Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Proposal for a Council Directive concerning the status of Third Country nationals who are long-term residents"
Date: 2001-09-19
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU Member State, equal treatment, foreign national, integration of migrants, residence

C 19/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22.1.2002

2.8.4.
The CoR believes that in some cases the ability of the
Euro-Information Centres (EIC) to deliver some of the actions
as outlined in the Communication is questionable, given the
experience of these in some Member States. The CoR would
urge that a more interactive means of promoting Go Digital,
such as local authorities, be used in these cases.

Given that many of the barriers highlighted in the
2.8.5.
Communication require action at a number of levels and

across policy fields, the Committee would urge the various
Directorate Generals to develop cohesive and responsive
working relationships to ensure the success of the initiative.

2.8.6.
The CoR is prepared to co-operate, where possible,
with the Commission in the implementation of the Go-Digital
campaign and would urge the Commission to consider the
recommendations that it has made it this opinion.

Brussels, 19 September 2001.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Directive concerning
the status of Third Country nationals who are long-term residents’

(2002/C 19/06)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Proposal for a Council Directive concerning the status of third country nationals
who are long-term residents, (COM(2001) 127 fin — 2001/0074 (CNS));

having regard to the decision of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions of 13 June 2001 under the
fifth paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to instruct
Commission 7 — Education, Vocational Training, Culture, Youth, Sport, Citizens’ Rights — to draw up
the relevant opinion;

having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 213/2001 rev.) adopted by Commission 7 on 29 June 2001
[rapporteur: Mr Panagiotis Rı´gas (EL/PSE)],

adopted unanimously the following opinion at its 40th plenary session on 19-20 September 2001
(meeting of 19 September).

Views and recommendations of the Committee of the
Regions

Recognises the importance of and the need for the
2.
European Commission’s efforts to harmonise the situation of
third-country nationals who are legally resident on a long-
term basis in a Member State.

The Committee of the Regions

1.
Agrees that there is an undoubted need today, and
for skilled and unskilled labour in
particularly in future,
the European Union, because of the constantly worsening
demographic problem. In order to meet that need it supports
the Commission’s idea of transforming the European Union
into an attractive area for third-country nationals to settle in,
by guaranteeing legal, economic and social rights equivalent
to those enjoyed by citizens of the European Union.

3.
Underlines the decisive role played by the local and
regional authorities in the clarification and public promotion
of the common values of ‘European culture’ which are linked
with migration, such as ethnic and cultural diversity and the
need to combat racism and xenophobia.

22.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 19/19

4.
Emphasises the fact that the local and regional authorities
are important agents for ensuring equality in working con-
ditions and access to services, as well as for granting individual
and political rights to migrants who have settled on a more
permanent basis.

5. Welcomes the Commission’s present proposal for a
directive as an important contribution to the creation of a
more coherent policy of the European Union on migration,
which aims to bridge the steadily widening gap between supply
of and demand for human resources in certain economic
sectors, where it is deemed to be necessary.

6.
Agrees with the proposed preconditions for the granting
of long-term resident status: (a) uninterrupted legal residence
for a five-year period; (b) possession of adequate resources;
(c) applicants must not present a threat to public order and
internal security. It also agrees with the intention to provide
equal treatment, regardless of nationality, for residents moving
from one Member State to another, because of a change in
domicile or employment.

7.
Takes the view, however, that local and regional auth-
orities will need to be involved in both the formulation and
the application of policies on migration, given their capacity
to contribute experience and best practice to the integration of
third-country nationals. Of special value in this case would be
the creation of networks, particularly involving the partici-
pation of local and regional authorities in the dissemination of

Brussels, 19 September 2001.

best practice. The key role played by the local and regional
authorities could be made even more incisive by providing
training on European culture, especially for those of their staff
who act as their relay to the outside world. In this respect the
CoR recalls its opinion on training in European affairs,
‘Eurotraining for Local and Regional Authorities in Europe’
(CdR 404/1998 fin).

8.
Feels that to this end a framework should be built up for
regular consultation of the Committee of the Regions by the
Commission of the European Union on migration-related
subjects. In this context, it attaches particular importance to
ensuring free access to information on the needs of the
European labour market for skilled or unskilled workers in the
secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy.

Expresses its satisfaction with the system of procedural
9.
guarantees provided by the present draft directive for the
benefit of migrants who expect to obtain long-term resident
status, so as to prevent cases of inappropriate action by the
relevant authorities of the Member States.

Reiterates,

10.
in conclusion, the following recommen-
dation contained in its opinion on the procedure for drawing
up a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union:

‘... the body responsible for drawing up the Charter of
Fundamental Rights should examine the issue of whether
long-term residents should be granted a set of rights that
resemble as closely as possible those of EU citizens.’

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT