EN    EN EN 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 8.10.2008 
SEC(2008) 2626 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
Strengthening actions and tools to  meet integration challenges 
  
Report to the 2008 Ministerial Conference on Integration
EN 2   EN TABLE OF CONTENTS 
1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 3 
2. STRENGTHENING ACTIONS A ND TOOLS TO MEET INTEGRATION 
CHALLENGES............................................................................................................ 4 
3. EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EDUCATION AS KEY TO THE 
PARTICIPATION OF IMMIGRANT S IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES ...................... 9 
4. CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................ 11  
EN 3   EN 1. INTRODUCTION 
Integration of third-country nati onals is one of the most import ant challenges that Europe has 
to address today as there can be no successf ul immigration policies without integration 
strategies1. Integration is therefore a key part of the EU's comp rehensive immigration policy. 
Clearly, integration policie s need to take into account histor ical and cultural backgrounds and 
differing administrative systems. Successful inte gration policies must engage the local level 
where integration takes place. Exchanging good practice and promoting new approaches is 
important to ensure successful  policies capable of adapting to  changing circumstances. Since 
the adoption in 2005 of the Common Agenda for Integration2 implementing the Common 
Basic Principles on integration (CBP s) established by the Council in 20043, the EU is acting 
as a facilitator by providi ng common points of reference and promoting evaluation and 
comparative analysis for designing effective integration measures. 
In June 2007, following an informal meeting of Ministers responsible for integration 
held in Potsdam under the German Presidency , Council Conclusions on integration 
policies in the EU4 stressed the need to consider approa ches to integration that involve 
society as a whole and identified a number of priorities such as participation, diversity 
management and common indicators. The Council invited the Commission to report to the 
next Ministerial Conference on Integrat ion of 3/4 November 2008 in Vichy  under the 
French Presidency on what had been done, toge ther with the National Contact Points on 
Integration (NCPs)5. This report provides an overview of the main activities to strengthen 
further integration policies according to the highlighted priorities.  
More recent initiatives, which c ontribute to developing integrati on strategies in the EU, are 
also taken into accoun t. The Communication A Common Immigration Policy for Europe: 
Principles, actions an d tools of June 20086 recognised that well managed immigration 
brings prosperity and recalled th at a clear commitment from host society and immigrants alike 
is needed to realise the benefits of immigrat ion. In this context, it presented a number of 
measures for enhancing integration at EU and national level, consolidating the Common 
Agenda and implementation of the CBPs. It highlighted the need to strengthen the 
mainstreaming approach, which is now an integr al part of policy-maki ng and implementation 
across a wide range of EU policies and funding7, including, among others, integration into the 
labour market, social inclusion and education. The up-coming European Pact on 
Immigration  engages Member States to renew th eir commitment to managing immigration 
including reinforcing integrati on strategies. Immigrants should  be granted rights comparable 
to EU citizens (such as access to education, employment, public and social services) and 
should be subject to equal oblig ations (such as respecting of the laws of the host country). 
Measures for acquiring the host country's la nguage and access to employment should be 
                                                 
1 EU integration policies target th ird-country nationals and, following a mainstreaming approach, develop 
synergies with other relevant EU policies addressing broader target groups  
2 COM/2005/389 
3 Council Document 14615/04 
4 Council Document 10504/07 
5 http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/integration/fsj_immigration_integration_en.htm  
6 COM/2008/359 
7 Third Annual Report COM/2007/512 
EN 4   EN strengthened. Civic programmes focusing on the host society's history, institutions and the 
common shared values of the EU should also be fostered. 
As requested by Council Conclusions of June 2 007 (point 9), this report highlights what has 
been done so far to consolidate the Common Agenda and implement the CBPs by developing 
approaches to integration that involve soci ety as a whole, focusing on participation and 
citizenship, measures targeting the host society and the contribution of integration policies to 
the prevention of social alienation, as well as  new instruments, such as common European 
modules for integration and common tools fo r evaluating integration policies. These 
instruments will contribute to further addressing in the future the integration aspects highlighted by the June 2008 Co mmunication and the up-coming Mi nisterial Conference on 
Integration and the European Pact on Immigr ation. The report also covers very recent 
developments in employment, social inclusio n and education as crucial elements of the 
participation of immigrants in European societies. 
2. STRENGTHENING
 ACTIONS  AND  TOOLS  TO MEET  INTEGRATION  
CHALLENGES 
2.1. Participation and citizenship  
The EU should promote measures to encourage immigrants to  commit to greater rights (such 
as access to education, employme nt, public and social services)8 and responsibilities (such as 
the respect of the laws of the host country) th ereby fostering a genuine link with European 
societies.  Initiatives on participation in local life have a growing impact on integration of 
immigrants and citizenship policies could affect th eir engagement in the hos t society. It has to 
be stressed that nationality falls within Me mber States' competence. However, without 
prejudice to the fact that the Member States al one remain competent in the area of nationality 
laws, there is a clear need to exchange inform ation and work jointly to foster successful 
policy-making, as highlighted in Potsdam.  
The CBPs and the Common Agenda stressed both that involving immigrants in the 
democratic process and in formulating integra tion policies, especially at the local level, 
supports their integration  and encouraged Member States to put in place measures to foster 
this aspect. A chapter in the first edition of the Handbook on Inte gration stressed the key role 
of civic participation in the in tegration process and shed light  on different initiatives across 
Europe9. In addition, the European Integratio n Fund Community Actions 2007 financed 
research looking into various forms of par ticipation and drawing up recommendations on how 
to get immigrants more involved in civic and political life10. The nationality issue was also 
addressed in the Fifth Report on Citizenship of the Union11 and a technical seminar financed 
by INTI Programme12 was held in Paris in November 2007 focusing on 'The acquisition of 
nationality, citizenship and na tional identity' and taking into  account EC acquis and national 
legal systems. As a follow-up, a chapter of th e forthcoming third edition of the Handbook will 
                                                 
8 Member States must comply with fundamental right s, in particular children's' rights, as general 
principles of law when implementing integration policies 
9 http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centre/immigration/integration/doc_immigration  
_integration_en.htm  
10 http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/integration/funding_integration_en.htm#  
11 COM/2008/85 
12 http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/2004_2007/inti/funding_inti_en.htm  
EN 5   EN give examples of successful experiences raising immigrants' commitment to participate in the 
life of European societies. 
Despite the various forms of participation and th e variety of approaches to citizenship policies 
in place across the EU, results from the Migr ant Integration Policy Index indicate that 
Member States score low on nationality and participation policies are still weak13.  
Representation of immigrant communities, es pecially at the local level, through the 
establishment of platforms for consultation dur ing the decision-making process on integration 
issues, and possibilities for immigrants, after an appropriate period of le gal residence, to vote 
and stand as candidates in local elections14 are key to strengthening participation in the 
democratic process and fostering integration.  
Furthermore, citizenship could be seen as an el ement, among others, contributing to 
enhance solidarity and strengthen a sense of belonging to a society both among 
immigrants and the rest of the population . In Member States, where access to nationality is 
a necessary precondition for citizenship, clear, precise and objective criteria for access to 
nationality are of fund amental importance. Administrative ba rriers such as high fees or 
lengthy processes could be stream lined, being decisions they are subject to judicial review 
and effective remedy in case of violation of rights. Integration conditions and measures 
foreseen by existing EC legislative instrument s are monitored and evaluated to effectively 
shape them as supporting the integration process15.  
2.2. Measures targeting the host society  
Stressing the importance of involving society as a whole, integration is de fined at EU level as 
a dynamic two-way process of mutual accomm odation by all immigrants and citizens of 
Member States16. As Europe becomes increasingly diverse, measures targeting its societies 
are crucial to support understand ing and co-existence between di fferent cultural identities to 
ensure well-being. This is not possible without th e full commitment of all members of society, 
as June 2007 Council Conclusions a nd June 2008 Communication highlighted. 
At EU level numerous initiatives  explore the issue of migrati on-related divers ity and how to 
manage it. The INTI technical seminars 'Mass Media and Integration', Vienna, 6-7 November 
2007, 'Awareness-raising and migrant empowerm ent', Athens, 31 March – 1 April 2008 and 
'Dialogue Platforms', Dublin, 15-16 May 2 008 enabled experts to share successful 
experiences and identify good practices to be pres ented in a chapter of the forthcoming third 
edition of the Handbook on Integration. At the local level, Integrating Citi es conferences held 
in Rotterdam in October 2006 and in Milan in November 2007 established transnational 
cooperation between municipal stakehol ders in the field of integration17 and the European 
Network Cities for Local Integration Policy CLIP  was set up to share good practice on a wide 
range of integration-related issues including the role of local authorities18. The 2008 European 
Year of Intercultural Dialogue launched many  major initiatives at EU and national level 
                                                 
13 www.integrationindex.eu  
14 As it is the case in some Member States, COM/2007/512 
15 See also up-coming Report on the application of Directive 2003/86 on the right to family reunification 
16 CBP 1 
17 www.integratingcities.nl/  e www.integratingcities.it/   
18 www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/populationandsociety/clip.htm  
EN 6   EN focusing also on migration-related issues to prom ote the sense of being together in diversity 
including a public debate focused on the imp act of migration on in tercultural dialogue 
(Brussels, 5 March 2008), three transnational proj ects tackling integration at local level and 
involving cooperation of stakehol ders and numerous projects at national level addressing 
integration-related issues  and intercultural dialogue19. Moreover, campaigns to raise 
awareness on immigration and to enhance the cap acity of public institutions and the media to 
adequately reflect and manage migration-relate d diversity in society were launched with the 
financial support of Integrat ion Fund Community Actions 2007. Up-coming instruments to 
further engage both immigrants and the host popul ation in integration-related initiatives 
include, as foreseen by the Comm on Agenda in 2005, the launch of  an integration website as 
one stop-shop for all stakeholders in Europe  and the establishment of the European 
Integration Forum, in co-operation with the European Economic and Social Committee, to 
involve organised civil so ciety at EU level in the integration debate. 
Immigrants cannot be active participants in the day-to-day life of Europ ean societies if they 
are not given real opportunities to play a positive role. Ensuring that immigrants are welcomed for the contributions th ey make to our society and that  they are encouraged to play 
a key part in it, is crucial to creating an inclusive community based on mutual respect and 
tolerance within the clear boundaries set by law and EU common values. This long-term 
challenge requires further efforts.  
Improving the capacity of public institutions to adju st to migration-related diversity is crucial 
to removing structural barriers agains t the empowerment of immigrants . This can be 
best achieved by strengthening in tercultural competences, as relating to key competences for 
life long learning
20, and facilitating access to public an d private services, for example by 
creating one-stop-shops or providi ng information in different languages and promoting skills 
to access digital services. 
At the same time, we need to take measures targeting the host society and involving the 
media to foster understanding of immigration . Interaction between immigrants and the 
host population, including volunteering or ment oring schemes and measures to combat 
racism, xenophobia and discrimination21 are of key importance to enhance the mutual 
accommodation process. Awareness-raising activiti es including celebration days, festivals, 
events on migration and diversity, inform ation campaigns and television and radio 
programmes addressing migration-related issu es and media coverage of important get-
together events, also contri bute to this process.  
                                                 
19 www.dialogue2008.eu  
20 Which should be included in training and recruitment of offi cials, see Council Conclusions on 
Intercultural Competences of 21 May 2008 and Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 
21 Many initiatives are in place at EU level including the on-going campaign 'For diversity. Against 
Discrimination', the national awareness-raising activities under the Community Action Programme to combat discrimination, a Commission inter-service group against racism and xenophobia, Directive 
2000/43 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic 
origin, Directive 2000/78 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and 
occupation, the Proposal for a Dir ective on implementing the princi ple of equal treatment between 
persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability , age or sexual orientation COM/2008/426 and the 
Communication Non-discrimination and equal oppor tunities: A renewed commitment COM/2008/420. 
See also http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/legis/legln_en.htm
 and 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/rights/discrimination/fsj_rights_discrim_en.htm  
EN 7   EN 2.3. Prevention of social alienation  
Social alienation, discrimination and isolatio n are certainly not linked exclusively to 
immigration. However, integration policies speci fically targeted at th ird-country nationals 
could make an important contribution to th e empowerment of immigrants, their active 
participation in the host society and to counter acting their marginalisa tion. In particular, the 
engagement of civil society to reach local communities and young people is crucial to avoid 
isolation. 
Following Council Conclusions on  integration of June 2007, a German led initiative is 
gathering together interested Member States to  begin a regular exchange of experience on 
intercultural dialogue as an instrument for fostering integrat ion in consultation with the NCPs. 
Sub-group meetings will be organised as works hops to discuss issues of common concern and 
at least one NCPs' meeting a year will be dedi cated to this specific subject. Moreover, under 
the 2008 European Year on Intercultural Dialogue, a comprehensive study on Sharing Diversity – National approaches to  intercultural dialogue in Europe
22 already provides 
extensive information on the different national s ituations on the broad issue of intercultural 
dialogue. These initiatives contribu te to the more specific work  undertaken in the context of 
the EU Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment23. 
As stressed by June 2007 Council Conclusions,  it is important to explore further how 
integration policies can help prevent social alienation by fostering immigrants' empowerment 
and putting the focus on the benefits that succe ssful integration brings for host society and 
immigrants alike. A lack of a sense of be longing, especially among young people, could be 
linked to identity crisis and inte ract with other risk factors24 that might in extreme cases lead 
to the rejection of the host society or to vulnerability to violence. 
Intercultural and inter- and intra- religio us dialogues are powerful instruments for 
fighting racism, xeno phobia, discrimination25 and isolation of immigrants. Analysis and 
exchange of experience on intercultural and inter-  and intra- religious platforms and strategies 
supporting intercultural dialogue in itiatives on a st ructured basis, incl uding the creation of 
common spaces and activities at the local level, are key to fostering in tegration. A sustainable 
and cross-sector appro ach to intercultural dialogue needs to be developed to strengthen 
intercultural competences by supporting initiatives in e ducation, culture, youth and 
audiovisual policies and enhancing the concept of  intercultural dialogue in all other relevant 
policies. In particular, it is necessary to pay special attention to engage proactively with young 
people considering also the frequent  use of new online social media26. 
2.4. Common European modules for integration  
To promote successful strategies for integration policies, different aspects of the integration 
process were studied and various  integration measures put into  practice at EU and national 
                                                 
22 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc537_en.htm  
23 These include the funding of four comparative studies, a report by the Commission's Expert Group on 
Violent Radicalisation (May 2008), a mapping of Member States' policies and a conference (October 
2007) on the role of education in preventing radicalisation 
24 Such as exclusion from the labour market, povert y, social exclusion and discrimination. See also 
Renewed Social Agenda COM/2008/412 
25 See footnote 21 
26 ICT, Social Capital and Cultural Diversity www.jrc.es/publications/pub.cfm?id=1534  
EN 8   EN level27. It is now necessary to identify in more detail the elements of success and failure of 
these initiatives and to capitalise on these valuable experiences to develop common European modules for migrant integration as re quested by June 2007 Council Conclusions. 
The integration process is char acterised by various key dimensi ons identified in the eleven 
CBPs. The Common Agenda made suggestions to  put them into practice providing a number 
of instruments, including financial programmes,  to facilitate the pr ocess. The knowledge and 
experience gained through the successful proce ss of elaborating, together with the NCPs, 
experts, practitioners and non-governmental st akeholders, three editions of the Handbook on 
Integration provide the primary foundation fo r these common modules. These are in fact a 
natural evolution of the Handbook exercise fo r the identification of good practice. The 
agreement on a number of different elements of integration measures, recognised as successful and suitable to form part of a sp ecific integration module, will represent added 
value through systematising different nationa l experiences on integr ation. The creation of 
common European modules will form an establis hed but flexible point of reference that can 
be adapted to different contexts contribu ting to the successful design of integration 
programmes across Europe.   
Common European modules will be the buildin g blocks for comprehensive integration 
strategies covering the various aspects of the integration process. Different modules will 
focus on different aspects of the integration process according to the CBPs and will be a 
flexible tool at the disposal of policy make rs and practitioners when designing specific 
integration programmes, includi ng for newly arrived immigrants  as mentioned in the June 
2008 Communication. For example, to set up a langua ge course for immigrants, the relevant 
module will give useful practical  indications for the successful  implementation of the courses 
such as the organisation of lessons in flexible hours or the possibility of child care for immigrants' parents, etc.  
In particular, the first modules will start by addressing the key issues identified by the June 
2008 Communication and the up-coming Minister ial Conference on Integration and the 
European Immigration Pact, in cluding organisation of language  courses for newly-arrived 
immigrants, organisation of ci vic courses on the host society's history, institutions and the 
common shared values of the EU, promotion of the particip ation of immigrants and other 
citizens in local life, establishment of ef fective school programmes for integration of 
immigrant pupils. The process of defining in deta il their form and content will be carried out 
in consultation with ex perts, to provide for further t echnical discussion, and coordinated 
through the NCPs.  
2.5. Evaluation of integration policies  
To effectively shape policies and improve performance by learning from the highest 
standards, yardsticks relating to various aspects of integrat ion are crucially needed. The 
Commission intends to design spec ific indicators for integration strategies to monitor and 
evaluate outcomes and deliverables of policies, rather than simple outputs, and provide for 
comparative analysis as indicated by June 2007 Council Conclusions and June 2008 
Communication. 
                                                
 
27 COM/2007/512 
EN 9   EN Different instruments are currently in pl ace for the development of common indexes.  The first 
edition of the Handbook included a chapter on indicators which showed the importance of 
their use in public policy and integration prog rammes and the second edition explored the 
issue of planning and evaluating policies as a key element of integr ation governance. INTI 
projects such as the Migrant Integration Po licy Index by British Council, Benchmarking 
Integration Governance in European Cities by Eu rocities and Migrants' Integration Territorial 
Index by Idos selected methodologies to pr ovide comparable information and ranking 
frameworks for integration policies. Moreover,  the Annexes to the three Annual Reports on 
Migration and Integration28 provided an overview of policy developments and helped to 
evaluate and strengthen inte gration measures. Developing indicators and evaluation 
methodologies for assessing progress, adjus ting policies and facilitating co-ordinated 
comparative learning is also a priority of the European Integration Fund to be implemented by 
Member States. Therefore, na tional programmes would also pr ovide possible indicators to 
assess integration strategies. In addition, In tegration Fund Community Actions 2008 support 
the development and application of common stat istical tools, methods and indicators for 
measuring policy developments.  
A number of integration policy solutions ac companied by the development of tools for 
evaluation were implemented across Member States. The capacity to collect, analyse and 
disseminate integration-related inform ation should now be enhanced more 
systematically. Common specific indicators for inte gration policies will be designed 
according to the CBPs in cooperation with the NCPs and other experts, ensuring coherence 
with other exercises at EU level29. They could also provide th e European Integration Forum 
with an opportunity to discuss integration measur es at EU level to addr ess possible shortfalls 
revealed by them.  Results generated by these common integration indicators will be 
accessible through the up-coming integration webs ite by making constantly available country 
fiches to ensure the up-to-date nature of the information that can be easily and timely revised 
to grasp the rapidly evol ving policy developments. 
3. EMPLOYMENT,  SOCIAL  INCLUSION  AND  EDUCATION  AS KEY  TO THE  
PARTICIPATION  OF IMMIGRANTS  IN EUROPEAN  SOCIETIES 
As underlined by the June 2008 Communication, im migrants should be given the chance to 
participate and develop their full potential. In order to make this happen special attention 
should be paid to promote measures to stre ngthen the integration of  immigrants into the 
labour market, in the host society and in the educational systems. 
It is generally recognised that employment is a key part of the integration process and is 
central to the participation of immigrants, to the contribution th ey make to the host society 
and to making such contribution visible30. Facilitating access to the labour market is crucial 
for the empowerment of immigrants, especi ally women and young people. The recent 
Communication from the Commission on a 'Ren ewed Social Agenda : Opportunity, Access 
and Solidarity in 21st Century Europe'31 stressed that creating oppor tunities means ensuring 
                                                 
28 COM/2004/508 and SEC/2006/892 
29 Such as the Open Method of Coordination in social protection and social inclusion and in education and 
training systems 
30 CBP 3 
31 COM/2008/412 
EN 10   EN the chances for all to develop their own potential  while respecting Europe 's diversity, tackling 
both overt and indirect disc rimination and fighting racism  and xenophobia. The effective 
integration of immigrants into the labour mark et is also an important contribution to the 
Lisbon targets for jobs and growth. The European Employment Strategy32 provides initiatives 
that aim to upgrade and adapt migrant skills and qualifications. Within this context, the 
European Social Fund33 foresees specific support to  labour market integration34.  
However, as stressed also in the June 2008 Co mmunication, integration of immigrants into the 
labour market remains a major challenge. The cr eation of businesses by  ethnic minorities and 
migrants, especially women, should be fost ered by recognising their special support needs 
within the existing structures35. Easier recognition of diplomas36 should be encouraged, as 
should anti-discrimination measures37. In response to the 2008 Spring European Council 
request for a comprehensive asse ssment of future skills needs up to 2020, the new skills for 
new jobs initiative will provide  information about training op portunities and location choices. 
In addition, the June 2008 Commu nication also put forward conc rete proposals for enhancing 
the knowledge-based economy of Europe, adva ncing economic growth and meeting labour 
market requirements. These incl ude developing immigration prof iles, based on assessments of 
future skills requirements in Europe, that gi ve an integrated vision of the immigration 
situation within each Member State at a give n moment as well as preventing unemployment 
through education and training. 
Migrants face a higher risk of poverty than the rest of the population and specific obstacles in 
accessing housing, health care and financia l services. This situation, compounded by 
discrimination, is hampering thei r full participation in society. Social inclusion and the 
effective access to social protection play an instrumental role in the successful 
integration of migrants . The June 2008 Communication stressed the need to strengthen the 
mainstreaming approach of integration in all re levant policy areas including in the European 
Strategy for Social Inclusion38. It also highlighted the need for non-discriminatory and 
effective access by legal immigrants to  health care and social protection39, as well as the 
effective application of EU law providing third-country nationals  with the same treatment as 
EU nationals as regards th e coordination of social security schemes across the EU40. The 
                                                 
32 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_strategy/index_en.htm  
33 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/esf/  
34 Other initiatives include a High Level Advisory Group on Social Integration of Ethnic Minorities and 
their Full Participation in the Labour Market analysing labour market barriers and exchanging good 
practice, the Integrated Guidelines calling for Member  States to consider immigrants' integration into 
EU labour markets (COM/2006/815), annual Joint Employment Reports monitoring the impact of national reform programmes (Council document 6706/07), an Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship 
Network and a study on good practice investigating how to overcome difficulties in setting up business 
(http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/migrant/index.htm
), a chapter of the 
second edition of the Handbook on Integration addressing economic integration  
35 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/migrant/index.htm  
36 As regards recognition of qualif ications within the EU see  
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/rec_qual_en.html  
37 Directive 2000/78 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation 
38 Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion: 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/the_process_en.htm  
39 Equal and fair access to health care and social protec tion for all are key objectives of the OMC on social 
inclusion and social protection 
40 Regulation 859/2003 extends the provisions of Regulation 1408/71 to third-country nationals who are 
legally residing in the EU and in a cross border situation. In July 2007, Commission adopted a proposal 
EN 11   EN social inclusion of migrants is an established key priority of EU social inclusion strategy. In 
this context, the Commission proposed focusing the 2010 thematic year of the strategy on the social aspects of migration.  
Finally, as stressed again in the June 2008 Communication , education and tr aining provide 
tools for improving the level of successful a ttainments and contribute to establishing 
cultural bridges for a more cohesive society . Comprehensive integr ation policies include 
education and training as fundamental elements  in empowering immigrants to become active 
participants in society
41. The European Council of 13-14 March 200842 called on Member 
States to support the improvement of immigr ants' achievement levels and the 2008 Joint 
Report on the implementation of the Edu cation and Training 2010 Work Programme43 stated 
that the educational cha llenges of immigrant pupils require further attention44. Recently the 
Commission published the Green Paper on migration & mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education systems
45 exploring causes and identifying measures to 
address these educational challe nges together with the stakehol ders active in this area. The 
European Integration Fund also supports integration measures  targeted at immigrant pupils. 
Immigrant children and young people face sp ecific challenges that need special 
attention . In particular, they tend to have poorer school results than other pupils46, as 
highlighted by the Green Paper. Targeted langu age classes and tuition, initiatives promoting 
respect for diversity in the e ducational environment and support for teachers and parents are 
among the measures to be promoted to fac ilitate integration at school. The up-coming INTI 
technical seminar on Immigrant Youth, Educa tion and the Labour Market (Lisbon, November 
2008) will contribute to the on-going public de bate launched by the Green Paper by bringing 
together experts to identify good practices for effective measures in this area which will be 
presented in a chapter of the forthcomi ng third edition of the Handbook for Integration. 
4. CONCLUSIONS 
Migration-related diversity is increasingly a char acteristic of European  societies and it is 
becoming essential for all immi grants and EU citizens to benefit from the prosperity that 
well managed immigration brings . As certain aspects of the integration process gain in 
importance,  new challenges arise and need to be addressed effectively. The June 2008 
Communication stressed that greater political commi tment is needed in the context of the new 
common methodology for immigration governance. Cooperation at EU level should now go 
beyond the exchange of information and practice. The up-coming European Pact on Immigration and the immi nent Ministerial Conference on In tegration in Vichy will also 
provide a crucial contribution to shaping the age nda of future immigration policies in the EU 
including integration.  
                                                                                                                                                        
 
extending the provisions of Regul ation 883/04, which will replace Regu lation 1408/71, to  third-country 
nationals who are legally residing in the EU and in a cross border situation, COM/2007/439 
41 CBP 5 
42 Council document 7652/1/08 
43 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/et_2010_en.html  
44 Other initiatives at EU level to promote educational measures also for immigrants include the Lifelong 
Learning Programme (Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig) and the Youth support projects 
related to intercultural education, school integr ation of migrant pupils and social inclusion for 
disadvantaged youth. See COM/2008/423 
45 COM/2008/423 
46 PISA 2006, OECD 
EN 12   EN As highlighted, the issues of participation and citizenship, ma nagement of migration-related 
diversity and evaluation and monitoring of integration po licies, all require immediate 
attention. Future concrete and amb itious strategies will focus on the new integration 
priorities  identified by the June 2008 Communicat ion and by the up-coming Ministerial 
Conference and the European Pact  on Immigration. In particular , integration in to the labour 
market, social inclusion and education will, together with language and civic courses, anti-discrimination, equal opportunities and diversity  management, be the object of future 
initiatives further developing the mainstreaming approach which encompasses all integration-related policy areas at EU level. 
As provided for in the Common Agenda, the European Integration Forum  will soon bring 
together stakeholders from civ il society to inform the policy-making process creating a venue 
where the voices of immigrants can be heard and researchers can share their analysis. The website on integration  will also provide an EU-wide plat form for networking on integration 
by establishing a documentation facility, a gather ing point for good practic e and an instrument 
for the direct exchange of information among stakeholders.  
Moreover, in line with the call of the up-coming European  Pact on Immigration, the 
Commission will put forward a proposal, in the context of the further development of the 
common immigration policy, to structure, monitor and evaluate integration policies to further 
facilitate the implementation of the CBPs and th e improvement of integr ation strategies across 
Europe contributing to the final aim of crea ting a more inclusive and cohesive society.