Today, the European Commission reports on the state of play on the Pact on Migration and Asylum 's implementation. Member States have significantly advanced in implementing the Pact, with the key pillars of the new system now in place. However, continuous efforts are needed to complete all building blocks, in view of the Pact's full entry into application.
Adopted in May 2024, the Pact overhauls the EU's migration and asylum framework, opening a new chapter in European migration management. It provides a common framework with stronger external border protection, fair and firm asylum rules, and a balance between solidarity and responsibility.
Implementing this complex set of reforms with ten interlinked legislative acts requires significant legal and operational work, and overall, considerable progress has been made on all fronts. Most Member States are on track to adapt their national legislation, to set up mandatory screening and border procedures, including with independent fundamental rights monitoring mechanisms, and to reach sufficient reception capacity. Member States have also advanced in reinforcing their capacity to process transfers to the Member State responsible for an asylum application and to implement solidarity pledges . At EU-level, the decisive step of the Council to establish the first Annual Solidarity Pool has put the implementation of the solidarity mechanism on track.
At the same time, further efforts are needed to close remaining gaps, with a focus on the procedures and infrastructure most needed for the Pact to function. With readiness varying between Member States, additional work is required to finalise in particular:
- Testing and putting in place the new Eurodac system, the central biometric database supporting the Pact;
- Facilities for screening and the border procedures;
- Measures to effectively prevent absconding and secondary movements;
- Rules on responsibility and transfers, alongside the operationalisation of the first Solidarity Pool;
- Operationalising legal safeguards and guarantees, including the fundamental rights monitoring mechanism.
While the Pact's entry into application on 12 June 2026 is an important step, it is not the end of the process. Sustained efforts will need to continue well beyond June to operationalise the Pact on Migration and Asylum as part of the EU's comprehensive approach to asylum and migration management.
The Commission supports Member States in implementing the new framework together with EU agencies - the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), eu-LISA, Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The Commission has made available € 3 billion to support the implementation of the Pact and to cater for temporary protection for Ukrainians.
Background
The Commission has set out the way forward for the next years in its European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy earlier this year. Since 2024, important steps have been taken at EU level to further operationalise, strengthen and complement the Pact framework. This includes the adoption of rules on safe third countries , to ease pressure on national asylum systems and reduce incentives for illegal migration, the first EU-wide list of safe countries of origin , to process asylum claims that are likely to be unfounded faster and more efficiently, and the proposal for a new Common European System for Returns, which is currently negotiated by co-legislators.
Alongside the Pact, the Commission's sustained efforts on migration diplomacy with third countries continue to deliver strong results. Illegal border crossings at the EU's external borders fell by 26% in 2025, compared to 2024.
After a transition period of two years following its entry into force, the Pact will start applying on 12 June 2026. Based on the Common Implementation Plan , Member States, the Commission and the EU agencies have been working closely together to translate the new legislative framework into operational reality, enabling effective migration management across the Union, based on a balance between fairness and control, shared responsibility and solidarity among Member States. This work will also ensure preparedness and resilience for the Union amidst the increasingly complex geopolitical context.
The Commission has adopted three reports – including this current one - to monitor the implementation of the Pact. The first State of play report was adopted on 11 June 2025 and the second State of play report was adopted on 11 November 2025, together with the European Annual Migration and Asylum Report 2025 .
