This Inform is set against the evolving EU legal framework governing the safe country of origin (SCO) and safe third country (STC) concepts in the assessment of applications for international protection. Until the Asylum Procedure Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 becomes applicable in June 2026, these concepts are regulated by Directive 2013/32/EU (recast Asylum Procedures Directive), which sets out the criteria and procedural safeguards for their use, including the possibility to designate safe countries and apply accelerated or inadmissibility procedures. In the context of the forthcoming reform, which introduces changes to designation criteria, the use of EU-level lists and procedural rules, Member States continue to apply diverse national approaches, making a comparative analysis of SCO and STC practices particularly relevant.

Some of the main findings of this Inform are presented below:

• 19 countries reported using a national list of SCOs, while Finland and Portugal apply the concept on a case-by-case basis. In most countries, SCO lists are prepared and adopted by government bodies or agencies, typically through ministerial or administrative decisions. Three countries involve their parliament through the regular legislative process.

• 6 countries have adopted national lists of STCs while 13 apply the STC assessment on an ad hoc basis. In countries that use national lists, the same institutional actors designate both SCOs and STCs.

• 20 countries apply accelerated procedures to applications from SCOs, with appeal deadlines ranging from one week to one month. Several countries exclude unaccompanied minors from accelerated processing, and some limit its use for vulnerable applicants.

• When applying the STC concept, some countries have introduced additional criteria beyond EU law, such as compliance with international human rights standards or the applicant’s ability to remain in the third country during the procedure.
   

• A small number of countries apply territorial or group exceptions to SCOs or STCs, reflecting risks linked to specific regions or categories of applicants. 
   

• None of the countries applying the STC concept requires specific assurances and/or guarantees from countries in respect of the treatment of transferred individuals upon arrival. 
   

• 6 countries reported challenges in applying the STC concept. Those include: litigation around the designation of specific countries as safe, establishing a reasonable connection between an applicant and the third country in question, and the readmission of applicants to STCs. 
   

• 8 countries reported good practices in the application of the SCO and STC concepts, particularly in relation to the identification of vulnerable applicants and the assessment of claims, including enhanced training for case officers, adapted interview formats and adjustments to examination procedures. 

The full Inform is attached above. For more detailed country-specific information, please refer to the ad hoc query that was used to collect the data for this Inform.