National interests as determinants of the EU common asylum policy reforms Cover Image

Interesy narodowe jako czynnik determinujący reformę wspólnej polityki azylowej Unii Europejskiej
National interests as determinants of the EU common asylum policy reforms

Author(s): Anna Potyrała
Subject(s): EU-Legislation, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Instytut Zachodni im. Zygmunta Wojciechowskiego
Keywords: European Union; asylum policy; reforms; national interests

Summary/Abstract: Since 2016 within the European Union proposals to reform the common European asylum system have been presented. The migration pressure of 2015 showed that previous provisions had not allowed for a quick and effective response that would meet humanitarian and security challenges. Legal arrangements adopted as a reaction to the migration crisis were of a temporary character and were regarded as controversial by some member states. Therefore, a total remodeling of the common asylum system has been recognized as necessary. The aim of this paper is to prove that despite the fact that the member states acknowledge the validity of the reform of a common asylum policy, prolonged proceedings are caused not by the need to comprehensively protect persons forced to flee and seek protection in third countries, but by the pursuit of protection of interests defined as national interests. Analyses will be conducted on the basis of neorealism, which recognizes states as dominant actors in international relations, who aim to realize their own interests and regard cooperation as reasonable only when it is helpful to achieve these. The fiasco of reforms proves that cooperation within the European Union is treated instrumentally and particular, not common interests are priorities.

  • Issue Year: 374/2020
  • Issue No: 01
  • Page Range: 123-138
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English, Polish