NordenBladet —
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali noted that Denmark, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, wished to reach a political agreement on the Annual Solidarity Pool for 2026. “We support the creation of a Solidarity Pool for next year to help Member States under migratory pressure,” Tali said. “However, since Estonia has received tens of thousands of Ukrainian war refugees in recent years, we will not participate in the relocation of refugees during the next two years.”
“In Estonia, we have been very successful in receiving Ukrainian war refugees, and we are therefore prepared to contribute to the solidarity mechanism, both financially and by sending equipment and, where possible, experts to regions that need assistance,” Tali pointed out. “We are a border country of the European Union, and it is important for us that if we should come under migratory pressure, other member states will also be ready to help us out of solidarity,” he added.
The Annual Solidarity Pool is based on the principle that Member States should help countries that are under high migratory pressure. Member States can choose whether to contribute to the Solidarity Pool by accepting asylum seekers or by providing financial or other assistance. Contributions are calculated for all countries according to a single formula that takes into account population and GDP, but also whether the country has already accepted a large number of war refugees or is itself under significant migratory pressure. Estonia has requested its solidarity contribution to be reduced, and according to a preliminary agreement, it will be reduced by half.
The implementation of the Annual Solidarity Pool will be on the agenda of Monday’s meeting of the Ministers of the Interior of the European Union in Brussels, which will take place within the framework of the European Union Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting. Minister of the Interior Igor Taro gave the European Union Affairs Committee an overview of the positions of the Government. The European Union Affairs Committee decided by consensus to support the positions presented by the Government.
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
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Link uudisele: The European Union Affairs Committee agreed to contributing to the Solidarity Pool at a reduced level
Source: Parliament of Estonia