The European Commission’s decision to drop plans for a permanent intra-EU relocation programme for refugees and asylum seekers was harshly criticised by representatives of the European civil society during a debate on migration in Brussels.

The two European Economic and Social Committee co-rapporteurs on migration, Maltese member Stefano Mallia and his Greek counterpart Panagiotis Gkofas slammed the Commission’s decision, describing it as “unacceptable and weak”.

“The EU is letting down its citizens,” Dr Mallia argued, insisting that the Commission is obliged to continue to sustain solidarity among member states.

Despite legislative plans to put in place by 2012 a permanent voluntary programme intended to act as a burden sharing mechanism with Malta and other member states, the Commission lately said it was dropping its strategy as it was encountering resistance by the majority of member states.

The Commission’s decision was heavily criticised by the European Parliament, which had already given its consent to the establishment of a new programme.

Dr Mallia said that using the same argument used by the Commission to ditch its proposal, then the same Commission should be made redundant because no proposal has the immediate full support of all EU member states.

“Through its action, the EU is letting down its citizens – and then we are surprised that there is a rise in euro scepticism,” Dr Mallia said.

His Greek counterpart said that unless the EU shows some real solidarity with those countries carrying the heaviest burden, citizens would lose faith in the EU which is meant to have solidarity at its very centre.

The Maltese Government said it intended to continue to push for this scheme.

Following pressure by Malta, in 2009 the Commission put in place a temporary pilot-project called EUREMA designed to incentivise member states to relocate into their territories refugees and people with international protection from Malta.

The reaction was lukewarm at best with only a few member states participating.