Minister Poklukar attends the meeting of the Salzburg Forum countries

The conclusions of the meeting were summarised at a press conference by the Slovenian and Croatian Ministers of the Interior, Boštjan Poklukar and Davor Božinović, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, who also presented the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration reiterates the commitment to step up joint activities in the areas discussed by the Ministers: the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU Internal Security Strategy, environmental crime and cross-border cooperation in tackling irregular migration and organised crime.

Minister Boštjan Poklukar expressed his satisfaction with the tripartite patrols of Slovenian, Croatian and Italian police that started their activities on Monday, describing it as a great day for the political and operational cooperation of the trilateral format of the Slovenian, Croatian and Italian Ministers of the Interior. He also welcomed the recent signing of the status agreement between Frontex and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both achievements promise to improve the management of migration as well as the functioning of the Schengen area, which the Ministers have been advocating for.

The Western Balkan route remains one of the main migration routes to Europe. Minister Poklukar said that he is pleased with the significant decrease of unauthorised border crossings that can be attributed to the successful work and cooperation, including with the countries of the Western Balkans. As a transit country, Slovenia remains under constant pressure, as cross-border smuggling networks, ineffective return and readmission mechanisms for persons with no right to stay in the EU, and the misuse of asylum procedures for criminal purposes continue to pose challenges. Organised criminal groups also exploit the weaknesses in border management and legal loopholes. Closer cross-border operational cooperation is therefore essential, especially regarding the regular and ongoing exchange of all relevant data and information in real time and the capacity to conduct joint investigations. The Minister also recalled the issue of the visa waiver abuse in the Western Balkan countries and its impact on irregular migration to the EU, solutions for which should be found as soon as possible.

The Ministers exchanged views on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The reform is progressing well in Slovenia and preparations for the launch of the new rules are at a crucial stage. The tight implementation schedule of the necessary activities poses the biggest challenge.

The Ministers also discussed the new EU Internal Security Strategy, which adequately addresses the key threats to internal security. The Strategy stresses the importance of the implementation of the legislation already adopted, which Slovenia believes to be essential. The implementation of the recommendations to ensure lawful access to data, including the regulation of data retention, should also start as soon as possible. The new Internal Security Strategy also addresses environmental crime, which remains well concealed due to the sophisticated way in which criminals infiltrate companies, with long-lasting and devastating effects on the environment and society. Slovenia has excellent international police cooperation with EU agencies and the countries in the region in the field of eco-crime, as can be attested by several successful international investigations of organised crime groups carried out with the contribution of the Slovenian police. The key challenges that need to be tackled together include low penalties, understaffing of law enforcement agencies and inconsistencies in legal standards and legislation both within the EU and in the neighbourhood.

On the margins of the Conference, the Minister held several bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Western Balkan countries.

Background

The ministerial meeting was organised by Croatia, the current holder of the chairmanship of the Salzburg Forum, which was founded on Austria’s initiative in 2000 and is considered a powerful lobby group. The member states are Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Since 2007, the Forum includes the Salzburg Forum Group of Friends as a platform for closer cooperation with third countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Moldova. To facilitate wider operational cooperation and a regional approach, Italy, Greece and Kosovo were also invited to the meeting.