Italy adopts Malta’s position on EU’s emergency mechanism

Italy yesterday came in line with Malta in calling on the European Commission to propose the activation of the solidarity mechanism for the influx of migrants and asylum seekers from Libya.

Italy’s shift in stance was announced in Brussels by Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, Rome’s Permanent Representative to the EU.

Last week, Malta was the first EU country to call for the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive, technically known as Directive 55/2001.

Initially, it did not support the idea. In fact, Mr Nelli Feroci had said his country did not feel there was yet “a massive influx of migrants” to justify the move.

However, following pressure from Malta and several Italian MEPs, Italy has joined Malta in urging the Commission to present a formal proposal at next Monday’s Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

Mr Nelli Feroci yesterday said that apart from the activation of this directive, which would oblige member states to share the burden of asylum seekers coming from Libya and offering temporary protection of up to two years, Italy will also make a formal request for more funds for southern member states to enable them to respond better to the emerging crisis.

Despite the increasingly strident calls for the activation of this mechanism, the Commission has not yet announced any formal proposal even though sources have said that Brussels was considering such a request.

Council sources said the Commission had not yet taken the initiative because it feared it would not win approval from member states.

Although officially none of the EU member states has declared its official opposition on the idea, the sources said “there isn’t the qualified majority needed so that the directive is put into place.

“Certain member states, including the northern ones and the UK, do not feel that there is such an emergency to trigger the mechanism.”