WRITTEN QUESTION E-1931/00

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: Budget Item A-3040

Could the Commission indicate the aims and objectives of the European Union Migrants' Forum and how it implements the grant of 800 000 that it receives from Item A-3040?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

The European Union Migrants' Forum is an international non governmental organization (NGO), funded by the Commission in compliance with a Parliament resolution. The Forum's aim is to provide migrants and ethnic minorities residing legally on the territory of the Union with a voice in the Member States.

The Forum's work is based on the information that its national support groups collect in each Member State. These support groups bring together migrants' associations and federations of associations working at the national level. The Forum also has ten regional support groups, which bring together migrants' associations and federations based on their regions of origin. Women and youth are also represented in two specific support groups.

The Migrants' Forum currently represents some 65 third country nationalities. It is composed of 190 organisations and national associations, which represent over two thousand grass-roots associations around the Union. The Forum is committed to supporting the rights and freedoms of migrants and ethnic minorities, as well as playing an advisory role vis-à-vis the European institutions as regards policy development in this field.

The main areas of activity can be summarised as protecting fundamental rights for third-country nationals residing in the Union; access to the territory of the Member States and free movement; citizenship and political rights; social equality, multiculturality and integration into European societies; fighting against racism; democracy issues and development aid to third countries.

The Migrants' Forum action programme for the year 2000 plans specific actions on the right to vote for third country nationals in local and European elections; lobbying with the Parliament for the adoption of anti-racism legislation; proposals for programmes promoting cultural and social actions for young migrants to assist their integration; developing a catalogue of claims and publishing it on the website of the Forum; and training young people in the framework of its youth committee and managers from national associations. The Forum has set up a working group on immigration and will seek to mobilise European networks working in this field.

The Directorate-general for Justice and home affairs took over the management of matters relating to the Forum from 1 January 2000.

With regard to the Commission's role in ensuring that the funding is effectively spent, the Migrants' Forum has a contractual obligation to report to the Commission on its activities and does so regularly. This contractual obligation extends to annual submission of accounts which are then assessed by the Commission. A Commission official is also an observer on the executive committee of the Forum and the board of management.

The Commission will undertake a full audit of the activities and accounts of the Forum in the near future.