Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the establishment of a joint EU resettlement programme {COM(2009) 456 FINAL} {SEC(2009) 1127} {SEC(2009) 1128}
Date: 2009-09-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: admission of aliens, cooperation policy, financial aid, immigration, migratory movement, political asylum, political refugee, refugee, right of asylum, third country

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 2.9.2009 
COM(2009) 447 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL  

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT EU RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME 

{COM(2009) 456 final} 
{SEC(2009) 1127} 
{SEC(2009) 1128} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL  

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT EU RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME 

1. 

BACKGROUND 

1.1. 

Policy background 

Since  the  entry  into  force  of  the  Treaty  of  Amsterdam1  in  1999,  the  EU  has  been  working 
toward  the  establishment  of  a  Common  European  Asylum  System  (CEAS),  the  principal 
purpose of which is to bring about progressive EU-wide convergence in asylum matters, by 
setting common minimum standards, establishing a common asylum procedure and uniform 
status,  as  well  as  by  strengthening  practical  cooperation.  The  Commission  has  always 
emphasized, in the context of the development of the CEAS, the need for the EU to become 
more engaged in the resettlement of refugees from third countries and for resettlement to form 
an integral part of EU asylum policy generally. 

In  line  with  the  Hague  Programme2,  the  Commission  adopted  in  September  2005  a 
Communication  on  Regional  Protection  Programmes3  (RPPs)  to  be  developed  in 
partnership  with  selected  third  countries  so  as  to  strengthen  refugee  protection  in  certain 
regions  of  the  world.  The  communication  pointed  out  that  resettlement  should  be  central  to 
providing assistance to these countries. The two RPPs currently being carried out in Tanzania, 
on the one hand, and in Ukraine, Belarus, and Republic of Moldova, on the other, both have a 
resettlement dimension.  

The  new  European  Refugee  Fund4  (ERF  III),  which  became  operational  in  2008  provides 
for  financial  assistance  for  the  resettlement  of  refugees  from  third  countries  to  the  EU 
Member States. 

A  wide  consultation  of  all  relevant  stakeholders  on  asylum  policies,  launched  with  the 
publication  in  June  2007  of  the  Green  Paper  on  the  future  of  the  Common  European 
Asylum  System  (CEAS)5,  revealed  a  broad  acknowledgement  that  resettlement  should  be 
central to the external asylum policies of the EU and that there is much to be gained from a 
higher degree of cooperation on resettlement among Member States, the UNHCR and NGOs. 
In  the  Policy  Plan  on  Asylum6,  adopted  on  17  June  2008,  the  Commission  therefore 
concluded  that  resettlement  should  be  further  developed  and  expanded  into  an  effective 
protection instrument to be used by the EU, so as to meet the protection needs of refugees in 
third countries and to show solidarity with third countries of first asylum. 

1 
2 
3 
4 

5 
6 

OJ C 340, 10.11.1997. 
OJ C 53, 3.3.2005, p.1. 
COM (2005) 388 final. 
Decision No 573/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 May 2007 establishing 
the European Refugee Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 (OJ L 144, 6.6.2007, p. 1). 
Green Paper on the future Common European Asylum System (COM (2007) 301). 
Policy Plan on asylum, An integrated approach to protection across the EU, COM(2008)360 final. 

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The European Pact on Immigration and Asylum7 stated that, among the new initiatives to 
be taken to complete the establishment of a Common European Asylum System, cooperation 
with  the  UNHCR  should  be  strengthened  to  ensure  better  protection  for  people  outside  the 
territory  of  the  EU  who  request  protection,  in  particular  by  "moving,  on  a  voluntary  basis, 
towards the resettlement within the European Union of people placed under the protection of 
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees". 

On  18  February  2009,  the  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  the  creation  of  a  European 
Asylum  Support  Office8  (EASO),  which  would  provide  a  structural  framework  for  the 
carrying out of practical cooperation activities in the asylum field, including activities related 
to resettlement. 

1.2. 

Resettlement - key features 

Resettlement  in  a  third  country  is  one  of  three  so-called  'durable  solutions'  available  to 
refugees  and  is  essential  in  that  it  offers  solutions  to  refugees  for  whom  no  other  durable 
solution  is  available.  Resettlement  is  generally  carried  out  with  the  UNHCR  acting  as  an 
intermediary.  It  targets  those  refugees  whose  protection  needs  have  already  been  clearly 
established and has the advantage for the recipient country of being an orderly procedure, 
and  for  the  refugee  of  being  a  process  which  guarantees  his/her  physical  safety.  Resettled 
refugees do not have to resort to different forms of illegal migration (e.g. human smuggling). 
It  also  offers  the  important  advantage  to  the  resettlement  country  that  reception  and 
integration can be organized in advance. 

A  clear  distinction  should  be  made  between  resettlement  of  refugees  from  outside  EU 
territory  to  an  EU  Member  State,  which  is  a  humanitarian  measure  and  an  expression  of 
solidarity by the EU vis-à-vis third countries, and intra-EU resettlement of refugees, which 
is  carried  out  primarily  for  the  purpose  of  burden  sharing  among  EU  Member  States.  The 
latter  issue  is  not  addressed  in  this  Communication.  This  Communication  and  the 
accompanying proposal to amend the ERF Decision address the issue of solidarity with third 
countries  in  dealing  with  refugees.  The  Commission  is  also  addressing  with  urgency  other 
issues  of  solidarity  in  migration  management,  as  called  for  by  the  Heads  of  State  and 
Governments  at  the  European  Council  of  18-19  June  2009.  In  particular,  among  other 
initiatives, the Commission has, with a view to strengthening intra-EU solidarity, initiated a 
pilot  scheme  for  the  resettlement  of  beneficiaries  of  international  protection  from  Malta  to 
other Member States.  

1.3. 

Recent developments in the EU 

There are at present ten EU Member States which participate annually in resettlement 
(Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, France, 
Romania and the Czech Republic). Some other Member States have provided resettlement on 
an  ad-hoc  basis,  and  generally  on  a  limited  scale,  notably  for  individual  emergency  cases 
submitted  by  UNHCR.  Germany  recently  agreed  to  resettle  2.500  Iraqi  refugees  from  Syria 
and Jordan.  

In  terms  of  new  resettlement  commitments,  in  the  course  of  2007  and  2008  Portugal, 
France, Romania and the Czech Republic decided to provide resettlement places on an annual 

7 
8 

Available at: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st13/st13440.en08.pdf 
Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  a  European 
Asylum Support Office (COM/2009/0066 final). 

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basis.9 In 2008 Romania concluded also a tripartite agreement with UNHCR and IOM on the 
establishment in Romania (Timisoara) of an Evacuation Transit Centre, which serves for the 
resettlement of emergency and other specific cases.  

Resettlement has been receiving significant financial support under the European Refugee 
Fund (ERF III) since 2008. One of the main priorities (Priority 3) for the programming of 
the  funds,  as  set  out  in  the  strategic  guidelines  adopted  for  that  purpose10,  provides  for  the 
support of actions helping to enhance responsibility sharing between Member States and third 
countries. This includes the resettlement of refugees from a third country to a Member State. 
A  wide  range  of  resettlement  activities  in  Member  States  are  eligible  for  funding  under  the 
ERF national programmes under Priority 3 ('shared management'). 

The number of refugees resettled in each Member State over the previous three years is taken 
into account for the calculation of the annual allocations to the Member States under the ERF. 
In addition, a fixed amount of 4.000 Euro per resettled person (Article 13(3) and (4) of ERF 
Decision) is provided for four specific categories of persons. For this purpose, Member States 
must  every  year  submit  to  the  Commission  a  "resettlement  pledging"  in  advance.  The  four 
specific categories are the following: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

persons  from  a  country  or  region  designated  for  the  implementation  of  a 
Regional Protection Programme; 

unaccompanied minors; 

children  and  women  at  risk,  particularly  from  psychological,  physical  or 
sexual violence or exploitation; 

persons  with  serious  medical  needs  that  can  only  be  addressed  through 
resettlement. 

Trans-national actions or actions of interest to the Community as a whole concerning asylum 
policy,  including  those  related  to  resettlement,  are  also  eligible  for  funding  under  the  ERF 
community actions (directly managed by the Commission). 

Several resettlement-related projects, including "twinnings", were carried out within the EU 
over  the  past  years.  These  projects  covered  a  wide  range  of  activities,  such  as  the  selection 
process  and  reception  and  integration  of  resettled  refugees11.  Many  different  actors,  both 
governmental  as  well  as  non-governmental  (international  and  local  NGOs,  UNHCR,  IOM), 
from both resettlement countries and non-resettlement countries, participated in the projects. 
In  2008  and  2009  there  have  also  been  a  number  of  joint  ministerial  or  EU  visits  to 
resettlement operations in Thailand, Kenya, Syria and Jordan.  

In July and November 2008, the JHA Council adopted conclusions on the resettlement of 
refugees  from  Iraq,  which  set  the  objective  of  resettling  in  the  EU  up  to  approximately 
10.000 Iraqi refugees hosted in Syria and Jordan.12These conclusions are significant, not only 
with respect to the protection granted to the specific refugees resettled, but also because they 
underscore the fact that resettlement contributes to the maintenance of the protection situation 
in  Syria  and  Jordan.  Following  the  Council  conclusions,  four  Member  States  which  are  not 

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Portugal  decided  to  resettle  30  refugees  annually,  France  approximately  350-450  refugees  annually, 
Romania 40 refugees annually and the Czech Republic 30 refugees annually. 
Commission Decision of 29 November 2007, implementing Decision No 573/2007/EC of the European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  as  regards  the  adoption  of  strategic  guidelines  2008-2013,  (OJ  L  326, 
12.12.2007, p. 29–31). 
Most of these projects were co-financed by the Commission through ARGO and the ERF. 
Council documents 11653/08 (Presse 205) and 16325/1/08 REV 1 (Presse 344) 

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normally  engaged  in  resettlement,  committed  themselves  to  resettle  refugees  from  Iraq 
(Germany, Italy, Belgium and Luxemburg). 

2. 

SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION AND ENSUING OBJECTIVES 

2.1. 

The EU's response to global resettlement needs 

It should be recalled that the large majority of refugees worldwide find themselves outside of 
the EU, mainly in Asian and African countries.  

Global  resettlement  needs  are  much  greater  than  the  resettlement  places  which  are 
available worldwide. The UNHCR estimates the global resettlement needs at about 747.000 
persons, including populations where resettlement is envisaged over a period of several years. 
On  the  basis  of  a  prioritization,  UNHCR  estimates  that  out  of  this  number,  for  2010  alone, 
203.000 persons will be in need of resettlement13 According to the UNHCR, in 2008 65.596 
refugees were resettled worldwide. Of these, 4.378 refugees, or 6,7%, departed to one of the 
EU  countries14.  The  numbers  of  refugees  resettled  in  the  EU  contrasts  sharply  with  the 
numbers taken in by many other countries in the industrialized world.15 At the same time, the 
EU receives a proportionately greater number of 'spontaneous' asylum seekers than other parts 
of  the  developed  world.  Furthermore,  a  majority  of  EU  countries  has  no  resettlement 
programme at all and would need to engage in capacity-building activities in order to be in a 
position to regularly engage in resettlement. The principal objective of joint EU action on 
resettlement  should  therefore  be  to  involve  more  Member  States  in  resettlement 
activities  and  to  provide  for  an  orderly  and  secure  access  to  protection  for  those 
resettled.  At  the  same  time,  it  should  serve  to  demonstrate  greater  solidarity  to  third 
countries  in  receiving  refugees.  As  a  result,  the  EU  will  take  on  a  greater  share  of  the 
responsibility for meeting resettlement needs worldwide. It could also make it less attractive 
for some groups of refugees to seek entry into the EU through illegal migration.  

It  is  widely  recognized  that  resettlement  serves  not  only  a  humanitarian  purpose  vis-à-vis 
those  persons  who  are  resettled,  and  indirectly  for  those  refugees  remaining  in  the  first 
country of asylum, but that it serves also to relieve the third country in question of the burden 
associated  with  hosting  large  numbers  of  refugees.  Resettlement  can  therefore  play  an 
important  role  as  a  component  of  EU  external  policies  more  generally.  The  impact  of 
resettlement in strategic terms would be greater if priorities with respect to geographic origin 
or nationalities and specific categories of the persons to be resettled were largely set at the EU 
level.  Currently  the  Member  States  which  are  resettlement  countries  largely  set  priorities  at 
the  national  level,  without  much  coordination  at  the  EU  level  regarding  both  resettlement 
itself  and  with  regard  to  other  related  external  policy  instruments.  Moreover,  the  current 
relatively  low  level  of  involvement  of  the  EU  in  the  resettlement  of  refugees  impacts 
negatively on the ambition of the EU to play a prominent role in global humanitarian affairs 
and  hence  on  the  influence  of  the  EU  in  international  fora.  The  EU's  involvement  in 
resettlement activities should therefore be reinforced, with a view to raising the Union's 
impact  of 
effectiveness  and  credibility 
resettlement would be increased by a more strategic use of resettlement at the EU level, 
and by a more effective integration of resettlement into EU external policies generally. 

international  affairs  generally.  The 

in 

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14 
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UNHCR projected global resettlement needs 2010. 
See annex 4 of the Impact Assessment on a Joint EU resettlement programme p.5. 
For example, the number of refugees who are resettled to Canada each year – around 10.000 – is more 
than double the total number of refugees resettled annually in the EU.  

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2.2. 

A lack of structured cooperation within the EU 

There is currently no structural exchange of information among EU countries on resettlement 
and  no  structural  coordination  of  resettlement  activities  at  the  EU  level.  The  planning  of 
resettlement  activities  is  largely  done  through  bilateral  contacts  between  resettlement 
countries  and  the  UNHCR.  The  exchange  of  information  between  the  UNHCR  and 
resettlement  countries  takes  place  through  fora  in  Geneva16,  which  include  resettlement 
countries  worldwide  and  which  cover  global  resettlement  issues.  They  do  not  include  those 
EU  Member  States  which  are  currently  not  carrying  out  resettlement.  For  this  reason, 
resettlement  expert  meetings  have  been  convened  on  an  ad-hoc  basis  by  the  Commission 
since 2007. The structures and procedures for coordinating resettlement policy in the EU 
should  therefore  be  adapted  to  enable  closer  cooperation  among  Member  States  and 
more effective coordination of resettlement activities at the EU level.  

Resettlement requires much logistical preparation, such as selection and orientation missions, 
medical  and  security  screenings,  arrangements  for  travel  and  visa,  reception  and  integration 
programmes. Some of these activities could be carried out jointly by, or in close cooperation 
between,  Member  States.  The  current  lack  of  joint  activities  and  practical  cooperation 
between Member States increases the financial costs of resettlement for existing "resettlement 
countries"  and  is  an  impediment  for  others  which  might  otherwise  contemplate  engaging  in 
resettlement,  particularly  those  which  might  consider  introducing  small  resettlement  quotas. 
Organizing the various logistical activities necessary to carry out resettlement is likely to be 
regarded  as  impractical  and  prohibitively  costly  for  Member  States  lacking  experience  and 
capacity  with  respect  to  resettlement. The  economic  costs  associated  with  resettlement  in 
the EU should therefore be lowered through closer cooperation among Member States. 

2.3. 

Need for better targeting of resettlement priorities and financial support  

The financial support which the ERF III provides to  resettlement  has  clearly  led  to  positive 
effects  on  resettlement.  However,  the  additional  assistance  which  is  provided  to  Member 
States  per  refugee  resettled  under  Article  13(3)  of  the  Decision  establishing  the  ERF  III 
applies  only  with  respect  to  four  specific  categories  of  persons.  While  these  categories  of 
persons  undeniably  deserve  protection  and  resettlement,  there  may  be  other  categories  of 
persons who are at least equally in need of resettlement. Since the resettlement needs of these 
categories of refugees is at present not  regularly discussed at the EU level, they are not the 
subject  of  an  up-to-date  assessment  which  would  allow  better  identification  of  those 
protection  needs  which  the  EU  considers  to  be  priorities.  The  ERF  framework  today  is 
therefore too rigid and not sufficiently adaptable in order to respond to newly arising needs, 
particularly  with  respect  to  geographic  priorities.  At  the  same  time  Member  States  set 
resettlement priorities nationally without prior consultation and coordination at the EU level. 
A mechanism should therefore be put in place to ensure that resettlement efforts in the 
EU  are  better  targeted,  on  an  ongoing  and  dynamic  basis,  towards  those  persons  who 
are  most  in  need  of  resettlement.  This  can  be  achieved  by  ensuring  regular  common 
definition  of  key  priorities  for  resettlement  and  providing  a  financial  incentive  for 
Member States to resettle in accordance with those priorities. 

3. 

THE JOINT EU RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME 

In view of the shortcomings just described, a joint EU resettlement programme should be 
put  in  place  (1)  to  increase  the  humanitarian  impact  of  the  EU  by  ensuring  that  it  gives 

16 

The Annual Tripartite Conference on Resettlement (ATCR) and the Resettlement Working Group.  

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greater  and  better  targeted  support  to  the  international  protection  of  refugees  through 
resettlement,  (2)  to  enhance  the  strategic  use  of  resettlement  by  ensuring  that  it  is  properly 
integrated  into  the  Union's  external  and  humanitarian  policies  generally,  and  (3)  to  better 
streamline the EU's resettlement efforts so as to ensure that the benefits are delivered in the 
most cost-effective manner. 

To that end, the Commission is proposing the amendment of the ERF III Decision in order to 
provide additional incentives for Member States to engage in resettlement, and so as to ensure 
that  resettlement  priorities  agreed  at  the  EU  level  are  effectively  backed  up  by  appropriate 
financial support. 

3.1. 

Guiding Principles for a Joint EU Resettlement Programme 

Bearing  in  mind  the  general  objectives  of  the  joint  EU  resettlement  programme,  and  taking 
into  account  the  views  of  stakeholders,  the  programme  is  based  on  the  following  guiding 
principles: 

–  Participation  by  Member  States  in  resettlement  should  remain  voluntary.  There  are 
currently  considerable  differences  between  Member  States  with  respect  to  the  numerical 
targets  and  specific  caseloads  they  wish  to  resettle,  the  legal  criteria  which  are  used  for 
deciding who to resettle, and the partners through which resettlement is carried out. 

–  The  scope  of  resettlement  activity  in  the  EU  should  be  widened  by  familiarizing  as 
many  Member  States  as  possible  with  resettlement,  and  enhancing  their  required 
experience and capacity to carry out resettlement.  

–  The  mechanism  which  is  established  should  allow  for  adaptability  to  changing 
circumstances. In order to use resettlement strategically it should be possible to review and 
revise resettlement priorities annually. Adaptability is required also in order to respond to 
evolving  needs  with  respect  to  practical  cooperation  on  resettlement  between  Member 
States.  

–  Actors other than Member States governments, who play a key role in resettlement, 
should  likewise  participate.  The  most  important  actor  in  this  respect  is  the  UNHCR, 
because of its international mandate and the pivotal role it plays in resettlement worldwide. 
The  involvement  of  the  International  Organisation  for  Migration  (IOM)  is  important  as 
well, given its role with respect to logistical and practical aspects of resettlement activity 
worldwide.  International  and  local  NGOs  with  specific  know-how  and  experience 
concerning resettlement, as well as local authorities, should also be involved, particularly 
with respect to the reception and integration of resettled refugees. 

–  The  development  of  a  common  EU  approach  to  the  resettlement  of  refugees  from  third 
countries should be incremental and, with experience, the scope of the programme could 
be further developed.  

3.2. 

Components of the Joint EU Resettlement Programme 

The  Programme  will  primarily  consist  of  a  mechanism  which  allows  for  the  setting  of 
common  annual  priorities  on  resettlement  and  more  effective  use  of  the  financial  assistance 
available  through  the  ERF  "pledging"  exercise.  This  will  be  complemented  by  strengthened 
practical  cooperation,  enhanced  effectiveness  of  external  asylum  policies  and  a  regular 
evaluation of the Joint Resettlement Programme.  

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3.2.1.  The annual setting of common priorities based on a consultative process and a better 

use of the ERF pledging exercise 

Resettlement Expert Group 

The current ad hoc Resettlement Expert Group will be developed into a body which meets on 
a  regular  basis.  All  Member  States,  including  both  resettlement  and  non-resettlement 
countries,  will  participate,  as  well  as  other  stakeholders  (e.g.  UNHCR,  IOM,  ECRE,  NGOs 
which  are  active  in  resettlement,  each  on  the  basis  of  its  specific  expertise  and  within  the 
limits  of  its  mandate).  The  Resettlement  Expert  Group  will  prepare  for  the  identification  of 
common annual EU priorities, which will subsequently be the basis for a draft decision by the 
Commission.  These  priorities  will  be  based  on  an  indicative  forecast  of  resettlement  needs 
which  will  be  provided  by  UNHCR  in  spring  each  year.  The  Group  would  also  exchange 
information between Member States on quantitative targets set by Member States and discuss 
specific needs with respect to resettlement, such as activities aimed at encouraging Member 
States  which  are  not  yet  engaged  in  resettlement.  The  Group  would,  together  with  the 
European Asylum Support Office, also be in a position to identify current needs for practical 
cooperation in the field of resettlement.  

Common priorities with the financial underpinning of the European Refugee Fund 

A mechanism will be put in place through which EU-wide common resettlement priorities are 
established  annually  by  means  of  a  Commission  decision.  Priorities  could  apply  both  to 
geographic  regions  and  nationalities  as  well  as  to  specific  categories  of  refugees  to  be 
resettled, including emergency cases. The EU could, for example, prioritize the resettlement 
of Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, Somali refugees from Kenya, or Sudanese refugees 
from Chad. In identifying these priorities, coherence will be ensured with EU external policies 
generally.  This  framework  will  allow,  on  an  annual  basis,  for  the  identification  of  newly 
arising or priority resettlement needs. In particular for vulnerable groups, such as children or 
unaccompanied minors, it would allow for a more in-depth analysis of the most crucial needs 
and priorities. 

It  is  therefore  proposed  that  the  ERF  III  Decision  should  be  amended,  so  that  Member 
States which resettle according to the common EU annual priorities would receive financial 
assistance  under  Article  13  of  the  ERF  III  Decision.  This  article  currently  provides  that 
additional financial assistance is granted to Member States if they pledge to resettle refugees 
who  fall  under  four  specific  categories  as  described  in  point  1.3.  This  provision  would  be 
amended to render the current mechanism more dynamic and adaptable. It should, however, 
be  underlined  that  Member  States  would  remain  free  to  carry  out  resettlement  of  other 
categories  of  refugees.  The  proposal  to  amend  the  ERF  III  decision  is  presented  by  the 
Commission together with this communication. 

Based on the preliminary work of the Resettlement Expert Group, common priorities will be 
identified each year to trigger the pledging exercise under which Member States receive extra 
financial  assistance.  The  Commission  will  each  year  decide  on  the  annual  resettlement 
priorities  on  the  basis  of  consultations  in  the  management  committee  of  the  General 
Programme  "Solidarity  and  Management  of  Migration  flows"  including  the  ERF  III.  This 
Commission Decision will be one of the implementing measures of the Decision establishing 
the  ERF  III,  adopted  by  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  on  the  basis  of  Article 
63(2)b  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community.  The  timing  of  this  annual 
decision will need to be such as to enable Member States to submit resettlement pledging for 
the purpose of qualifying for the financial allocations under the ERF. 

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3.2.2.  Enhanced practical cooperation 

The European Asylum Support Office 

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is expected to become operational in 2010. It 
will  provide  a  structural  framework  for  carrying  out  practical  cooperation  activities, 
including activities with respect to resettlement. The proposed Regulation establishing the 
Office  states  that  "the  Office  shall,  in  agreement  with  the  Commission,  coordinate  the 
exchange of information and all other action taken on issues arising from the implementation 
of instruments and mechanisms relating to the external dimension of the Common European 
Asylum  System.  The  Office  shall  coordinate  exchanges  of  information  and  all  other  action 
taken on the resettlement of refugees within the European Union."  

The  development  of  practical  cooperation  on  resettlement  is  expected  to  deliver  important 
synergies.  The  identification  of  common  annual  priorities  is  expected  to  enable  this 
cooperation to be more targeted. Concrete activities can be carried out together by Member 
States,  such  as  selection  and  fact-finding  missions,  pre-departure  orientation  programmes, 
medical  screenings,  travel  or  visa  arrangements.  Other  forms  of  cooperation  could  include 
exchange  of  information  on  the  characteristics  of  specific  resettlement  caseloads  and  joint 
training.  Cooperation  on  reception  and  integration  is  likely  to  be  mainly  in  the  form  of 
exchange of information and identifying 'best practices', with a view to improving the quality 
of  the  reception  and  integration  systems,  which  differ  considerably  among  Member  States. 
Lessons  can  be  learnt  from  the  experiences  built  up  through  a  wide  range  of  activities, 
involving different stakeholders. 

The  EASO  can  also  engage  in  technical  cooperation  concerning  resettlement  with  third 
countries,  both  with  non-EU  countries  engaged  in  resettlement  as  well  as  with  countries  of 
first asylum. Such cooperation could likewise be engaged in with international organizations 
and in particular with UNHCR and IOM. In order to ensure that the EASO can commence its 
activities  rapidly,  the  priorities  for  the  first  years  of  its  working  programme  need  to  be 
identified as quickly as possible. The Commission will cooperate with different stakeholders 
to identify these priorities as swiftly as possible. Before the end of the current (2009) Swedish 
Presidency, a first set of priorities could already be identified. 

Pilot projects and best practices on resettlement 

A large number of practical cooperation projects related to resettlement have been carried out 
in  recent  years.  To  a  large  degree  this  can  be  attributed  to  the  active  role  played  by  civil 
society, notably several NGOs. It is expected that there will continue to be a need for similar 
activities  over  the  coming  years.  The  Commission  will  therefore  continue  to  support  these 
activities, in particular through the ERF Community Actions. 

A recent development is the establishment in Romania of an Evacuation Transit Centre (ETC) 
for resettlement. Several Member States have recently demonstrated an interest in the use of 
this Evacuation Transit Centre as a facility from which they can resettle specific categories of 
refugees  in  urgent  need  of  resettlement.  The  use  of  the  ETC  may  make  it  easier  and  more 
cost-effective to carry out resettlement and could serve as a pilot for other similar initiatives 
of this kind.  

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3.2.3. 

Increased effectiveness of EU external asylum policies  

Cooperation with the UNHCR 

In  order  for  the  EU  programme  to  be  successful  -  both  with  respect  to  the  identification  of 
common  priorities  as  well  as  practical  cooperation  activities  -  it  will  be  important  to 
cooperate  closely  with  the  UNHCR.  The  consultations  between  Member  States,  the 
Commission  and  UNHCR  concerning  resettlement  will  therefore  need  to  be  intensified, 
including  in  the  Resettlement  working  group  in  Geneva  and  the  Annual  Tripartite 
Consultations on Resettlement. The EASO will also need to be closely involved. The new EU 
programme may require some adaptations to the present administration of resettlement by the 
UNHCR,  but  should  not  unduly  complicate  it.  The  introduction  of  this  new  programme 
should be seen as an opportunity to give a new impetus to resettlement worldwide. 

Improved coordination with EU external policies 

There is a need to provide structurally for an integrated approach between resettlement, other 
components of EU external asylum policies and EU external policies as a whole. In particular, 
coherence  with  the  EU  Global  Approach  to  Migration17  should  be  ensured.  Under  the  joint 
programme, the setting of resettlement priorities will be done on the basis of current needs, as 
regularly  identified  by  UNHCR,  as  well  as  on  the  basis  of  other  humanitarian  and  political 
considerations identified by the Member States and the Commission, taking into account the 
specific  situation  of  the  third  countries  concerned,  as  well  as  the  overall  EU  relations  with 
these  countries.  The  recent  discussions  and  the  conclusions  adopted  by  the  JHA  Council  of 
Ministers on the resettlement of Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, underscore the fact that 
resettlement can be an important component of EU external policies. In addition to referring 
to the pressing resettlement needs of a certain number of these refugees, the Council expressly 
noted  "the  fact  that  a  greater  effort  towards  resettlement  in  the  countries  of  the  European 
Union  would  send  a  positive  signal  of  solidarity  to  all  Iraqis  and  of  cooperation  with  Syria 
and Jordan for the maintenance of their area of protection."18 The direct involvement of the 
JHA  Council  with  the  resettlement  of  Iraqi  refugees  from  Syria  and  Jordan  was,  however, 
exceptional,  illustrating  the  need  for  a  structured  decision-making  mechanism  and 
corresponding  infrastructure  which  can  be  deployed  to  respond  to  developments.  The  EU's 
external  policies  may  also  be  instrumental  in  creating  a  framework  for  the  preparation  and 
deployment of resettlement programmes. 

In  the  Regional  Protection  Programmes  (RPPs)  which  will  be  developed  in  the  future, 
resettlement should be more effectively incorporated and its implementation should be closely 
monitored.  Since  2007,  pilot  Regional  Protection  Programmes  have  been  carried  out  in 
Tanzania  and  three  former  NIS  countries  (Ukraine,  Belarus  and  Republic  of  Moldova). 
Experience  shows,  however,  that  resettlement  has  remained  a  relatively  underdeveloped 
component of these pilot RPPs and that only a limited number of refugees has been resettled 
by  EU  Member  States  from  the  beneficiary  countries.  The  future  RPPs  could  include  the 
North Africa and Middle East regions. The resettlement dimension will also be examined as 
part of the evaluation of RPPs which the Commission will carry out with other stakeholders 
before the end of 2009. 

17 

18 

Communications from the Commission on EU Global approach on migration, COM (2005) 621, COM 
(2006) 735, COM (2007) 247, COM (2008) 611. 
Council document 16325/1/08 REV 1 (Presse 344)  

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3.3. 

Reporting and Evaluation 

The Commission, with the support of the EASO, will report annually to the Council and the 
European Parliament on the resettlement efforts made within the EU, as well as on the results 
of  the  resettlement  pledging  in  order  to  enable  the  Institutions  to  follow  the  progress  on 
resettlement efforts in the EU and discuss conclusions on further developments. A Conference 
will  be  organized  during  2012  with  all  relevant  stakeholders  to  carry  out  a  mid-term 
evaluation  of  the  progress  made  on  resettlement  through  the  joint  EU  resettlement 
programme.  The  evaluation  would  look  at  the  effectiveness  of  the  financial  assistance 
provided under article 13 of the ERF III, and could also examine the possibility of introducing 
a modulation of the lump sum according to the vulnerability or needs of particular categories 
of resettled persons.  

The  joint  EU  resettlement  programme  will  be evaluated in 2014, with a view to identifying 
necessary  improvements  and  to  further  development  of  the  resettlement  programme.  As 
proposed by the Commission in its Communication of 10 June 2009, this more ambitious goal 
should be included in the Stockholm Programme, which is to be adopted by the end of 2009 
and will set out the EU's objectives for the next five years in the area of Justice, Freedom and 
Security.19 

4. 

PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE ERF III DECISION 

The  Commission  is  accordingly  proposing  that  an  amendment  be  made  to  the  ERF  III 
Decision, as set out in the legislative proposal accompanying this Communication. 

19 

COM (2009) 262 final 

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