EASO has issued the Guidance on reception conditions: operational standards and indicators. This Guidance represents one of the key measures identified by the European Agenda on Migration for the field of reception.

The Guidance focuses on the provision of material reception conditions, notably on the provision of housing, food, clothing, health care, non-food items as well as a daily expenses allowance. Moreover, it addresses aspects such as information provision and counselling as well as training of staff working in national reception systems.

The standards included in the document reflect existing and commonly agreed practice across EU Member States, as well as good practices identified across the EU. As such, the Guidance represents a first step and effort to facilitate the application of certain core provisions of the Reception Conditions Directive (RCD). Most importantly, the Guidance has been developed for the regular functioning of the reception system. Situations falling under an emergency framework, such as for example the use of the provisions of Article 18(9) RCD on emergency housing, fall outside the scope of this Guidance. Further standards and indicators on specific provisions of the RCD will be developed by EASO in 2017.  The development process of the Guidance followed a consultative approach, aiming at gathering the broadest possible spectrum of expertise from Member States as well as other relevant actors in the field of reception. The draft document was developed by a working group of experts from EU Member States while counting with the support of a reference group consisting of the European Commission, the Fundamental Rights Agency and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Moreover, members of the EASO Consultative Forum were invited to provide their views on the document. Lastly, all 28 members of the EASO Network of Reception Authorities were invited to provide their input to the document prior to its adoption by the EASO Management Board at its 22^nd Meeting in September 2016.

The Guidance is available in English language on the EASO website at: https://www.easo.europa.eu/practical-tools.The document is currently being translated into 22 EU languages, which will be made available on the organisation’s website in the coming months.

Any further information on EASO may be obtained by contacting Mr. Jean-Pierre Schembri on the following e-mail address: jean-pierre.schembri@easo.europa.eu  (follow us live on twitter @EASO).