European Asylum Support Office

Regulation (EU) No 439/2010 establishes a European Asylum Support Office to strengthen cooperation between the Member States in this area and assist them in coping with crisis situations.

ACT

Regulation (EU) No 439/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 establishing a European Asylum Support Office.

SUMMARY

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is a European Union (EU) agency in operation since 2011. Its function is to:

• boost the cooperation of Member States on asylum matters;
• support the Member States whose asylum and reception systems are under particular pressure;
• improve the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland should shortly be joining EASO as associate countries, once the agreements negotiated by the EU with each of them have been ratified.

Supporting the cooperation of Member States on asylum matters

The EASO role in this field consists of:

• encouraging the exchange and pooling of good practices between the Member States;
• organising activities relating to the gathering, analysis and availability of information on the countries of origin of people applying for international protection;
• facilitating, when necessary, the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection within the Union;
• establishing and developing training available to members of all national administrations and courts and tribunals, and national services responsible for asylum matters in the Member States;
• gathering useful information to identify the risks of massive influx of asylum seekers and the ability of States concerned to react, in order to activate early warning systems and prepare any emergency measures required to cope with these pressures.

Support for Member Statessubject to specific pressure

EASO coordinates emergency aid to Member States whose reception facilities and asylum systems are subject to exceptionally heavy pressures, by providing temporary support and assistance.

This aid involves mainly the deployment, in the Member States so requesting it, of asylumsupport teams who provide expertise relating to interpreting services, information on countries of origin and knowledge of the handling and management of asylum cases.

When EASO decides to deploy one or more asylum support teams, it draws up an operating plan in conjunction with the requesting Member State, to define:

• the modus operandi and deployment goals;
• its foreseeable duration;
• the geographical area where the teams will be deployed;
• the composition of teams and the tasks of their members.

The support team experts are made available by the Member States and are part of the EASO Asylum Intervention Pool.

Implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)

EASO contributes to the implementation of CEAS both inside and outside the European Union.

In terms of the internal dimension of CEAS, the EASO contribution is mainly to:

• gather information relating to the processing of requests for international protection in the Member States and national legislations in asylum matters; and
• write an annual report of the European asylum situation and prepare, if necessary, technical documents on implementing EU asylum instruments.

In terms of the external dimension of CEAS, EASO is especially responsible for:

• coordinating the exchange of information and actions undertaken by the Member States under the relocation of refugees originating from third countries;
• cooperating with third countries to promote and assist capacity building in their own asylum and reception facilities and to implement regional protection programmes.

EASO structure and governance

The Management Board is EASO’s planning and monitoring authority. It is composed of representatives of the EU Member States and associated countries, the European Commission and a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Executive Director is appointed by the Management Board and is in charge of the day-to-day management of the agency. He is its legal representative.

The Consultative Forum is a space for ongoing bilateral dialogue, exchange of information and pooling of knowledge between EASO and the civil society. It brings together experts on various aspects of asylum.

The office acquires its income mainly through a contribution registered in the overall EU budget and contributions from associated countries.

RELATED ACTS

Decision 2010/762/EU of the representatives of the governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 25 February 2010 determining the seat of the European Asylum Support Office (OJ L 324, 9.12.2010).

This decision establishes the seat of the European Asylum Support Office at Valletta, Malta.

Council Decision2014/185/EU of 11 February 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Arrangement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the modalities of its participation in the European Asylum Support Office (OJ L 102, 5.4.2014).

Council Decision2014/186/EU of 11 February 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Arrangement between the European Union and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the modalities of its participation in the European Asylum Support Office (OJ L 102, 5.4.2014).

Council Decision2014/194/EU of 11 February 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Arrangement between the European Union and the Republic of Iceland on the modalities of its participation in the European Asylum Support Office (OJ L 106, 9.4.2014).

Council Decision2014/204/EU of 11 February 2014 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and the provisional application of the Arrangement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on the modalities of its participation in the European Asylum Support Office (OJ L 109, 12.4.2014).

Last updated: 22.07.2014