“We cannot allow two member states to clash in public and create another mega crisis on migrants.” To tell Politco.Eu is the vice president of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, explaining that the EU commission calls for the convening of an extraordinary meeting of interior ministers to discuss the crisis and consider the next steps of an action plan. The extraordinary meeting, to be held before the planned December Interior Council, should be convened by the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating European presidency.
The extraordinary summit of the Interior will address the clash on migrants between Rome and Paris. And on this occasion the commission will try to carry out “an action plan with concrete initiatives for the entire route (of the central Mediterranean)”, underlined Schinas, who is also responsible for migrants.
The Commission has no competence over international waters, Schinas recalled, but is thinking about how to act. “It will be something that will not only cover the solidarity aspect but the whole route (of the central Mediterranean)”, he says, adding that we will also deal with the aspect of “departures” from the North African coast. According to the European Commissioner, better needs to be done with regard to aid for cooperation with the countries of origin and transit of migrants.
Finally, Schinas criticizes the lack of agreement on the Migration pact proposed by the Commission, also referring to Italy. “Some of the member states that want our intervention in the current crisis are the ones blocking progress on the pact … but you can’t have both,” she says, confirming that she is referring to Italy.
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