European Commission: Home Affairs

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO), established on 19 May 2010 , is a new agency that plays a key role in the concrete development of the Common European Asylum policy.

Main tasks

In accordance with its basis act (Regulation 439/2010), the EASO, based in Malta, focuses on three main tasks:

1. develop practical cooperation among EU States on asylum, by facilitating exchange of information on countries of origin, by providing EU States with support for translation and interpretation, training of asylum officials and assisting in the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection;
2. support EU States under particular pressure, in particular through the establishment of an early warning system, coordinating teams of experts to assist them in managing asylum applications and in putting in place appropriate reception facilities;
3. contribute to the implementation of the Common European Asylum System by collecting and exchanging information on best practices, drawing up an annual report on the asylum situation in the EU and adopting technical documents, such as guidelines and operating manuals, on the implementation of the Union's asylum instruments.

First meeting of the Management Board of the European Asylum Support Office (Malta, 25 and 26 November 2010)

Organisation

The EASO has been set up in the form of a regulatory agency. The Commission and EU States are represented on its Management Board, its planning and monitoring authority. The Executive Director, Dr. Robert K. Visser, appointed by the Management Board, is in charge of the day-to-day management of the agency and acts as its legal representative.

The EASO may set up working parties composed of experts in the field of asylum. A consultative forum shall also be established to maintain a close dialogue with civil society and competent bodies operating in the field of asylum policy at national, European and international level.

Work Programme 2012

During its second year of operations, EASO will consolidate the work undertaken in 2011 and will start new tasks in accordance with the EASO Regulation. EASO will concentrate on a specific set of priorities which comply with the expectations laid out in the Stockholm Programme and Action Plan.
At the same time, EASO is still setting-up its organization and recruiting its staff.

EASO Work Programme 2012
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The Seat Agreement

The Seat Agreement between the Government of Malta and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) was signed on 24 May 2011. The Agreement governs the relationship between the Government of Malta and the EASO. The EASO Seat Agreement contains 20 articles covering principally: Facilitations for communication (Article 4); Security of the Agency (Article 5); Assistance and Cooperation in Security Matters (Article 6); Fiscal and customs treatment of the Support Office (Article 7);Taxation (Article 8); Multilingual, European-oriented schooling (Article 10); Transport connections (Article 11); Social Security (Article 14); Seat of the Support Office (Article 16);

The Agreement was signed by Ambassador Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta's Permanent Representative to the European Union, and Dr Robert K. Visser, EASO Executive Director. Ms Marta Cygan, Director Asylum and Immigration, European Commission, was also present for the signing of the Agreement

See full text of the seat agreement

Recruitment

• Publication of vacancy for a Training and Quality Officer
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting a Training and Quality Officer (Temporary Agent, AD5) - Ref.: EASO/2012/002 (closing date 10 May 2012 - deadline extended) - Application form
• Publication of vacancy for an Operational Support Officer
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting an Operational Support Officer (Temporary Agent, AD7) - Ref.: EASO/2012/004 (closing date 14 May 2012 - deadline extended) - Application form
• Publication of vacancy for a Program and Capacity Support Officer
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting a Program and Capacity Support Officer (Temporary Agent, AD7) - Ref.: EASO/2012/005 (closing date 14 May 2012 - deadline extended) - Application form
• Publication of vacancy for a Documentation and Country of Origin Information Officer
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting a Documentation and Country of Origin Information Officer (Temporary Agent, AD7) - Ref.: EASO/2012/006 (closing date 14 May 2012 - deadline extended) - Application form
• Publication of vacancy for an Analysis and Trends Officer
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting an Analysis and Trends Officer (Temporary Agent, AD7) - Ref.: EASO/2012/007 (closing date 14 May 2012 - deadline extended) - Application form
• Publication of vacancy for a Finance and Procurement Assistant
  The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is recruiting a Finance and Procurement Assistant (Temporary Agent, AST3) - Ref.: EASO/2012/008 (closing date 24 May 2012) - Application form

Consultative forum

The Consultative Forum constitutes a mechanism for the exchange of information and pooling of knowledge between EASO and relevant stakeholders. EASO addresses the members of the Consultative Forum in accordance with specific needs related to areas identified as priority for EASO's work. In particular, EASO will call upon the Consultative Forum to make suggestions on the annual work programme, to provide feedback and suggest measures as follow-up to the annual report, and to communicate conclusions and recommendations of conferences, seminars and meetings relevant to the work of EASO. The inaugural Consultative Forum plenary meeting of EASO took place on 15 December 2011 in Malta (meeting report).

Given the very large number of potentially relevant organisations and their diverse nature, and in order to ensure an efficient and effective approach, EASO will select participants to its various consultative activities using the EASO Consultative Forum Register (ECFR). Organisations and bodies interested in registering should fill in an application form and send it by email to home-easo-consultative-forum@ec.europa.eu. A flexible composition - adapted according to the topics being discussed - will be adopted for the different EASO Consultative Forum activities.

EASO Support to Luxembourg

On 10 January 2012 EASO received a request for support from the Minister of Labour, Employment and Immigration of Luxembourg, Nicolas Schmit. Following this request, on 11 January 2012, the Executive Director of EASO pledged Asylum Support teams to Luxembourg. On 26 January 2012 the operating plan on the Deployment of Asylum Support Teams to Luxembourg was signed. EASO Asylum Support Teams were deployed to Luxembourg from 30 January to 8 February 2012.

During 2011 Luxembourg has faced particular asylum pressures, where the number of asylum seekers almost tripled compared to 2010. This unexpected and significant influx of asylum seekers brought Luxembourg close to its capacity limits. Luxemburg immediately hired new staff to deal with the increase in asylum cases.

The aim of the EASO support was to train the new staff on the EU asylum acquis so asylum cases can be handled effectively, backlogs reduced and the principles of the Common European Asylum System will be guaranteed.