UPN, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 137: Hyrdebrev fra formanden for DER forud for det uformelle møde i DER den 7. marts 2016

Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2015-16
UPN Alm.del Bilag 137
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European Council

The President

Brussels, 4 March 2016

Dear colleagues,

To prepare for our meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Davutoglu on EU-Turkey cooperation

and our internal meeting afterwards, this week I travelled to Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Skopje,

Athens, Ankara, Istanbul and Belgrade in order to continue to build a European consensus on

migration. Let me share with you some results and thoughts from my trip, which could serve as a

basis for our work.

First, we need to get back to Schengen. The countries of the Western Balkans route, also those

outside the EU, are all ready and determined to return to the full application of our common rules

and decisions, including the Schengen Borders Code. This will mean an end to the so-called wave-

through policy of migrants. It will not solve the crisis but it is a necessary pre-condition for a

European consensus. On Monday, we should all confirm this approach. With that we will close the

Western Balkans route, which was the main entry point for migrants with 880.000 entering in 2015

alone and 128.000 in the first two months of this year.

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UPN, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 137: Hyrdebrev fra formanden for DER forud for det uformelle møde i DER den 7. marts 2016

Second, we need to move forward in our cooperation with Turkey, on migration and beyond. Our

summit last November reinvigorated our cooperation in many areas such as accession and visa

liberalisation processes as well as our energy and economic dialogues. In my meeting with Prime

Minister Davutoglu in Ankara on Thursday, we agreed that there is good progress to report on a

number of actions in our EU-Turkey Action Plan but that the number of illegal entries from Turkey

to Greece remains far too high. We both believe that we can reduce the flow through large-scale

and rapid return from Greece of all migrants not in need of international protection. The political will

is there but it poses a logistical challenge, in which we have to support Greece. Prime Minister

Davutoglu also confirmed Turkey’s readiness to take back all migrants apprehended in Turkish

waters. On Monday, I would like us, together with Prime Minister Davutoglu, to discuss our

cooperation on migration and beyond and endorse the concrete steps to implement our action

plan.

Third, we need to scale up our humanitarian assistance, in particular in Greece. As our colleague,

Prime Minister Tsipras, has said, we must not allow Greece to become “a warehouse of souls”. On

Monday, I would like us to agree that all available EU tools, including accelerated relocation,

should be used to address the humanitarian consequences for the refugees, not least in Greece, in

a speedy and effective way. This also includes the European Commission’s proposal of a new

Emergency Assistance instrument of euro 700 million, recognising the role of national

governments in these humanitarian efforts.

In practical terms, our meeting with Prime Minister Davutoglu will begin at 12h30 with a lunch of

the Heads of State or Government. Following this and after a short break for a press point with

Prime Minister Davutoglu, we will resume at 28 for a working session, during which we should

agree a joint statement on getting back to Schengen and the humanitarian dimension.

Let me conclude on a prudent positive note. For the first time since the beginning of the migration

crisis, I can see a European consensus emerging. It is a consensus around a comprehensive

strategy that, if loyally implemented, can help stem the flows and tackle the crisis.

I look forward to seeing you in Brussels on Monday.

Yours sincerely,

D. TUSK

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