The leaders of the Med9, the group that brings together the Mediterranean countries of the EU, have signed a joint declaration in which they state that the protection of the external community border is a "shared responsibility" and demand a reinforcement of solidarity following what happened last July in Ceuta, with the arrival of thousands of migrants.
The declaration has been made public after the Med9 summit held in Split (Croatia), with the participation of the leaders of the nine States that make up this forum: France, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Greece, Slovenia, Portugal, and Spain.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, was scheduled to attend the meeting but canceled his attendance after announcing the early elections. Instead, Spain has been represented by the Secretary of State for the EU, Fernando Sampedro.
The document, signed among others by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, states that "the effective protection of the external borders of the EU is both a shared responsibility and essential to maintain a credible and sustainable migration and asylum policy."
In the same vein, they acknowledge that the events in Ceuta have highlighted "the need for a united response based on solidarity at the EU level to the sudden and large-scale pressure on any of the EU's external borders."
Likewise, the leaders of the Mediterranean countries of the Union remind that "protecting the external borders of the Union is a shared European responsibility and that European solidarity must be applied equally across all sections of those borders."
The Spanish Government has criticized the lack of support shown by some partners after the massive entry of 80,000 migrants in Ceuta, especially Italy, which opted to immediately restore Schengen controls with Spain and, more than two months later, has still not lifted them.
Despite this, in the Med9 declaration, which has also been supported by Meloni, the leaders reaffirm their "solidarity with the Member States under pressure" and highlight "the importance of strong preparedness, early warning, and timely political, operational, and financial support from the EU," as well as "efficient border management, in full compliance with International Law and EU Law."
In the same statement, they specify that "these efforts should include measures to counteract misinformation related to migration, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling" and celebrate the entry into force of the Migration and Asylum Pact, emphasizing the relevance of its full implementation.