EU Council President Donald Tusk says the hard-fought migration deal reached overnight is only the first stepping stone to deal with the situation.
"It is far too early to talk about a success," Tusk said at the end of the two-day summit.
He said that the European Council was thoroughly supportive of Malta in the way it dealt with the Lifeline crisis, which saw Prime Minister Joseph Muscat broken a nine-nation deal.
EU leaders claimed a breakthrough deal early Friday on how to deal with the pressures of migration, after all-night talks helped accommodate Italian demands for more help.
The EU leaders said the agreement would bolster the bloc's external borders and improve the solidarity among member nations to ease pressure on point-of-entry nations like Greece and Italy.
"This is in fact the easiest part of the task compared to what awaits us on the ground when we start implementing it," Tusk said.
"As regards our deal on migration, it is far too early to talk about a success. We have managed to reach an agreement in the European Council. But this is in fact the easiest part of the task, compared to what awaits us on the ground, when we start implementing it.
"As for the text of our compromise, the leaders accepted three proposals I put forward, that is disembarkation platforms outside Europe, a dedicated budgetary tool in the next MFF to combat illegal migration, as well as boosting EU support for the Libyan Coast Guard. On top of that, we have sent a clear message to all vessels, including those of NGOs, operating in the Mediterranean, that they must respect the law and must not obstruct the operation of the Libyan Coast Guard. This demonstrates our clear and univocal support for the actions of the Maltese authorities.
"Another part of the compromise is the Franco-Italian proposal of controlled centres on EU territory, in countries that are willing to build them. All the measures in the context of these centres, including relocation and resettlement, will be taken on a voluntary basis."
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2lN1TSd
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