The European Commission has issued its first assessment of how four EU countries under migratory pressure are applying the responsibility rules in the new Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The review covers Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain. It looks at the first three weeks after the pact entered into application on 12 June 2026, so the findings are an early operational check rather than a final judgement on the system.
What the Commission found
The Commission described operational cooperation in Cyprus and Spain as adequate. It said Greece had begun to remedy past practices and was showing readiness to apply the responsibility rules effectively. Italy had also made significant efforts to prepare for the new system.
The assessment added that concrete steps were still needed to make sure transfers happen in practice. The Commission did not present the four countries as having identical systems or identical results.
What responsibility means
Responsibility rules determine which participating country must examine an application for international protection. A transfer can take place when the rules identify another country as responsible for handling the claim.
The pact combines those rules with a solidarity mechanism. EU countries facing migratory pressure may receive support from other member states, while the Commission monitors whether the responsibility system is being applied.
What this does not decide
The assessment does not decide whether an individual applicant qualifies for asylum. Those decisions remain based on the facts of each case and the applicable protection rules.
It also does not mean that every operational problem has been resolved. The Commission said it would continue monitoring implementation and planned a further assessment in October 2026.
Why the timing matters
The pact is a package of ten legislative acts covering screening, registration, asylum procedures, responsibility, solidarity and returns. Member states had a two-year transition period before the rules began to apply.
Because this first review covers only three weeks, later assessments will provide a clearer picture of whether transfers are working consistently and whether national systems can sustain the new procedures.
Primary record