Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the First Annual Report on Migration and Integration (COM(2004) 508 final)
Date: 2005-04-13
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU migration policy, activity report, integration of migrants, migration

C 231/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

20.9.2005

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
Council,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions on the First Annual Report on Migration and Integration (COM(2004)
508 final)

the European Parliament,

(2005/C 231/05)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

HAVING REGARD TO the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the First Annual
Report on Migration and Integration (COM(2004) 508 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission decision of 16 July 2004, to consult the Committee on this
matter, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

HAVING REGARD TO the decision of its president of 3 November 2004 to instruct the Commission for
External Relations to draw up an opinion on the subject;

HAVING REGARD TO the Handbook on Integration for policymakers and practitioners released by the
European Commission (Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security) in November 2004;

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on immigration policy (Communication from the Commission on a
immigration (COM(2001) 672 final)) and on asylum policy (Proposal for a
common policy on illegal
Council Directive on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals and
stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection (COM(2001) 510
final — 2001/0207 (CNS)) adopted on 16 May 2002 (CdR 93/2002 fin) (1);

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on the Green Paper on a Community return policy on illegal residents
(COM(2002) 175 final) adopted on 20 November 2002 (CdR 242/2002 fin) (2);

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on the amended Proposal for a Council Directive on the right to family
reunification (COM(2002) 225 final — 1999/0258 CNS) adopted on 20 November 2002 (CdR 243/2002
fin) (3);

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on the Proposal for a Council Directive on the conditions of entry and
residence of third country nationals for the purposes of studies, vocational training or voluntary service
(COM(2002) 548 final — 2002/0242 CNS) adopted on 9 April 2003 (CdR 2/2003 fin) (4);

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the Euro-
pean Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on immigration,
integration and employment (COM(2003) 336 final) adopted on 12 February 2004 (CdR 223/2004 fin);

HAVING REGARD TO its opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament on the presentation of a proposal for a directive and two proposals for recommenda-
tions on the admission of third-country nationals to carry out scientific research in the European Com-
munity COM(2004) 178 final — 2004/0061 (CNS) — 2004/0062 (CNS) — 2004/0063 (CNS), adopted on
17 November 2004 (CdR 168/2004 fin);

(1) OJ C 278 of 14.11.2002, p. 44.
(2) OJ C 73 of 26.3.2003, p. 13.
(3) OJ C 73 of 26.3.2003, p. 16.
(4) OJ C 244 of 10.10.2003, p. 5.

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HAVING REGARD TO its draft opinion (CdR 339/2004 rev. 1) adopted by the Commission for External
Relations on 3 December 2004 (rapporteur: Mr Iskra, Member of Malmö City Council (SE, EPP);

WHEREAS this first annual report paints a picture of migratory trends in Europe, addresses and analyses
the changes that have taken place in immigration, and describes the action taken at national and European
level with regard to admission and integration;

WHEREAS it will provide a new tool for assessing the development of the common immigration policy;

WHEREAS the ageing population and the shrinking working-age population will probably lead to more
immigration flows that will become increasingly necessary to meet the needs of the wider Union;

WHEREAS the Thessaloniki European Council underlined the need to establish a common European frame-
work for framing national policies and envisaged the definition of common basic principles with a view to
encouraging the establishment of this framework;

adopted the following opinion at its 59th plenary session, held on 13 and 14 April 2005 (session
of 13 April).

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

drawing up the report. Various measures have been adopted in
the Member States to cope with the increasing diversity in
today's societies. Those experiences — both positive and nega-
tive — are of particular importance now that migratory flows
are increasingly diverse and global, and the Member States
need to take in immigrants and refugees from more and more
countries, rather than just those with which they have had
commercial or historical/cultural ties;

welcomes

the Commission's first annual

report on
1.1
migration and integration as an important basis for the devel-
opment of a comprehensive strategy for the integration of
immigrants in the new enlarged European Union;

1.2
recognises the significance and scope of global migra-
tion, and its importance for diversity and development, particu-
larly in the local community. The Committee fully endorses the
importance of coordinating immigration, asylum and integra-
tion policy within the European Union. This is even more
important now in the enlarged Community;

1.3
stresses that the national level is responsible for imple-
menting legislation, while the task of facilitating immigrant
reception, settlement and integration falls to the regional and
local
level. The Committee of the Regions would therefore
particularly stress the important role of the local and regional
authorities, whose responsibilities include planning, housing,
education and the labour market, which impact directly on
integration and can promote social cohesion, social integration
and sustainable societies;

notes that the report focuses on the development of
1.4
immigration policy at national and EU level. The EU's failure
on the integration front is partly due to the fact that the local
and regional authorities have not been involved in policy
framing. The local and regional authorities are the tier of
government that is closest to citizens, but the consequences of
implementation at local level have most often been disregarded
and not always taken into consideration;

1.5
regrets the lack of consultation with local and regional
authorities on both statistics collection and analysis prior to

1.6
recalls that integration issues must be included in all
policy areas if social cohesion is to be achieved. The Communi-
ty's immigration and integration policy must be in harmony
with the EU's more overarching objectives in social policy,
economic policy, and foreign and development policy, and
comply with such fundamental European values as equal
opportunities, human rights, human dignity, tolerance, respect
for diversity, measures to combat discrimination, and promo-
tion of increased participation in the community;

1.7
would highlight the fact that integration is a duty for
society as a whole, requiring input from both immigrants and
the local population in order to achieve sustainable social cohe-
sion and growth;

regrets the absence in this report of any details on inte-
1.8
gration and implementation of immigration policy, and stresses
that
the Commission should further promote exchanges of
information and experience; The Handbook on Integration for
released by the European
policymakers and practitioners
Justice, Freedom and
for
Commission (Directorate-General
Security) in November 2004 is a first encouraging step in this
direction by providing concrete information on integration best
practices and results.

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Immigrants and the labour market

Democratic aspects of integration policy

immigrants,

acknowledges that, while labour market issues are of
1.9
crucial
they
importance for the integration of
cannot be taken out of context since the degree of integration
also depends on a number of other factors, such as social back-
ground, education and language skills, and participation in the
life of the community. The successful integration of immigrants
is a step towards achieving a society in which everyone has a
stake, to the benefit of both the individual, the local com-
munity and society in the broader sense;

1.10
welcomes the increasing awareness within the EU of
immigrants' creativity and entrepreneurship. The growth of
entrepreneurship and new businesses are of crucial importance
to successful integration processes and represents an important
contribution towards achieving the Lisbon Strategy;

some other

1.11
notes that the report is dominated by the case for
immigrant labour. Nevertheless, it establishes that family reuni-
form of humanitarian protection
fication or
account for the bulk of immigration. There is an urgent need
for strategies to deal with the large group of immigrants that
are outside the labour market, for economic, social and political
reasons. The importance of women for successful integration
must not be underestimated since they often provide a direct
link with children in the family;

deplores

the fact

1.12
the report does not even
that
mention the almost 500 000 asylum seekers in the European
Union who are awaiting a decision on residence or similar
permits, the vast majority of whom are outside the regular
labour market;

1.15
highlights the fact that different levels of society debate
immigration and integration policy in significantly different
ways. This leads to different approaches and hampers the effec-
tiveness of any measures. At the same time, it paves the way
for mistrust in society, which can lead to contempt for the poli-
tical system. This mistrust and contempt can be exploited by
extreme political groups;

1.16
notes that the distance and lack of dialogue between
the political levels has partly led to the emergence of parties
with an isolationist xenophobic agenda. Several anti-EU and
xenophobic parties have grown out of a local base;

1.17
welcomes the inclusion of equality perspectives in the
report, despite the serious omission of any description of
equality-focused integration measures. Measures
can
skills have a valuable social,
release immigrant women's
economic and democratic impact;

that

1.18
considers that the formal right to vote, which will help
to increase the involvement of immigrants in the democratic
process,
is a minimum standard which has not yet been
achieved in all Member States. New citizens must, however,
also be integrated more successfully. Voting rights tend to be
ignored where there is a strong sense of exclusion. This right
and the opportunity to influence changes in society are worth
nothing to someone who is out of work or lacks social status;

1.19
stresses that the employment strategy and the social
integration strategy only mention guidelines to cover labour
needs. However, there is no mention of the bulk of immigrants
who come to the European Union for family reunification or to
seek humanitarian protection. The social integration strategy is
incomplete without guidelines for this large group;

1.13
would underline that the assertion that EU citizens
have achieved high employment must be further clarified, since
local and regional situations differ radically. It is, of course,
legitimate to refer to the EU's high employment rate, but the
irregular
local and regional distribution should also be
mentioned;

stresses that

1.20
the report describes activities that are
carried out locally. However, the information is inadequate, and
there is no information about implementation practice and
results.
is hard to say how the economic resources are
deployed in integration efforts, since the report does not
include the local and regional levels;

It

1.14
stresses that the disparity between the national level's
focus on the need for immigrant labour, and the local level's
efforts to combat exclusion, marginalisation and xenophobia,
reinforces the need for dialogue and cooperation between all
levels concerned.

1.21
emphasises that in many parts of the European Union,
tax revenues are collected at national level, while the economic
burden of dealing with immigration-related exclusion falls on
the local
level. The lack of any consultation between the
different levels is an obstacle to best use of economic resources.

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2. Committee of the Regions' recommendations

2.1
calls upon the Commission to exploit the expertise local
and regional authorities have acquired after decades of hands-
on experience of integration efforts and implementing immi-
gration policy. In order to facilitate and to improve integration-
the
related exchanges of information,
national contact points should be encouraged to consult with
regional and local authorities and major towns and cities in
order to benefit from their experience;

ideas and experience,

2.2
also calls on the Commission to maintain continuous
contacts with the Committee of the Regions in connection with
the adoption of the annual reports in order to discuss how
local and regional experience of integration efforts can best be
taken on board;

2.3
stresses that progress on integration will require that
local authorities set clear objectives that can be followed up
and evaluate their implementation. In addition, authorities at
national and regional level should evaluate their own actions;
and would remind the Commission of the need for evaluation
of the various integration strategies that are currently applied;

that

emphasises

initiatives designed to ensure that
2.4
economic support for a common immigration policy is effec-
tive must take account of regional differences. Support should
encourage flexible solutions, and the local and regional levels
must be given the freedom to choose their approach;

2.5
urges the Commission to consider, in the debate about
future European cohesion policy, the initiatives carried out in
certain regions where Structural Fund support might be
reduced and where the immigrant population has increased
significantly in recent years. This applies particularly in the
major towns and cities;

2.6
stresses that the dialogue with immigrant organisations
will be inadequate if it is only pursued at national and EU level.
Integration policy and religious and cultural issues are essen-
tially addressed in people's everyday lives, at local level. The
importance of local cross-border dialogue cannot be overem-
phasised in the drive to bolster solidarity across ethnic, reli-
gious and cultural divides;

2.7
calls for the local and regional authorities to be able to
contribute to the preparation of national action plans for inte-
to
gration and employment. This would make it easier
compare approaches and build on good practice, as well as
analyse the actual impact and results of Member States' strate-
gies;

2.8
emphasises that the report dwells on the horizontal and
national level, while the measures discussed are implemented at

local level. There is clearly a need for a vertical approach. If the
objective of accurate, objective analysis is to be achieved,
trends at all levels must be illustrated, including those levels
where policy is implemented. The national integration contact
points must be backed up by local and regional equivalents;

2.9
stresses that immigration is not sufficient to cover EU
labour shortages in the long term, and would refer to its
opinion on the contribution of older people to the labour
market;

2.10
emphasises how important it is for immigrants, parti-
cularly women, to be seen as a resource and a generally valu-
able addition to the labour market, and for the workforce to be
diverse. Equal treatment is a principle that must apply in the
workplace;

2.11
emphasises that the sum of local and regional differ-
ences gives a better picture of employment rates than national
averages. Analyses based on national averages provide an
inadequate basis for regional diversity measures. Successful stra-
tegies must be devised from a bottom-up perspective;

2.12
calls for measures to address the large number of
employees that have entered the EU illegally. Mechanisms must
be introduced to enable immigrants in breach of current immi-
gration legislation to legalise their position without delay,
where appropriate. The ability to provide decent standards of
reception should, however, be a factor here;

2.13
welcomes the report's recognition of the need to main-
stream immigration issues throughout all policy areas and to
step up cooperation between national,
regional and local
authorities and with civil society. In addition to the vertical
dialogue, the debate regarding distribution of resources must
also be addressed;

2.14
calls for the inclusion of references to immigrant
health and emphasises the importance of cooperation between
local healthcare services (primary healthcare) and other parties
that are working to achieve successful integration;

stresses

the importance of

implementing financial
2.15
instruments to enable decentralised cooperation on immigra-
tion, and of continued support for local and regional efforts to
promote integration through the EU Structural Funds and
initiatives such as Equal and Urban. In this connection, particu-
lar attention should be focused on ongoing efforts within the
framework of the new INTI pilot project, which is designed to
support integration-related dialogue, networks and cooperation
at EU level;

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2.16
stresses that the individual immigrant's need to work
to support himself must be acknowledged and encouraged. In
addition to the economic aspects, entrepreneurship and small
businesses contribute to positive social development. The
opportunity to own and run a company impacts on integration
and it should therefore be given increased public support;

recalls that women are discriminated against both on
2.17
grounds of gender and ethnic origin. If gender issues are taken
into account, efforts for better integration of immigrants will
be more target-oriented and effective;

2.18
emphasises that the achievement of a successful inte-
gration policy requires other values — in addition to economic
Immigration opens up
ones — to be taken into account.

perspectives that can enrich individual citizen's lives, just as it
can provide the EU with skills that are valuable in a global
context;

2.19
stresses the importance of the work of non-govern-
mental organisations in close cooperation with the local and
regional authorities and supports their programmes to speed
up immigrants' integration into the political and social life of
the country (learning the language, getting to know the coun-
try's culture and democratic principles, social and political
education, safeguarding immigrants' own national
identity,
etc.). It is always the absolute responsibility of the national level
to work to achieve the smooth integration of immigrants into
society, in close cooperation with local and regional authorities,
and to maintain a dialogue with non-governmental organisa-
tions.

Brussels, 13 April 2005.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Council,

the European Parliament,

Committee of the Regions — Study on the links between legal and illegal migration

(2005/C 231/06)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Study on the links
between legal and illegal migration (COM(2004) 412 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 4 June 2004 to consult it on this matter,
under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision of its president of 5 April 2004 to instruct the Commission for External
Relations to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 63(2)(b)
thereof;

Having regard to the Presidency Conclusions on the Hague Programme: Strengthening Freedom, Security
and Justice in the European Union, and in particular Specific Orientations on Asylum, Migration and
Border Policy (p. 1.2) and the External Dimension of Asylum and Migration (p. 1.6.);