S&D Group leader Gianni Pittella has made the following statement after the today's summit in Paris on migration:

“Not a revolution but a bold step forward to shape a coordinated and common European management of the migration flows. The logical  next step is to reform the Dublin regulation, as we have been requesting for years.

“After years of culpable inaction Madame Merkel has finally seen sense. Now that she's woken up, we expect the reform of Dublin will be tabled at the next Council summit and we imagine the EPP will now be ready to revise its position and vote for a new European approach.

“We welcome the outcome of the Paris summit. The concrete measures agreed today, have been put forward for quite some time by the Italian government and the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini.

“The proposal to organize hotspots in Libya and along the Sahel line, supported by the EU and managed by UNHCR and OIM is the best possible way to ensure fundamental rights and to have at the same time ordered, legal and safe flows to Europe.

“However, we want to be clear: sweeping migrants under the rug further away from the European shores cannot be the solution.

“Therefore, along with a concrete long-term investment strategy for Africa to eradicate the grass root causes of migration, we reiterate our call to the European leaders to finally set up legal corridors to Europe”.