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The EUAA has initiated the first monitoring cycle under its new monitoring mechanism. The first three country monitoring exercises will be carried out in Slovakia, Malta and Bulgaria. The monitoring methodology, as well as its subsequent implementation, have been agreed and will be done in collaboration among the Agency and the EU Member States. 

Following a successful pilot phase in 2025, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has initiated the first multi-annual cycle under its mandate to monitor the operational and technical application of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Slovakia, Malta and Bulgaria are the first three countries undergoing this exercise.  

As the process begins, the EUAA Executive Director Nina GREGORI said: "The monitoring mechanism aims to prevent and identify potential shortcomings in Member States’ asylum and reception systems as well as to assess their readiness to handle situations of disproportionate pressure. However, the mechanism does not assess Member States’ compliance with EU law as this is the responsibility of the European Commission."

Monitoring the CEAS comprehensively  

The monitoring mechanism assesses national systems based on impartial and objective criteria that Member States must meet. The criteria are organised thematically and cover the country’s institutional framework; its ability to determine the Member State responsible for an applicant (and if needed, relocate them); the asylum procedure (and effective access to it); its reception systems; and the appeal and review process for decisions taken at first instance. It also assesses contingency planning and preparedness for situations of pressure.

Importantly, while the criteria have been designed to provide some room for national specificities, fundamental rights are assessed horizontally. The monitoring methodology was designed in a collaborative spirit with EU Member States, the Commission and the UNHCR, through a dedicated network of experts.

As part of the multi-annual cycle, the monitoring of a Member State’s asylum and reception systems takes place in the following stages:

• Initiation – Following a preparatory phase within the Agency, the Executive Director officially launches the monitoring exercise. The Member State is invited to fill a standard questionnaire and submit a random sample of case files for analysis.
• Information gathering and analysis – Ahead of the on-site visit, the Agency analyses the gathered information, to identify any preliminary shortcomings as well as potential good practices that could be shared with other national authorities.
• On-Site Visits – The preparation and carrying out of on-site visits takes place in close collaboration with the Member State concerned. The Team of Experts for each visit is composed by EUAA staff, European Commission staff, and selected Member States experts from a pool of experts established specifically for this purpose. The UNHCR joins in an observer capacity.
• Findings and recommendations – The findings are shared with the Member State concerned for comments, which will be taken into account for the finalisation of the monitoring report. The same applies to the draft recommendations, which will, following adoption by a two-thirds majority in the EUAA Management Board, be shared with the European Parliament.
• What's next? – Based on the adopted recommendations, the Member State draws up an Action Plan in close collaboration with the Agency. The Member State will regularly report to the EUAA on the implementation of the Action Plan. The EUAA reports to the European Commission and keeps the Management Board informed of progress made in the implementation of its recommendations.

Multi-annual programming 

In May 2024, the EUAA Management Board adopted the first Multi-annual Monitoring Programme for 2026-2030, with an average of 5 countries being monitored each year. Country visits are expected to take place based on the following schedule:

• 2026: Bulgaria, Malta and Slovakia;
• 2027: Austria, Croatia, Finland, Germany and Romania;
• 2028: Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden;
• 2029: Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Spain;
• 2030: Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg. 

Estonia and the Netherlands were monitored in 2025, as part of a pilot phase, which provided important lessons learned and helped the revision of the monitoring methodology that was adopted by the EUAA Management Board in June 2026. The next multi-annual programme will be adopted by June 2030 and will cover the period 2031 – 2035.