Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser travelled to Warsaw to attend the informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers. One of the main items on the agenda is European migration policy with a focus on new, innovative solutions in migration management. Another item to be discussed is cooperation in crisis and civil preparedness. 

“Implementing the Common European Asylum System as quickly as possible remains our highest priority,” Minister Faeser said at the kick-off of the council meeting. “We will continue to act in a European spirit.”

Source: The Chancellery of the Prime Minister / PAP S.A

Reforming the Common European Asylum System has priority

The EU agreed to reform its Common European Asylum System (CEAS). To achieve this, 11 legal instruments of the European Parliament and of the Council were adopted on 14 May 2024; they entered into force on 11 June 2024.

The Federal Government seeks to transpose these legal instruments into German law as soon as possible. That is why the Federal Government adopted two bills on 6 November 2024 to implement the CEAS reform in German law and presented this draft legislation to the German Bundestag. Germany must implement the new legislation by June 2026.

A common strategy: Thinking civil protection in European dimensions

In addition, the EU home affairs ministers will talk about common crisis preparedness. “We have to brace ourselves better for threats: from Russian aggression and massive hybrid threats as well as natural disasters,” the federal minister stressed.

To strengthen civil protection, the Polish presidency is planning a discussion on a European Preparedness Union Strategy. One item to be discussed is how to better coordinate civil protection in the event of natural disasters and hybrid threats.

Federal Minister Faeser said: “We have massively expanded our warning systems and want to use them transnationally. Natural disasters don’t stop at national borders. Warning people in time can save lives."

We also remain committed to a strong EU civil protection mechanism. “Europe stands together in the event of emergencies. Germany will continue to act with solidarity – by contributing personnel and technical equipment,” Minister Faeser said.

On 1 January 2025, Poland assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which is why the meeting took place in the Polish capital Warsaw. More information on the Polish Council Presidency is available under https://www.consilium.europa.eu/de/council-eu/presidency-council-eu

On 1 January 2025 Poland assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time after 2011. The Polish Presidency’s motto is “Security, Europe!”
The Presidency of the Council rotates among the EU Member States every six months. During these six months, the country that holds the Presidency chairs all council meetings at all levels and helps assure consistency of the EU’s work in the council.
Poland follows Hungary and assumed its Presidency shortly after the new European Commission took office on 1 December 2024.