Interior ministers from EU Member States and Schengen associated countries, representatives of EU agencies, as well as representatives of the European Parliament and UN Agencies took part in the two-day Ministerial Conference on the implementation and operationalisation of the Pact. 

During the Conference, the coordination and organisation of the implementation processes were addressed. The dialogue also focused on the financial resources required for the implementation exercises and the support EU agencies can provide in this regard. Key stakeholders, including high-level representatives from UNHCR and IOM and LIBE Chair of the European Parliament, outlined how they see the upcoming implementation processes. Several Member States showcased successful strategies from within their national contexts and what lessons learned could be used to support the implementation of the Pact. 

During the press conference, Nicole de Moor, Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration stressed that the Conference kicked off a new phase in the common asylum and migration policy. She noted that the European Commission has the main responsibility for overseeing the above-mentioned implementation processes but that there is a clear role for the Member States and the Council as well to jointly take responsibility for these processes.

Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, announced that the Commission would come up with a common implementation plan already in June 2024 to give enough time for Member States to prepare their national implementation plans, which must be submitted by January 2025. She also underlined that her services are reorganising to have dedicated teams to support each Member State in its implementation process, with a deadline of June 2026 for the entry into force of all Migration and Asylum Pact files.

For further details, please read the press release from the European Commission and watch the press conference here.