The Solidarity Pool is a central element of the EU’s new migration and asylum framework, and is designed to ensure a fairer distribution of responsibilities for dealing with the pressures that migration can create.
Implementing the EU’s migration framework is a matter of balancing solidarity and responsibility, according to Internal Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. “Everything has to go hand in hand — it’s a parallel development,” he told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the pact ensures countries facing disproportionate pressure are treated differently.
At the same time, the Commission acknowledged that Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria and Poland are dealing with “significant migratory situations” due to sustained pressures over the past five years.
This designation allows them to request a full or partial rebate from their contributions (whether financial or in terms of relocation) to the solidarity mechanism in the coming half year after the scheme takes effect.
The Commission has identified Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Finland as being at risk of migratory pressure in the year ahead. They won’t get to opt out in 2026, but are close to the threshold for doing so in future.
The criteria for this ‘at risk’ classification include persistently high numbers of people arriving, overstretched reception systems, and the potential manipulation of migration by third countries like Russia. While not exempted for the time being, these countries will receive priority access to the EU’s Migration Support Toolbox, which provides emergency funding, operational aid and policy coordination.