Migrant crisis: EU Council steps up info-sharing between members

The Council has taken over the last weeks a number of decisions to respond to the current migratory crisis. The scale of migratory flows has demonstrated the need for a more coordinated information sharing.

The Luxembourg Presidency therefore decided yesterday (Oct-30) to trigger the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) arrangements on an “information sharing mode”. The aim is to monitor the development of migratory flows, to support decision-making and to better implement the agreed measures.

Under the information sharing mode, EU member states and institutions as well as relevant agencies are requested to continuously share updated information on the situation on the ground via a common web platform. The Commission and the EEAS will provide regular integrated analysis of the information provided to facilitate common decision-making and a coordinated crisis response between member states.

The EU Integrated Political Crisis Response arrangements (IPCR) reinforce the European Union’s ability to take rapid decisions when facing major crises requiring a response at EU political level. They were approved in June 2013 by the Council of the European Union.

The IPCR arrangements are flexible and scalable, enabling a tailored response at EU political level and providing the necessary support from EU institutions and services in the context of a crisis and its evolution. They make full use of synergies between stakeholders and existing resources, structures and capabilities.

The IPCR arrangements are based on the principle of subsidiarity, fully respecting member states’ responsibilities in a crisis situation. They do not replace existing arrangements at sectorial level.