    Following the presentation of the Pact, we might come back to this issue in one of our future meetings. 5.   Update on readmission agreement negotiations (15.30-16.30) -    Information by the Commission Objective    To update delegates on the ongoing negotiations as regards readmission agreements with third countries Handling    No difficulties foreseen.    Stress the importance of cooperation with third countries in the area of return and readmission.    Give the floor to Commission for the update. Speaking points    Dear colleagues, as you are well aware, the effectiveness of the EU return policy and the return rates depend a lot on the cooperation with third countries in the area of return and readmission.    While all states have an international obligation to readmit their own nationals, in practice there are many impediments which hinder the efficient implementation of this obligation.    To improve the situation, a number of EU readmission agreements and arrangements with third countries have been concluded. Recently, on 8 January 2020 we signed the EU readmission agreement with Belarus, which is now waiting for the European Parliament's consent.    I would now like to invite Commission colleagues to update us as regards negotiations on readmission agreements with other third countries. Commission, you have the floor. [floor to COM] 6

   Thank you for this update. If any delegation would like to intervene in response to what we have just heard from Commission, the floor is yours. [floor to delegations] Possible conclusions    Thank you very much for all your input on this important topic.    We take a good note of the status of play of readmission negotiations and we invite you to further keep us up to date on this topic. 6.    Any other business       (16.00-16.30) -     The comprehensive EU leverage coordination mechanism to be used with regard to third countries -     Panel discussion on best practices on return and readmission (18 February 2020, Brussels) = Information by the Presidency Background Update on readmission agreement negotiations So far the EU has concluded 23 readmission agreements or arrangements with third countries. Following the authorisation given by the Council on 28 February 2011, the negotiations with the Republic of Belarus were formally opened in Brussels on 30 January 2014. The readmission agreement was signed on 8 January 2020 and was sent to the Parliament for its consent. The Parliament is expected to give its consent to this agreement at its II March plenary session. Subsequently the Council will proceed to the conclusion of the agreement. The Commission has still a mandate to negotiate agreements with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, China, Jordan and Nigeria. Negotiations with Morocco have been on-hold since 2015, and could restart once all the conditions for the relaunch of a wider dialogue on migration and mobility are in place. At a recent LIBE committee meeting, the Commission was quite positive that these negotiations might restart quite soon. 7

The negotiations with both Nigeria and Tunisia, after good progress at technical level in 2018, have been on hold during the electoral period in 2019. The EU is now seeking to relaunch the process with the new Administrations. No date for the next rounds has been set yet. The negotiations of a readmission agreement with Jordan and Algeria are stalled and it seems unlikely that they will be launched in the foreseeable future. Based on a mandate of November 2002, the negotiations of an agreement on cooperation in combatting irregular immigration (readmission agreement) with China could only start in 2017, under the umbrella of the EU-China High Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility. Despite three rounds held so far, the talks are still in an exploratory phase. The next round could take place in the first quarter of 2020 alongside the next meeting of the High Level Dialogue prior to the next EU-China Summit. _______________________________ 8