Dimitris Avramopoulos

The suspect held a central role as the Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, whose portfolio directly relates to the policies at stake. (See Commission Report, Collaboration between Frans Timmermans and Dimitris Avramopoulos).

Once Triton was launched, the new Commission, including Timmermans, the suspect and their staff, conducted the first evaluation of Triton, and shortly after the renewal and reinforcement of the operation was enshrined in several major policy documents produced by the Commission (See Commission Report, Implementation of Triton).

The suspect was referent Commissioner for DG HOME (the central administrative body of the Commission migration framework) and set the political priorities, Frontex’s budget itself is worked upon by DG HOME and the annual activity report of DG HOME in 2014 stated that the operation aimed to implement coordinated operational activities at the external sea border of the Central Mediterranean region in order to control irregular migration flows towards the territory of the Member States and to tackle cross border crime in the territorial waters of Italy and Malta. (See Commission Report, Implementation of Triton). In the same vein, the suspect on 20 April 2015, introduced with High Representative Federica Mogherini “a 10 point plan of the immediate actions to be taken in response to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean”, which included the reinforcement of] the Joint Operation Triton, by increasing the financial resources and the number of assets. (See Commission Report, Implementation of Triton). The suspect has been allegedly constantly and strongly pushing to increase Frontex powers.

The suspect as referent Commissioner of DG HOME was involved in the drafting of the European Agenda on Migration in 2015 as it covered all its areas of competences. The suspect presented the Agendaat a e held a press conference, together with Mogherini and Tiresenting the European A. genda on Migration, in June the 11th 201The Agenda’s main objective was to better manage migration in the medium and long term in the areas of irregular migration, borders, asylum and legal migration. The Agenda’s focus was clearly placed on border protection and the prevention of migrant arrivals in Europe and initially offered to triple the budget for the Frontex joint-operations Triton and Poseidon. (See, Commission, European Agenda on Migration).

The suspect was part of the Task Force Mediterranean, an ad hoc project team involving Juncker, Timmermans, Hahn, Stylianides and Mimica; as well as Mogherini and Jourovà who presented in 2015 an EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling (2015-2020) and a new Operational Plan for Operation Triton. (See Commission, European Agenda on Migration).

The suspect introduced a 10 point plan on migration which included systematic efforts to capture and destroy vessels used by the smugglers. And in 2015, was one of the first (with Federica Mogherini) to defend the usefulness of the European Union's maritime operation (See Commission, Ten Point Plan of Action).

Further, the suspect introducted a Plan which included itself in “the work to establish a Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operation to systematically identify, capture and dispose of vessels used by smugglers,” which later lead to the creation of Operation Sophia’s mission statement. (See Commission Report, European Agenda on Migration).

The suspect met on  3 July 2017 with of Ministers of the Interior (France, Germany, Italy) and agreed to work on a code of conduct for NGOs which was to be prepared and presented by Italy in order to improve coordination with NGOs operating in the Central Mediterranean. He suspect he European Coioner for Migration and Home Affairs, called on all their EU partners to examine these action points at the next informal meeting of the Council of the EU on 6 July.(See Commission Report, Criminalization of NGOs).

The European Agendas on Security and Migration drafted by the DG HOME formed the basis for a cooperation with third countries in the fight against human trafficking that would sit up the basis of EU policies. For example, the initiative contained in the Agenda on Migration to “prevent the exploitation of migrants by criminal networks and reducing incentives to irregular migration was later implemented through cooperation with the LYCG in projects headed by Operation Sophia and the Italian Ministry of Interior. (See Commission, European Agenda on Migration).

The suspect met on 3 July 2017 with of Ministers of the Interior (France, Germany, Italy) and expressed resolute solidarity with Italy which was facing an increasing number of arrivals. In order to provide increased support to Italy and help stem the migration flow, they agreed on different measures, including to strengthen support for the LYCG by increasing training activities and providing additional financial support, while ensuring close monitoring of activities. (See Commission Report, Criminalization of NGOs)

The suspect together with Mrs. Juncker and Timmermans, acknowledged in September 2017 before the College, the humanitarian living conditions of refugees in Libya, while he called in a joint Statement with Commissioner Hahn and Federica Mogherini, for the ending of “Libya's current system of managing irregular migration and arbitrarily detaining refugees and migrants”; while declaring remaining “strongly committed to strengthening the capacity of the Libyan Coast Guard

The suspect introduced a 10 point plan on migration which included inter-agency cooperation to gather information on smugglers modus operandi,” and intelligence gathering on “migratory flows. (See, Commission, The Ten Point Action Plan on Migration).

The suspect supported the Commission’s First Vice-President Frans Timmermans in a central role as Commissioner for DG HOME and as part of a in 2015 created « new policy on migration team». The collaboration and work efficiency of the College on the question of migration was dependent on the good relationship between the Commissioner for Home Affairs and his referent VP(See Commission, Collaboration between Frans Timmermans and Dimitris Avramopoulos).

The suspect introduced a plan which laid groundwork for third country cooperation and stated that “the Commission and the EEAS will enhance financial and technical assistance to third countries, to support the development of national and regional strategies against migrant smuggling […] as well as the setting up of integrated border management systems.(See Commission, European Agenda on Migration).