Event report

In the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4), a meeting of the defence and law enforcement committees of the national Parliaments of Visegrád (V4) countries and Slovenia was held in Debrecen on 27-28 January 2022, organised by the Hungarian National Assembly. Discussions were held on issues related to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and on defence co-operation among V4 countries. The event was hosted by Lajos Kósa, Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee on Defence and Law Enforcement, and attended by dr. Miklós Simon, Deputy Chair of the Committee, and Mónika Bartos, Member of the Committee. The meeting was attended by Pavel Fischer, Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security of the Czech Senate, as well as Pavel Růżička and Josef Flek, Deputy Chairs of the Committee on Defence, representing the Czech Chamber of Deputies. The Polish Sejm was represented by Michal Jach, Chairman of the National Defence Committee, Waldemar Andzel, Vice Chairperson of the National Defence Committee, Wiesław Szczepanski, Chairman of the Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs, Zdzisław Sipiera, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs, and the Polish Senate by Jarosław Rusiecki, Chairperson of the National Defence Committee and Rafał Ślusarz, Deputy Chairperson of the National Defence Committee. On behalf of the Slovak National Council, Juraj Krupa, Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee, as well as Gábor Grendel and Anna Andrejuvová attended the meeting. Under the V4+ initiative, Branko Grims, Chairman of the Slovenian National Assembly's Committee on the Interior, Public Administration and Local Self-Government, also participated as an observer. During the meeting, participants discussed two topics: 1. the current status of negotiations on the European Commission's draft Pact on Migration and Asylum and 2. co-operation at the level of V4 in the defence industry, as well as in the field of joint battlegroups and joint procurement. At the end of the meeting, the representatives of V4 countries unanimously adopted a joint declaration, in which point II deals with issues related to migration. JOINT STATEMENT OF THE DEFENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEES OF V4 PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBERS Debrecen, 28 January 2022 II. In relation to the current status of the European Union’s draft Pact on Migration and Asylum, WE JOINTLY RECOGNISE that it is essential to build an asylum and migration system at EU level that is able to cope with the current challenges, the constant migration pressure on the EU's external borders, the emerging crises and hybrid attacks that use migration as a tool, as well as with the systemic abuse of asylum and secondary movements. EMPHASISE that the solution to the challenges lies in stopping illegal migration and effectively protecting external borders. CALL FOR PROGRESS in the co-operation with third countries in the external dimension of migration, including, in particular, in helping those in need of protection in their original location, in taking action against human trafficking and in the return policy. URGE the avoidance of introducing EU measures that induce migration. STAND BY the need for national solidarity measures that are flexible and tailored to national preferences and capabilities. AGREE that in the course of ongoing negotiations on the proposals for the Pact on Migration and Asylum issued by the European Commission, the realisation of the above objectives must be ensured. Lajos Kósa Chair of the Committee on Defence and Law Enforcement of the Hungarian National Assembly, Pavel Fischer Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Pavel Růžička Vice-Chair of the Committee on Defence of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Michał Jach Chair of the National Defence Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Wiesław Szczepanski Chair of the Administration and Internal Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Jarosław Rusiecki Chair of the National Defence Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Juraj Krupa Chair of the Defence and Security Committee of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Additional information about the conference can be found on the V4 webpage of the Hungarian National Assembly: https://v4.parlament.hu/en/-/meeting-of-the-defence-and-law-enforcement-committees-of-the-parliaments-of-the-v4-countries-and-slovenia-debrecen-27-28-january-2022?redirect=%2Fen%2Fvisegrad-group-2021