenda of the European Council on 15-16 October 2015.

The Guardian concluded that EU leaders 'failed to come up with common policies amid signs they were unable to contain and manage the migration emergency'.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2015/09/23/
Related Links
ESO: Background information: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels, 22 September 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/extraordinary-justice-and-home-affairs-council-brussels-22-september-2015/
ESO: Background information: Merkel calls for summit on refugee crisis http://www.europeansources.info/record/merkel-calls-for-summit-on-refugee-crisis/
EurActiv, 21.09.15: Refugees or migrants? The EU grapples with definitions http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/refugees-or-migrants-eu-grapples-definitions-317783
European Council: Press Release, 21.09.15: Invitation letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/09/18-tusk-invitation-letter-informal-european-council/
ESO: Background information: Anti-migrant quota EU states meet in Prague http://www.europeansources.info/record/anti-migrant-quota-eu-states-meet-in-prague/
EP: EPRS: At A Glance, 23.09.15: Outlook For The Extraordinary European Council On 23 September 2015 http://epthinktank.eu/2015/09/23/outlook-for-the-extraordinary-european-council-on-23-september-2015/
Deutsche Welle, 23.09.15: Refugee controversy heats up ahead of EU emergency summit http://dw.com/p/1Gape
EurActiv, 23.09.15: EU summit to focus on roots of refugee crisis http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/eu-summit-focus-roots-refugee-crisis-317864
EurActiv, 22.09.15: EU summit to pledge €1 billion to Turkey http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/eu-summit-pledge-eu1billion-turkey-317850
EUObserver, 23.09.15: EU leaders to thrash out long-term response to refugee crisis https://euobserver.com/migration/130382
Politico, 23.09.15: 5 summit subplots to watch http://www.politico.eu/article/5-migration-summit-refugees-crisis-subplots-to-watch/
ESO: Background information: Managing the refugee crisis: Immediate operational, budgetary and legal measures under the European Agenda on Migration http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-managing-the-refugee-crisis-immediate-operational-budgetary-and-legal-measures-under-the-european-agenda-on-migration/
EUObserver, 24.09.15: EU to fortify external borders to stem migrant flow https://euobserver.com/migration/130401
Politico, 23.09.15: EU pledges €1 billion for refugees http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-move-beyond-refugee-crisis-stage-migration-summit/
EurActv, 23.09.15: Leaders decide to strengthen EU's external borders http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/leaders-decide-strenghten-eus-external-borders-317919
BBC News, 24.09.15: Migrant crisis: EU to boost aid to agencies http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34344346
The Guardian, 24.09.15: EU refugee summit in disarray as Donald Tusk warns greatest tide 'yet to come' http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/24/eu-refugee-summit-in-disarray-as-donald-tusk-warns-greatest-tide-yet-to-come
European Council: Statement, 24.09.15: Informal meeting of EU heads of state or government on migration, 23 September 2015 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/09/23-statement-informal-meeting/
European Council: Remarks, 24.09.15: Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the informal meeting of heads of state or government, 23/09/2015 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/09/23-pec-remarks/
European Parliament: Newsroom: Press Release, 23.09.15: EP President Schulz at the European Council: 'Compassion and human decency must motivate our political decisions' http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150923STO94354/
EUObserver, 23.09.15: EU summit focuses on border security, Turkey https://euobserver.com/migration/130398
Unicef: Press Release, 23.09.15: UNICEF response to EU summit on refugee and migrant crisis http://www.unicef.org/media/media_85616.html
UN: UNHCR: Press Release, 24.09.15: UNHCR welcomes more EU support to refugees, urges fast implementation http://www.unhcr.org/5603d2a66.html
Politico, 24.09.15: ‘Extraordinary’ summit brought less clarity, not more http://www.politico.eu/article/extraordinary-migration-refugees-crisis-summit-brought-less-clarity-not-more/
Deutsche Welle, 24.09.15: The summit of many words and no plans http://dw.com/p/1GdC3
Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 25.09.15: EU tackles refugee crisis http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER170434-EU-tackles-refugee-crisis
European Council: Statement, 06.10.15: Address by President Donald Tusk to the European Parliament on the informal meeting of heads of state or government of 23 September 2015 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/10/06-tusk-address-european-parliament-informal-euco-september/
EP: EPRS: At A Glance, 06.10.15: Outcome Of The Extraordinary European Council Of 23 September 2015 http://epthinktank.eu/2015/10/06/outcome-of-the-extraordinary-european-council-of-23-september-2015/

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