First report on the progress made in the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement

In March 2016, decisive action was taken by European leaders to break the cycle of uncontrolled flows of migrants creating an unsustainable humanitarian crisis. The goal was to remove the incentive for migrants and asylum seekers to seek irregular routes to the EU, through a combination of action as close as possible to the entry point into the EU - in the Greek islands - and close cooperation between the EU and Turkey. The aim is to restore a legal and orderly admission system.

This has brought a new phase in the EU-Turkey relationship, embodied in the 18 March 2016 EU-Turkey Statement, which built on the 29 November 2015 EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan. The refugee crisis also needs to be viewed in the wider context of ongoing conflicts in the region and of terrorist threats. Added to this, our joint efforts with Turkey to deal with this common challenge is a good example of our global engagement with a country that is both a candidate and a strategic partner.

Since the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan was activated in November 2015, our re-energised cooperation has delivered a more strategic and comprehensive engagement with Turkey. This report, which monitors the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement of 18 March and follows its structure, also constitutes the fourth report on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan.

ESO: Background information: Managing the refugee crisis: Commission reports on implementation of EU-Turkey Statement http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-managing-the-refugee-crisis-commission-reports-on-implementation-of-eu-turkey-statement/

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