The move means that the EU can now take legal action against the nations, which could ultimately result in financial penalties imposed by the Court of Justice. Both Hungary and Slovakia are currently challenging the decision in a top EU court. The EU has made numerous requests for member nations to relieve Italy and Greece of their large numbers of refugees, most of whom are escaping violence in Syria, North Africa, or other parts of the Middle East. In September 2015, EU nations  voted to house 160,000 refugees from Greece and Italy, with Germany and France taking in the most significant shares.

Refugees

Together, nine central and eastern European countries were asked to shelter a total of 15,000 refugees but since the agreement was formed, Hungry and Poland have refused to shelter any asylum-seekers, while the Czech Republic has said it will not accept any more after welcoming just a dozen. Slovakia was able to avoid legal action by responding to EU warnings and opening its doors.

Defending actions

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Konrad Szymanski, said that the EU’s legal case ‘unnecessarily heats up political tensions, of which there are already too many in the European Union,’ adding that ‘if necessary, Poland is ready to defend its legal arguments in court.’ Similarly, the Czech Republic’s Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, said: ‘The Czech Republic does not agree with the system of relocation.’

'Europe - about sharing difficult moments'

‘Europe is not only about requesting funds or ensuring security,’ said Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU’s migration commissioner. ‘Europe is also about sharing difficult moments and challenges.’