A new EU asylum agency
A new EU asylum agency will increase support to cooperation and solidarity among member states and the EU overall external dimension.
Modifying the European asylum support office
As part of its migration and asylum pact proposals in September 2020 the European Commission put forward a proposal to improve the application of asylum policy within the EU, by turning the current European asylum support office (EASO) into a fully-fledged agency.
The new agency is responsible for improving the functioning of the common European asylum system by:
- providing enhanced operational and technical assistance to member states
- bringing more consistency to the assessment of applications for international protection
The new legislation increases the agency's support for cooperation between member states and non-EU countries.
Establishing the EU asylum agency
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) plays an integral role in helping EU member states apply the package of EU laws that comprise the common European Asylum system.
The system establishes the legally binding rules and procedures that member states must follow to guarantee that the rights of applicants for international protection are fully respected in Europe.
On 9 December 2021, the Council adopted the regulation transforming EASO into a fully-fledged EU agency. This was a significant step forward in the modernisation of the EU’s asylum and reception practices.
On 19 January 2022, the EUAA replaced the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).
Work on the migration and asylum pact
The Council presidency and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 29 June 2021. The Parliament formally adopted the regulation on 11 November 2021.
On 20 December 2023, the Council and the European Parliament reached a deal on the key legislative files, as well as many other files in the migration and asylum pact.
On 8 February 2024, EU member states’ representatives endorsed the deal reached in December as well as three laws which had previously been agreed between the Council and the Parliament in 2022.
The Council adopted the EU's pact on migration and asylum on 14 May 2024.
See also
Last review: 10 February 2025