Negotiators of the European Parliament and EU Member States today reached an agreement on transforming the European Asylum Support Office into a fully-fledged European Agency for

Asylum.

"Finalising the agreement on a new fully-fledged European Agency for Asylum is a major step in creating a more sustainable, harmonised asylum system in the EU. The Agency will be able to better provide operational and technical assistance to EU countries under disproportionate pressure. By providing relevant and up-to-date information on migratory movements and analysis on third countries, it will play a vital role in a well-functioning and sustainable European asylum and migration management", said Tomas Tobé MEP, who negotiated the law on behalf of the EPP Group.

"The compromise today on the European Asylum Agency also gives hope for upcoming negotiations on the Migration Pact, the reform package of new EU migration laws. We now urge Member States to step up negotiations in an equally constructive way on the Migration Pact for a stronger, more efficient EU migration policy", concluded Tobé. Photo by Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia commons.