Our common European values and our historic responsibility are my starting point when I think about the future of Europe’s migration policy. My experience tells me that Europe will need more solidarity to prepare for the future. The future of a prosperous continent that will always be open for those in need, but that will also deal with the challenge of migration together, and not leave some to cope alone.
Jean-Claude Juncker, 1 May 2014, then-Candidate for European Commission President
Building on the work initiated by the Commission in 2015, European leaders agreed on the need to work towards an agreement on reforming the Common European Asylum System by the end of June 2018. Six months have passed since then. Significant progress has been made and almost all elements of the asylum reform — 5 out of 7 legislative proposals are advancing very well in trilogue discussions with the European Parliament and Council. The outstanding points invariably hinge on different conceptions of how best to balance responsibility and solidarity. The Commission believes there is now scope for a compromise solution going forward, so that we can incorporate the lessons learnt over the last years. The European Council on 28-29 June 2018 is an important opportunity for advancing this necessary debate.