Ireland to receive technical support for the preparation of the National Implementation Plans for the Pact on Migration and Asylum

Following the entry into force of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the adoption of the Common Implementation Plan (CIP) on 12 June 2024, the Commission as of today will provide tailored support and expert advice to nine Member States through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). This support will help these Member States to prepare their National Implementation Plans (NIPs), which are due by early December 2024.

The Commission launched a dedicated TSI call in June 2024 to assist Member States with the preparation of their NIPs, notably by offering them targeted support to carry out situational analysis and to identify the necessary actions needed to implement the Pact, in line with the CIP. Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Romania submitted requests for support and will now receive targeted expert advice for four months, until the end of November 2024.

The European Commission will support Ireland in five different building blocks of the National Implementation Plan. Namely: A common migration and asylum information system: Eurodac; Fair, efficient, and convergent asylum procedures, Efficient and fair return processes; Horizontal: New safeguards for applicants for international protection and vulnerable persons, and increased monitoring of fundamental rights. 

The support measures would encompass:  an “AS-IS” analysis, an identification of gaps (“Gap Analysis”), identification of what needs to be done to close the gaps (“TO-BE” analysis), and the production of recommendations in areas that cover legislative/regulatory arrangements, personnel (staffing and training), infrastructure, IT needs, costing and procurement needs. 

The support provided will build on ongoing modernisation programme of Ireland's International Protection office (adaptation of processes and timeframes, develop new operating models, etc) and ongoing work on Eurodac building block (procurement of new national biometric system) align with Pact requirements/standards. In addition, Irish authorities would like to receive support in coordinating input from different stakeholders specifically on building blocks of Border Procedure, Return and Screening.

The TSI is a demand-driven EU instrument that provides tailor-made expertise to Member States' authorities. Member States’ authorities apply for support through annual calls and, sometimes, dedicated calls that respond to emerging needs. The Instrument provides access to high-quality, tailored expertise and knowledge, taking the form of strategic and technical advice, studies assessing reform needs, trainings, and in-country missions by experts.

More information

Visit the dedicated webpage for more information on specific support that the nine Member States will receive under the TSI.