Yesterday, the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), Ms. Nina GREGORI was at the Court of Justice of the European Union where, together with its President – the Honourable Mr. Koen LENAERTS – she spoke to a High-level Roundtable attended by over 160 representatives of 25 EU+ countries, Third Countries , the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the UNHCR, the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) and the Association of European Administrative Judges (the AEAJ).

Speaking from the European Court of Justice’s main courtroom during the Opening Session, Ms. Gregori emphasised that driving convergence in practices and the implementation of EU asylum legislation is the raison d’être of the Agency. Against the background that changes to EU law on asylum are exceptionally rare, the Executive Director discussed key pillars of the strengthened EUAA mandate and how the Agency is now better-equipped to carry out its mission

The EUAA Regulation is the first major change to EU law on asylum since 2013, and provides for the appointment of the Agency’s first, independent, Fundamental Rights Officer, and a new legal requirement for EU Member States to take into account the EUAA Country Guidance on key Countries of Origin. This latter development offers strong potential in driving further convergence in asylum decision-making in Member States.

Ms. Gregori discussed how the Agency offers support to national judicial authorities in their important work of ensuring the consistent interpretation of EU law on international protection in appeal procedures, as well as the administrative support provided to national Courts and Tribunals, upon their request for assistance. Taken together, these measures aim to support national judiciaries in ensuring that similar asylum cases receive similar outcomes, regardless of where an application was lodged.