The action plan stresses the relevance of helping Member States that face particular pressures. Among other measures, the Commission underlines the creation of a European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in order to ‘develop methods to better identify those who are in need of international protection in mixed flows’ and the publication of a ‘Communication on the appropriateness, the possibilities and the difficulties as well as the legal and practical implications of joint processing of asylum applications within the Union.’
Regarding the external dimension of asylum, the Commission focuses on the development of a EU Resettlement Programme and new Regional Protection Programmes, including in the horn of Africa.
The plan provides a clear timetable for adoption and implementation of the measures, and the goal is to implement all of them before the end of 2014.