A key consideration as to whether an application for international protection is well-founded is the safety of the applicant in his or her country of origin. Having regard to the fact that aims to achieve a high level of convergence on the qualification of third-country nationals and stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, this Regulation establishes common criteria for designating third countries as safe countries of origin, in view of the need to strengthen the application of the safe country of origin concept as an essential tool to support the swift examination of applications that are likely to be unfounded.