Informal meeting in the margins of the European Council on innovative solutions regarding migration management

In the margins of the European Council earlier today, the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, together with the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, held another informal meeting among the 15 Member States most interested in innovative solutions regarding migration management.

In addition to Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and the European Commission, the meeting was also attended by the leaders of Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Sweden.

European Commission President von der Leyen outlined the main areas of work, focusing in particular on the substantial progress made regarding negotiations on the Returns Regulation and the EU list of Safe Countries of Origin.

In addition to confirming Italy's commitment to innovative solutions and welcoming with satisfaction the new letter on innovative solutions signed by the Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministers of 19 Member States, President Meloni provided an update both on the ongoing work regarding the capacity of international conventions to address the challenges of irregular migration, and on planned upcoming initiatives. Following the significant result achieved on 10 December, when 27 Council of Europe Member States signed the political statement put forward by Italy and Denmark, work is now continuing ahead of the Council of Europe ministerial session under the Moldovan Presidency, to be held on 15 May.

Lastly, the leaders present agreed to launch joint initiatives, not only at EU and Council of Europe level but also - more generally - in the various international contexts, starting with the United Nations, in order to more effectively promote Europe's approach to an orderly management of migration flows.