(1)

In order to ensure a fair sharing of responsibility, the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026 should provide effective support to the Member States under migratory pressure as determined in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2323 (2).

(2)

The Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026 should address the migratory situation in 2026 in a balanced and effective manner, and reflect the annual projected solidarity needs. The assessment of those needs for 2026 and the reference numbers to calculate the fair share for each Member State are based on the quantitative and qualitative criteria and analysis included in the communication of 11 November 2025 from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council entitled ‘the European Annual Asylum and Migration Report (2025)’ (the ‘Annual Report’) for the reporting period of 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 and projection for 2026, as well as on the average recognition rate at Union level and on the average return rate at Union level. All that information was used by the Commission when adopting Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2323.

(3)

The Annual Report for the reporting period of 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 assesses the asylum, reception and migratory situation over the 12-month period, namely 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, along all migratory routes, and provides a strategic situational picture and projection for the coming year.

(4)

In Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2323, the Commission, acting pursuant to Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, identified Greece, Spain, Italy and Cyprus as Member States under migratory pressure. The migratory pressure in Spain and Italy is determined in view of the large number of disembarkations following search and rescue operations. Those four Member States should inform the Commission and the Council whether they intend to make use of the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026, and should provide information on the type and level of solidarity measures needed to address the situation. After that, those four Member States should have access to the solidarity measures established by the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026 and not be obliged to implement their pledged solidarity contributions.

(5)

In addition to the overall situation in the four Member States identified as being under migratory pressure, the identification of the solidarity needs of Member States under migratory pressure takes into account the projection of future developments set out in the Annual Report and the expected impact on the Member States identified as being under migratory pressure.

(6)

The identification of solidarity needs also takes into account the support provided by the European Union Agency for Asylum and by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), as well as funding support that the Member States under migratory pressure received in the reporting period. Those are key support measures included in the Permanent EU Migration Support Toolbox established by Article 6(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351.

(7)

In order to identify the solidarity needs in a balanced and effective manner, it is necessary also to consider the existing level of unauthorised movements that, despite their decrease, continued to pose a challenge in the Union.

(8)

In addition, the identification of solidarity needs takes into account the overall situation in the Union, including the fact that there are 12 Member States at risk of migratory pressure, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Finland, and six Member States facing a significant migratory situation, namely Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, and Poland.

(9)

The identification of the solidarity needs also considers the obligation established by Article 63(3), points (a) and (b), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 regarding the minimum level of solidarity that needs to be reached.

(10)

The solidarity needs for 2026 for the Annual Solidarity Pool at Union level are to be identified as 21 000 for relocations and as EUR 420 million for financial contributions, which reflects the fact that the first Union annual migration management cycle and the corresponding solidarity pledges will start being implemented as of 12 June 2026, as well as the unequal distribution of irregular arrivals in the benefitting Member States throughout the year, generally resulting in higher numbers of irregular arrivals in the second half of the year.

(11)

Given that the share of arrivals following search and rescue operations in Spain and Italy among all irregular arrivals in the Member States determined as being under migratory pressure is 42 %, the indicative percentage of the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026 to be made available to Spain and Italy should reflect that share.

(12)

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026 is to set out the contributions as pledged by the Member States during a meeting of the High-Level EU Solidarity Forum. The High-Level EU Solidarity Forum was convened on 13 November 2025, and held meetings on 18 November and 27 November 2025, during which meetings the Member States pledged their solidarity contributions.

(13)

The three types of solidarity measures envisaged under Article 56(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, namely relocation, financial contributions and alternative solidarity measures, are considered as being of equal value. It is therefore for each Member State to decide which type of solidarity measure it will pledge, including making use of the possibility to pledge a combination of various types of solidarity measures, as well as to pledge exclusively alternative solidarity measures. In the implementation of the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026, as the first annual solidarity pool, Member States’ pledges for financial contributions can be adjusted into other forms of solidarity support.

(14)

There were high numbers of unauthorised movements registered in the Union in the reporting period of 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 and in the transition phase towards the full functioning of the new responsibility rules. Account therefore needs to be taken of that existing situation in the Member States, to support the efficient establishment of the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026, as the first annual solidarity pool. During that initial transition phase, corresponding to the reporting periods that did not take into account the migratory situation as it prevails once the substantive rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 have become fully applicable, there is significant potential to attain overall solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility by duly acknowledging and accounting for applicants for international protection who, in the reporting period of 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, have moved from the benefitting Member States towards the contributing Member States, and have applied in the latter for international protection. To that effect, it should be possible for all contributing Member States also to contribute to solidarity through other forms of solidarity support, including those that result in responsibility for contributing Member States in that reporting period. Such other forms of solidarity support should be agreed bilaterally by the contributing and the benefitting Member States, and should be taken into account in the implementation of this Decision to reflect the mandatory fair share of the contributing Member States, while ensuring that, on the basis of relevant cases, all Member States can implement other forms of solidarity support in a fair and effective manner, with the EU Solidarity Coordinator facilitating interaction and cooperation among Member States to achieve a balanced and effective implementation thereof.

(15)

The Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026, as the first annual solidarity pool, should reflect the fact that it is based on pledges made by the Member States at a time when the substantive rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 are not yet applicable, and that the first Union annual migration management cycle and the solidarity pledges will start being implemented as of 12 June 2026. In order to ensure an appropriate balance between solidarity and responsibility in that context, particularly in relation to the situation of those Member States that are identified pursuant to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2323 as facing a significant migratory situation, it should exceptionally be acknowledged that those Member States’ pledges may be adjusted accordingly.

(16)

This Decision should aim to contribute to achieving a comprehensive approach to migration management at Union level, by ensuring an essential first step in the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, including Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, and by fostering overall cohesive action in directly connected priority areas, particularly those regarding the establishment of a common European system for returns and of a Union list of safe countries of origin. In that regard, this Decision should contribute to reducing the overall pressure on Member States' asylum systems and supporting the functioning of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

(17)

In accordance with Article 4 of Protocol No 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Ireland has notified, by letter of 27 June 2024, its wish to accept and be bound by Regulation (EU) 2024/1351. Commission Decision (EU) 2024/2088 (3) confirmed the participation of Ireland in Regulation (EU) 2024/1351. Ireland is therefore taking part in the adoption and application of this Decision.

(18)

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the TEU and to TFEU, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application,