THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS - considers that the approach taken by the Commission in the proposal to reform the Dublin Regulation is inadequate. According to this approach, the system's shortcomings are due to extraordinary crises and could be tackled by introducing corrective measures and measures to reinforce the fundamental criterion (the EU country of entry is responsible). However, we are facing a structural crisis and emergency management must go hand in hand with the introduction of a stable, efficient and more integrated system; - recommends building greater consideration for what asylum applicants have done, their professional experience and what they want, into the Commission proposal, thereby discouraging secondary movements; stresses in this context that positive incentives should be privileged wherever possible over sanctions in trying to avoid unwanted secondary movements; - suggests that in order to establish a Member State's real and current reception capacity, the number of arrivals in that country which has an objective impact upon reception and management capacity, should also be taken into account by incorporating this parameter into the reference key; - welcomes the introduction of a corrective mechanism for the allocation of applicants for international protection. However, the Committee would point out that the threshold proposed by the Commission for triggering the mechanism is so high that even in times of crisis, the mechanism might not be triggered and so would be of no structural benefit; - reiterates its call to make relevant EU funds supporting reception and integration of migrants directly accessible to local and regional authorities which bear key responsibilities in these domains; - welcomes the reinforcement of the European Asylum Support Office creating a fully-fledged European Agency for Asylum and calls on the new European Agency for Asylum to cooperate with regional and local authorities and to provide assistance for regions in the frontline of reception.