European Asylum Support Office : about us.
Date: 2014-05-14
Institutions: European Asylum Support Office
Subjects: EU Member State, EU office or agency, European Union Agency for Asylum, emigration, immigration, political asylum, right of asylum, social mobility

EASO

European	Asylum	Support	Office

European	Asylum	
Support	Office	

About	us

EASO is	an	agency	of	the	European	Union	(EU)	set	up	by	virtue	of		
Regulation	(EU)	No	439/2010	of	the	European	Parliament	and	of	the	
Council.	The	agency	plays	a	key	role	in	the	concrete	implementation	of	
the	Common	European	Asylum	System	(CEAS).	EASO	was	established	
with	the	aim	of	enhancing	practical	cooperation	on	asylum	matters	and	
helping	Member	States	fulfil	their	European	and	international	obligations	
to	give	protection	to	people	in	need.	EASO	acts	as	a	centre	of	expertise	
on	asylum.	It	also	provides	support	to	Member	States	whose	asylum	and	
reception	systems	are	under	particular	pressure.

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SUPPORT	IS	OUR	MISSION

	
	
	
	
EASO’s tasks

EASO’s	purpose	is	to	facilitate,	coordinate	and	
strengthen	practical	cooperation	among	Member	
States	on	the	many	aspects	of	asylum.		
EASO	provides:

1.	practical	and	technical	support	to	Member	
States;

2.	operational	support	to	Member	States	with	
specific	needs	and	to	Member	States	subject	to	
particular	pressure	on	their	asylum	and	reception	
systems,	including	the	coordination	of	Asylum	
Support	Teams	(ASTs)	composed	of	national	
asylum	experts;	

3.	evidence-based	input	for	EU	policymaking	and	
legislation	in	all	areas	having	a	direct	or	indirect	
impact	on	asylum.

EASO’s focus points

EASO provides different kinds of support:

permanent support:	supporting	and	stimulating	
the	common	quality	of	the	asylum	process	through	
common	training,	common	asylum	training	
material,	common	quality	and	common	Country	of	
Origin	Information	(COI);

special support:	tailor-made	assistance,	capacity	
building,	relocation,	specific	support	and	special	
quality	control	tools;

emergency support:	organising	solidarity	for	
Member	States	subject	to	particular	pressures	by	
providing	temporary	support	and	assistance	to	
repair	or	rebuild	asylum	and	reception	systems;

information and analysis support:	sharing	and	
merging	information	and	data,	analyses	and	
assessments	at	EU	level,	including	EU-wide	trend	
analyses	and	assessments;

third‑country (i.e. non‑member country) support: 
supporting	the	external	dimension	of	the	CEAS,	
supporting	partnerships	with	third	countries	to	
reach	common	solutions,	including	by	capacity	
building	and	regional	protection	programmes,	
and	coordinating	Member	States’	actions	on	
resettlement.

EASO’s	mission

EASO’s	mission	is	to	contribute	to	the	
implementation	of	a	Common	European	
Asylum	System	(CEAS)	by	providing	
support	and	facilitating,	coordinating	and	
strengthening	practical	cooperation	among	
Member	States	as	an	independent	centre	of	
expertise	on	asylum.

EASO’s	Building

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Unveiling	the	EASO	logo,	inaugural	ceremony,	Valletta,	19	June	2011

EASO’s principles to fulfil its tasks:

•	organising	support	and	assistance	for	the	general	
or	specific	needs	of	the	Member	States’	asylum	
systems;

•	coordinating	and	stimulating	operational	
cooperation	between	Member	States	and	
enhancing	quality;

•	acting	as	an	independent	centre	of	expertise	on	

asylum;

•	organising	EU-wide	analyses	and	assessments	of	

asylum	data;

EASO contribution to the 
Mechanism for Early Warning, 
Preparedness and Crisis 
Management

In	order	to	enable	Member	States	to	be	better	
prepared	for	coping	with	changing	flows	of	asylum	
seekers,	the	EU	is	setting	up	a	Mechanism	for	Early	
Warning,	Preparedness	and	Crisis	Management.	
EASO	has	set	up	an	Early	warning	and	Preparedness	
System	(EPS)	that	feeds	into	this	mechanism	as	
follows.

•	facilitating	and	stimulating	joint	action	and	

ensuring	consistency	within	the	asylum	field;

Early warning:

•	engaging	with	the	full	commitment	of	Member	

States;

•	respecting	the	responsibility	of	Member	States	

and	their	asylum	decisions;

•	cooperating	with	the	European	Commission,	

the	European	Parliament	and	the	Council	of	the	
European	Union,	as	well	as	other	EU	institutions,	
agencies	and	bodies;

•	involving	international	organisations	and	civil	

society;	

•	performing	its	duties	as	a	service-oriented,	

impartial	and	transparent	organisation	within	the	
EU	legal,	policy	and	institutional	framework.

•	EASO	provides,	on	a	regular	basis,	a	regional	
outlook	with	an	analysis	of	asylum	trends	and	
push–pull	factors,	as	well	as	risk	scenarios.	This	is	
based	on	data	provided	by	Member	States,	Eurostat,	
the	European	Agency	for	the	Management	of	
Operational	Cooperation	at	the	External	Borders	of	
the	Member	States	of	the	European	Union	(Frontex),	
the	Office	of	the	United	Nations	High	Commissioner	
for	Refugees	(UNHCR)	and	the	International	
Organisation	for	Migration,	among	others,	combined	
with	up-to-date	COI	produced	by	EASO.

Preparedness:

•	EASO	provides	tools	aimed	at	supporting	Member	
States	to	be	prepared	for	asylum	influx	and	changes	
in	asylum	influx	by	providing	training,	COI,	quality	
tools,	and	support	on	analysis	and	implementation	
of	EU	legislation.

Crisis management:

•	EASO	has	a	primary	task	of	supporting	Member	
States	facing	particular	pressures.	This	is	done	
through	a	number	of	operational	measures	such	as	
the	deployment	of	ASTs.

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EASO	Training

EASO training

Country of origin information

EASO	provides	training	and	develops	training	
materials	in	support	of	the	promotion	of	quality	
and	harmonisation	in	the	area	of	asylum,	as	such	
contributing	to	the	implementation	of	the	CEAS.	
The	cornerstone	of	EASO	training	activities	is	the	
EASO	Training	Curriculum,	a	common	vocational	
training	system	designed	for	asylum	officials	and	
other	target	groups	such	as	managers	and	legal	
officers	throughout	the	EU.	EASO	training	covers	
core	aspects	of	the	asylum	procedure	and	practice	
in	interactive	modules.

EASO	also	develops	training	for	the	judiciary	and	
engages	in	other	relevant	training	initiatives.	These	
include	the	development	of	training	in	cooperation	
with	other	EU	agencies.

In	addition	to	the	permanent	support	activities,	
EASO	delivers	ad	hoc	training	sessions	in	response	
to	the	specific	needs	of	Member	States	under	
particular	pressure.	To	this	end	it	has	delivered	
training	sessions	in	Bulgaria,	Greece,	Italy,	
Luxembourg	and	Sweden.

Country	of	origin	information	(COI)	refers	to	
information	on	countries	from	which	asylum	
seekers	originate.	This	sort	of	information	is	
essential	for	asylum	officials	during	the	asylum	
determination	process.	COI	can	play	a	significant	
role	in	the	implementation	of	a	CEAS.	In	the	field	of	
COI,	EASO:

•	gathers	targeted,	relevant,	reliable,	accurate	and	
up-to-date	COI	in	a	transparent	and	impartial	
manner;

•	manages	and	further	develops	the	EU’s	common	
COI	portal,	which	provides	a	common	entry	point	
to	information	and	offers	additional	resources	for	
Member	States;

•	elaborates	a	common	format	and	methodology	
for	researching	and	presenting	information	on	
countries	of	origin	to	foster	harmonisation	of	COI	
practices;

•	drafts	reports	on	key	countries	of	origin	reflecting	
this	common	format	and	methodology;	in	2012	
EASO	published	two	reports	on	Afghanistan;

•	organises	country-specific	practical	cooperation	
workshops	to	share	COI,	discuss	practices	and	
responds	to	the	different	information	needs	of	
Member	States.

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EASO special and emergency 
support

EASO	offers	two	kinds	of	specific	support	to	
Member	States,	namely	‘special	support’	and	
‘emergency	support’.	Special support refers	to	
tailor-made	assistance,	capacity	building,	facilitation	
and	coordination	of	relocation,	specific	support	
and	special	quality	control	tools.	Emergency 
support	refers	to	organising	solidarity	for	Member	
States	subject	to	particular	pressures	by	providing	
temporary	support	and	assistance	to	repair	or	
rebuild	asylum	and	reception	systems.	Some	
examples	of	EASO	support	actions	follow.

EASO emergency support to Greece

Following	a	request	made	by	the	Greek	
government,	in	February	2011,	EASO	agreed	to	
support	Greece	with	its	establishment	of	the	new	
Asylum	Service,	First	Reception	Service,	Appeal	
Authority,	and	reception	in	general	and	reduction	
of	the	backlog	via	the	deployment	of	experts	from	
the	different	EU	Member	States	via	the	so-called	
ASTs.	In	the	first	phase	of	the	support	to	Greece,	
ending	March	2013,	EASO	deployed	and	managed	
70	experts	from	14	Member	States.	These	experts	
made	up	52	ASTs.	Following	a	request	made	by	
the	Greek	government	in	early	2013	for	further	
support,	EASO	continues	to	support	Greece	
until	December	2014.	In	this	second	phase	EASO	
supports	Greece	via	the	deployment	of	ASTs,	which	
provide	training	on	nationality	establishment	
(in	close	cooperation	with	Frontex)	and	support	
on	EU	funding,	support	on	the	collection	and	
analysis	of	statistical	data	and	support	in	the	field	
of	COI.	Depending	on	the	request	by	the	Greek	
government,	EASO	can	rearrange	or	step	up	its	
operations.

Signing	of	the	Operating	Plan	with	Bulgaria,	Bucarest,	17	October	2013

EASO special support to Italy

On	4	June	2013,	EASO	and	Italy	signed	a	special	
support	plan	which	provides	for	EASO	special	
support	to	Italy,	until	the	end	of	2014,	in	a	number	
of	prioritised	areas,	such	as	data	collection	and	
analysis,	COI,	Dublin	system,	reception	system	and	
emergency	capacity,	and	training	of	independent	
judiciary.	Anticipating	the	implementation	of	
the	new	EU	asylum	package	while	facing	large	
fluctuations	in	the	number	of	arrivals	of	immigrants	
together	with	the	need	of	keeping	a	high	standard	
asylum	and	reception	process,	have	motivated	
Italy	to	ask	EASO	for	assistance	in	reinvigorating	its	
asylum	and	reception	systems.

In addition to the activities mentioned above, 
EASO has also offered special and/or emergency 
support to Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Sweden.

EASO and intra‑EU relocation

In	the	area	of	relocation	EASO	promotes,	facilitates,	
and	coordinates	the	exchange	of	information	and	
best	practices	on	intra-EU	relocation.	EASO	also	
participates	in	the	Annual	Relocation	Forum,	which	
provides	an	opportunity	to	assist	Member	States	
in	understanding	what	the	relocation	needs	are	in	
the	immediate	future.	In	2012,	EASO	carried	out	
a	fact-finding	exercise	on	the	Project	for	intra-EU	
Relocation	from	Malta	(Eurema	—	phase	I	and	II)	
and	bilateral	arrangements	between	EU	Member	
States,	associate	countries	and	Malta.

Signing	of	the	Operating	Plan	with	Greece,	Athens,	1	April	2011

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EASO and the external  
dimension of the Common 
European Asylum System

EASO	has	an	important	role	to	play	in	the	external	
dimension	of	the	Common	European	Asylum	System	
(CEAS)	by	strengthening	asylum	and	reception	
capacity	in	third	countries	in	order	to	better	protect	
asylum	seekers,	facilitating	the	resettlement	by	
Member	States	of	refugees	from	third	countries	
to	the	EU,	and	cooperating	with	third	countries	in	
matters	connected	with	EASO’s	duties	and	activities.	
This	includes	supporting	the	implementation	of	
regional	protection	programmes,	and	other	actions	
relevant	to	durable	solutions.	In	2013,	EASO	has	
elaborated	an	external	dimension	strategy	that	
defines	the	approach	and	general	framework	within	
which	the	agency	will	develop	its	work	related	to	the	
external	dimension	of	the	CEAS.

EASO and resettlement

EASO	aims	at	strengthening	the	EU	role	in	the	
area	of	resettlement	with	a	view	to	meeting	the	
international	protection	needs	of	refugees	in	third	
countries	and	showing	solidarity	with	their	host	
countries.	EASO	facilitates	the	resettlement	by	
Member	States	of	refugees	from	third	countries	
to	the	EU	in	cooperation	with	UNHCR	and	the	
International	Organisation	for	Migration	(IOM).	
EASO	further	develops	existing	methodologies	
and	tools	to	strengthen	Member	States’	ability	
to	resettle	refugees	and	contribute	to	the	
evaluation	and	further	development	of	the	joint	EU	
resettlement	programme.

Signing	of	the	EASO-UNHCR	working	arrangement,	

Geneva,	13	December	2013

In	focus:	Asylum	
Support	Teams	
What	are	Asylum	
Support	Teams?

Asylum	Support	Teams	(ASTs)	are	composed	
of	national	experts	deployed	by	EASO	
in	a	Member	State	for	a	limited	time	in	
order	to	support	the	asylum	system	of	that	
Member	State.

Such	experts	are	made	available	by	Member	
States	and	are	included	in	an	EASO	‘asylum	
intervention	pool’.

What kind of support may 
an AST provide?

ASTs	may	provide	any	support	agreed	by	
EASO	and	the	Member	State	subject	to	
particular	pressure,	aiming	at	preparing	its	
asylum	and	reception	system	and	managing	
the	situation	of	particular	pressure.

ASTs	may	provide	expertise	in	relation	
to,	among	other	matters,	reception,	
training,	information	on	countries	of	
origin	and	knowledge	of	the	handling	and	
management	of	asylum	cases,	including	
those	of	vulnerable	groups.

How can ASTs be deployed?

ASTs	may	be	deployed	by	EASO	at	the	request	of	
a	Member	State	subject	to	particular	pressure	
on	its	asylum	system,	including	its	reception	
facilities.	EASO’s	Executive	Director	and	the	
minister	of	the	requesting	Member	State	then	
sign	an	agreement	which	stipulates	the	actions	
to	be	implemented	by	ASTs.

10th	EASO	Management	Board	meeting,	Malta,	4	and	5	February	2013

The administrative and 
management structure

The Executive Director: The	Executive	Director,	
Dr	Robert	K.	Visser, 	has	been	appointed	by 	
the	Management	Board, 	and	is	in	charge	of 	
the	day-to-day	management	of	the 	agency.	
The	Executive	Director is	independent	in	
the	performance	of	his	tasks	and	is	the 	legal	
representative	of	EASO.	The	Executive 	Director	
is	responsible	for	the	implementation	of	the 	
work	programme	and	the	decisions	of	the 	
Management	Board.	The	Executive	Director 	
is	supported	by	heads	of	unit/centre, 	the	
accounting	officer	and	an	Executive 	Office.	
Currently	EASO	is	composed	of	four	units/
centres,	namely:

•	General	Affairs	and	Administration	Unit;
•	Centre	for	Information,	Documentation	and	

Analysis;

•	Centre	for	Operational	Support;
•	Centre	for	Training,	Quality	and	Expertise.

The Management Board:	The	Management	Board	
is	the	agency’s	planning	and	monitoring	authority.	It	
is	composed	of	representatives	of	the	EU	Member	
States	and	Associate	Countries,	the	European	
Commission	and	a	representative	of	the	United	
Nations	High	Commissioner	for	Refugees.

The Consultative Forum:	The	Consultative	
Forum	has	been	established	in	October	2011	to	
promote	EASO’s	engagement	with	civil	society.	
The	Consultative	Forum	is	consulted	regularly,	and	
consists	of	civil	society	(including	non-governmental	
organisations	(NGOs),	academics	and	the	judiciary)	
and	other	bodies.

EASO practical cooperation:	EASO	practical	
cooperation	is	a	concept	applied	to	expert	meetings,	
conferences	and	networks	organised	by	EASO.	EASO	
practical	cooperation	activities	follow	a	common	
methodology	and	are	intended	to	improve	and	
maximise	convergence	on	approaches	to,	and	
assessment	of	the	protection	needs	of	asylum	seekers.

EXECUTIVE	
DIRECTOR

Executive	
Office

Accountancy

General	Affairs	and	
Administration	Unit

Centre	for	Information	
Documentation	&	Analysis

Centre	for	Operational	
Support

Centre	for	Training,	
Quality	and	Expertise

General	Affairs	
division

Information	and	
Documentation	division

Special	and	Emergency	
Support	division

Administration	
division

COI	division

Asylum	Analysis	
division

External	dimension	and	
resettlement	division

Training	
division

Quality	
division

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In	focus:	the	
Consultative	Forum

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Our history

•	The	Tampere	European	Council	of	1999	agreed	on	
the	establishment	of	a	Common	European	Asylum	
System	(CEAS).

•	The	EU	2004	Hague	Programme	proposed	the	

establishment	of	the	European	Asylum	Support	
Office	(EASO).	The	Office	was	conceived	to	play	
a	crucial	role	in	ensuring	practical	cooperation	
between	Member	States	on	matters	related	to	
asylum.

•	The	European	Commission	proposed	the	creation	

of	EASO	on	18	February	2009.

•	In	the	first	quarter	of	2010,	the	European	
Parliament	and	the	Council	agreed	on	the	
creation	of	EASO.	The	EASO	regulation	came	into	
force	on	19	June	2010.

•	On	1	February	2011,	EASO	became	operational	as	

3rd	Consultative	Forum,	Malta,	27	and	28	November	2013

an	EU	agency.

•	On	1	April	2011	the	first	EASO	operating	plan	was	
signed	to	support	the	reconstruction	of	the	Greek	
asylum	system.

•	On	24	May	2011,	the	‘seat	agreement’	between	
the	Government	of	Malta	and	EASO	was	signed.	
The	agreement	governs	the	relationship	between	
the	host	Member	State	and	EASO.

•	On	19	June	2011,	EASO	was	officially	inaugurated	

in	Malta.

•	On	7	September	2012,	EASO	moved	into	its	new	

premises	located	in	the	Grand	Harbour	of	Valletta,	
Malta.

•	In	2012,	Italy,	Luxembourg	and	Sweden	requested	

and	obtained	EASO’s	support.

•	In	2013,	Bulgaria	requested	and	obtained	EASO’s	

support.

For more information, contact EASO:
E-mail:	info@easo.europa.eu
Website:	www.easo.europa.eu
Facebook:	www.facebook.com/easo.eu
Telephone	number:		+356	22487500
Address:	MTC	Block	A,	Winemakers	Wharf,	Grand	Harbour	Valletta,	MRS	
1917,	Malta

More	information	on	the	European	Union	is	available	on	the	Internet		
(http://europa.eu).
Luxembourg:	Publications	Office	of	the	European	Union,	2014
ISBN	978-92-9243-119-8
doi:10.2847/16671
©	European	Asylum	Support	Office,	2014
8
Neither	EASO	nor	any	person	acting	on	its	behalf	may	be	held	responsible		
for	the	use	which	may	be	made	of	the	information	contained	therein.
Reproduction	is	authorised	provided	the	source	is	acknowledged.
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The	EASO	Consultative	Forum	is	a	continuous	
two-way	dialogue	that	allows	for	the	
exchange	of	information	and	pooling	of	
knowledge	between	EASO	and	civil	society.

As	a	European	centre	of	expertise,	
consultation	for	EASO	is	not	just	an	annual	
meeting	but	a	continuous	two-way	dialogue	
that	brings	together	experts	on	the	many	
aspects	of	asylum	to	share	knowledge	and	
expertise.	This	process	provides	additional	
insight	and	information	which	helps	EASO	
develop	more	comprehensive	and	advanced	
practical	cooperation	tools	aimed	at	
supporting	the	implementation	the	CEAS.

EASO	is	particularly	interested	in	
content-related	input.	Areas	of	particular	
interest	for	consultation	include	early	
warning	and	preparedness,	training,	
quality	processes,	unaccompanied	minors,	
family	tracing,	gender,	vulnerable	groups,	
resettlement,	relocation	and	provision	
of	emergency	support	to	Member	States	
subject	to	particular	pressure.

Want	to	join	the	EASO	Consultative	Forum?	
Contact	the	EASO	Consultative	Forum	
coordination.