The European Union has adopted a plan for member states to resettle 120,000 refugees through a quota system over the next two years. The vote was staunchly opposed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. It follows an earlier agreement to distribute 40,000 refugees across the continent. Britain has refused to take part, instead issuing its own plan to take in 20,000 refugees over five years. Speaking Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said the vote is a step forward.

Frans Timmermans: “In and by itself, the decision we took today is not going to solve the refugee crisis. But without this decision, I think we would not have been in the possibility to now take the next steps to make sure that we do better at protecting our external borders, that we do better at registering people immediately when they arrive, that we do better at making sure that people who have a right to asylum stay, but those who don’t have the right to asylum are returned swiftly to where they came from.”

Nearly half a million refugees fleeing violence in their home countries have reached Europe this year.