Slovakia takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU

From 1 July 2016 till the end of the year, Slovakia will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union. A sustainable migration and asylum policy is one of the top priorities of the Presidency.

Slovakia has taken over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

From 1 July - 31 December 2016, the presidency will focus on four key areas: (i) an economically strong Europe ; (ii) a modern single market ; (iii)  sustainable migration and asylum policies, (iv) and globally engaged Europe.

These priorities of the Slovak presidency are driven by three interconnected principles: achieving tangible results; overcoming fragmentation; and focusing on the citizen.

Regarding the area of sustainable migration and asylum policies, the programme of the Slovak Presidency mentions the following priorities :

  • Return to a fully functioning Schengen area.
  • Protection of the external borders, including through the deployment of the European Border Guard.
  • Greater use of modern information technology on the external borders, with the smart borders proposals.
  • Efficient cooperation with third countries, especially with migrants' countries of transit and origin.
  • Reflect on the joint European asylum system and move towards a strategic discussion on the systemic changes.
  • Closer cooperation between the Member States in the field of the internal security of the EU.

For further information, see the website of the Slovak Presidency. The full programme of the Slovak Presidency is available below.

Publication Date: Fri 01 Jul 2016
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