Following the negotiations held from February 18 - 19 in Brussels, the EU Heads of State and Government have agreed on the set of reforms to be implemented in response to proposals put forward by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom last December.
At the meeting, progress regarding the migration issue and the way forward were extensively discussed – the EU leaders agreed that all previously reached agreements need to be implemented as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis describes the agreement on the UK’s deal as a compromise. “The work over the last few days demonstrates that the European Union is able to jointly deal with complex issues and arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all Member States," said the Prime Minister at the conclusion of the meeting. The UK’s stay in the EU is in the interests of all Member States – there was a consensus regarding this objective at the European Council meeting in Brussels.
With regard to the social benefits, the Prime Minister points out that the agreement reached conforms with the interests of Latvia. “The restrictions are not so significant that they would be detrimental to our compatriots.” The Head of Government explains that significant progress has been made regarding initial demands, such as the complete abolition of child benefits for children living outside of the UK, and of bonuses for employees for four years.
The agreement reached does not affect the principle of free movement of labour, health insurance, and unemployment and other benefits. The indexation of child benefits will be applied only from 2020, while the emergency mechanism for employees will be for a maximum of seven years.
Regarding migration, Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis pointed out that he appreciates the emphasis that was placed on the remaining work to be done during the conclusions of the European Council. The European Council welcomed the NATO’s decision to support Greece and Turkey in surveilling illegal border crossing in the Aegean Sea.
While discussing migration, the Head of Government of Latvia stressed that "the priority focus should be on the strengthening of the European Union's external borders, and that it is essential to work on the establishment of border and coast guards." The EU Heads of State and Government supported the acceleration of work in this area and the need for an agreement to be reached during the Netherlands Presidency, that is, before the end of June.
The EU leaders stressed the need to conclude the work on the establishment of migration management centres, or hot spots, to immediately provide full control of arriving asylum seekers and make the process of returning persons who do not need international protection more efficient.
The Heads of State and Government acknowledged that comprehensive and prompt implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan is essential in addressing the problem of migration; therefore the upcoming EU-Turkey Summit to be held on March 5 will be very important.
Supplementary information:
Lita Juberte
Press Secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers
Phone: 67082919; 28803639
E-mail: lita.juberte@mk.gov.lv
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister
Phone: +371 29228678
E-mail: Andrejs.Vaivars@mk.gov.lv