Prime Minister and President of European Court of Auditors talk over recommendations on EU asylum system
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has met with Klaus-Heiner Lehne, President of the European Court of Auditors, and Rimantas Šadžius, Member of the Court of Auditors to discuss, among other issues, the current report, the conclusions of which are as never before responsive to the challenges currently faced by Lithuania, which is currently subjected to a hybrid attack of artificially construed flows of irregular migrants.
‘Lithuania has come up against an extraordinary challenge as a result of Lukashenka’s arranged hybrid attack on the EU border. This has brought to light gaps and loopholes in the existing EU legal framework regarding the protection of the EU external border and the potential for abuse of the Community asylum system. It is obvious that the measures applied at the national level are insufficient in situation at hand’, said the Prime Minister.
Lithuania agrees with the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors that it is important to follow flexible approach in the negotiations on the EU readmission agreement, build synergies with Member States, and strengthen incentives for cooperation with third countries in the field of readmission.
Lithuania believes that all available levers should be used to strengthen cooperation with third countries in the field of readmission. It is key to resort to any EU policy or instrument of relevance, including in the fields of trade and visas (while taking into account the individual situation of each third country). With regard to the proposal to assess the sustainability of the reintegration of returned migrants, it is also important to consider whether affording reintegration assistance does not actually constitute a pull factor for irregular migration.
‘We share European Court of Auditors’ view that appropriate implementation of the Economic Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) will help Member States to withstand the COVID-related economic shock and increase the resilience of their economies. Next Generation Lithuania plan requires careful preparation and focused political will’, said the Prime Minister.
The Head of Government has expressed best wishes for the 8th International Financial Markets Conference noting that the theme of Developing Capital Markets in the Baltics should focus not only on the Baltic market but generate new ideas for greater post-pandemic integration across the EU.