High migratory pressure at the Greek borders and emergency action needed under Article 78(3) of the TFEU

Question for oral answer  O-000019/2020
to the Council
Rule 136
Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Esteban González Pons, Roberta Metsola
on behalf of the PPE Group

Since Friday 28 February 2020, Greece has been under significant and coordinated pressure from migrating populations arriving at its eastern land and sea borders. This sudden movement was channelled and encouraged by Turkey, after Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, officially declared that the country’s western borders were open for migrants hoping to enter the European Union.

As a result, significant numbers of third‑country nationals have gathered in large groups at the Greek-Turkish land border in the Evros area attempting to enter the country illegally. More than 13 000 people are currently on the Greek-Turkish border while, at the same time, ever-increasing migratory flows from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands are continuing unabated.

As a result of these recent developments, Greece has put all its land and sea borders on high alert, asking for emergency action by the EU.

Given that these actions constitute a serious breach of the obligations arising from the EU- Turkey joint statement of 2016, and that the borders of Greece are Europe’s external borders:

• 1.Does the Council consider Turkey a reliable partner in the management of the refugee crisis, and what immediate action is the Council planning to take in order to respond to this provocation by Turkey?
• 2.Is the Council examining the possibility of re-activating Article 78(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in order to ensure full European support for and solidarity with Greece?

Submitted: 02/03/2020

Lapses: 03/06/2020