Belgium: EU fail to reach agreement on relocation of 40,000 migrants - Avramopoulos

The EU Commission failed to reach an agreement on the relocation of 40,000 refugees from within Europe, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos confirmed in Brussels, Monday. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, Avramopoulos said he is disappointed with not reaching an agreement on Monday, announcing that a final agreement on how to distribute migrants will be reached in December. Previously, a number of EU member states had rejected a proposed quota system to relocate 40,000 migrants based on a fixed distribution scheme to relieve pressure from Greece and Italy, where most of the Eritrean and Syrian nationals fleeing their countries via the Mediterranean arrive. France, Britain, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia and Estonia are among the countries who have rejected the proposal by the European Commission (EC).