The Söderköping Process was launched during the first Swedish Presidency of the EU in May 2001 as a proactive initiative to respond to the challenges of EU enlargement eastwards, and to promote better cooperation on asylum and migration related issues among the countries situated along the future eastern border of EU Member States. The initiative was named “The Söderköping Process” after the town of Söderköping in Sweden where the first meeting took place. Since 2004, the Söderköping Process has specifically focused on sharing of experience on asylum, protection, migration and border management issues between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Poland and Romania on the one hand and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine on the other.
In the beginning of 2009, a strategy for the future of the Söderköping Process was adopted. The aim of the strategy was to enable the participating Governments to transform the Söderköping Process from a traditional partner driven project to a government led initiative.
On 3 November 2010 the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs approved the application for funding of the Söderköping Process for the period October 2010-June 2011.
Hungary, through the Ministry of Interior, assumed the role of first Chair of the new government led Söderköping Process during 2010. At the annual High Level Review Meeting, which was held in Budapest in December 2010, Sweden was elected Chair of the Process during 2011; the year which marks the 10th anniversary of the Söderköping Process.
 Information sheet on Söderköping Process
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