© Eric Vidal / Reuters
Pressed by Italy's concerns, eventually the 28 leaders agreed to reform the asylum system by consensus and to include a clause on hosting migrants across EU countries on a voluntary basis. Part of the agreement gives Italy and Greece options to set up migrant centers on their soil if they so choose.
Comment: Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz reported that the leaders of the union agreed that Italy and Greece can set up migrant centres on their soil if they want to.
"I can confirm that countries like Italy or Greece can set up closed centers on the border if they want. There is still no agreement on binding quotas," he told reporters in Brussels after an EU migration deal was announced.
"On EU territory, those who are saved, according to international law, should be taken charge of, on the basis of a shared effort, through the transfer in controlled centres set up in Member States, only on a voluntary basis, where rapid and secure processing would allow, with full EU support, to distinguish between irregular migrants, who will be returned, and those in need of international protection, for whom the principle of solidarity would apply," the conclusions of the European Council meeting read. "All the measures in the context of these controlled centres, including relocation and resettlement, will be on a voluntary basis, without prejudice to the Dublin reform."
Comment: The leaders of the EU countries made a political decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six months, a source in the EU Council told TASS on the sidelines of the EU summit.