The European Commission will propose the creation of a new emergency mechanism to deal with sudden and massive flows of migrants to the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg.
Von der Leyen said the mechanism aims to give the EU more tools to defend itself in clearly defined situations, including cases where mass movements of migrants are considered "orchestrated and used as a weapon".
"The events of this summer show that our instruments must evolve, especially for emergency situations. Europe needs the means to protect its borders at all times," she declared.
The President of the European Commission stressed that any measure to strengthen border protection will have to respect the values and fundamental rights of the European Union.
"We will always adhere to our values and fundamental rights. But we will never compromise when it comes to protecting our borders," von der Leyen said.
According to her, the new European Emergency Response Framework can only be activated if a series of strictly defined criteria are met.
In exceptional circumstances, the mechanism would allow for a “time-limited and strictly defined flexibility” in standard EU procedures.
The initiative aims to provide the Union with additional instruments to respond to sudden flows of migrants, especially in cases where European authorities assess that mass movements are being orchestrated or used as a means of pressure on the EU's borders.
