2006/33/EC: Commission Decision of  20 January 2006  establishing a high-level advisory group on social integration of ethnic minorities and their full participation in the labour market
Date: 2006-01-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), anti-discriminatory measure, ethnic group, integration into employment, labour market, operation of the Institutions, self-employed person, social integration

L 21/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

25.1.2006

COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 January 2006

establishing a high-level advisory group on social integration of ethnic minorities and their full
participation in the labour market

(2006/33/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Article 2

Task

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

The group's task will be:

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 13 of
the Treaty establishing the European
Community confers powers on the Community to take
appropriate action to combat discrimination based on
sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability,
age or sexual orientation.

Pursuant to the Communication from the Commission
entitled ‘Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for
all’ (1) adopted on 1 June 2005, which highlights the
need for the European Union to develop a coherent
and effective approach to the social
integration of
ethnic minorities and their
full participation in the
labour market, the Commission wishes to draw on the
expertise of specialists meeting in an advisory group.

The group should contribute to developing a coherent
and effective approach to the social integration of disad-
vantaged ethnic minorities and their full participation in
the labour market.

The group should comprise experts from civil society, the
world of research, business, the national and local autho-
rities, as well as ethnic minorities and other stakeholders.
It should be balanced, particularly in terms of geogra-
phical origin, gender, ethnic origin, and area of activity
and expertise,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

— to analyse how to achieve better social integration of ethnic
minorities and their full participation in the labour market
within the European Union,

— to submit, before the end of the ‘2007 European Year of
Equal Opportunities for All’, a report containing recommen-
dations on the policies
implemented in this
connection.

to be

The group will build on good practice in this field, and will
focus more particularly on the following questions:

— the socioeconomic situation of ethnic minorities in today's

European Union,

— the different

situations and needs of minority groups,
including recent migrants, established ethnic minorities,
national minorities, the Roma and stateless persons,

— the impact of multiple discrimination and the influence of
factors such as age, sex, disability and religion, as well as the
impact of geographical isolation and level of education,

— the

contribution

and
programmes to social integration of ethnic minorities and
their full participation in the labour market,

European Union

policies

of

— the impact of future developments, including possible new
waves of accessions to the European Union (Romania,
Bulgaria, Turkey, western Balkans).

The Chairman of the group may indicate to the Commission
when it would be advisable to consult the group on a specific
question.

Article 1

The Commission hereby establishes a high-level advisory group
on social integration of ethnic minorities and their full partici-
pation in the labour market, hereinafter called ‘the group’.

(1) COM(2005) 224 final.

Article 3

Composition — Appointment

1.
The members of the group shall be appointed by the
Commission from among specialists with knowledge of the
fields referred to in Article 2.

25.1.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 21/21

2.

3.

The group shall comprise a maximum of 10 members.

The following provisions shall apply:

— members shall be appointed in a personal capacity and be
required to advise the Commission independently of any
outside influence,

— members of the group shall remain in office until such time

as they are replaced or their mandate runs out,

— members who are no longer able to contribute effectively to
the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not respect
the conditions set out in the first or second point of this
Article or Article 287 of
the Treaty establishing the
European Community may be replaced for the remaining
period of their mandate,

— members shall each year sign an undertaking to act in the
public interest and a declaration indicating the absence of
any interest which may undermine their objectivity,

— the names of members appointed individually shall be
published on the Internet site of the Employment, Social
Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG and in the Official
Journal of
the European Union, series C. The names of
members shall be collected, processed and published in
accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No
45/2001 of
the
Council (1) on the protection and processing of personal
data.

European Parliament

and

the

of

Article 4

Operation

1.

The Commission shall appoint the Chairman of the group.

The Commission's

representative may ask experts or
2.
observers with specific competence on a subject on the
agenda to participate in the group's deliberations where appro-
priate and/or necessary.

3.
Information obtained by participating in the group's delib-
erations may not be divulged where the Commission states that
this relates to confidential matters.

The group shall normally meet on Commission premises
4.
in accordance with the procedures and schedule established by
it. The Commission shall provide secretarial services. Other
Commission officials with an interest in the proceedings may
attend these meetings.

The group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis
the
the

procedure

standard

adopted

rules

by

of

5.
of
Commission (2).

The Commission may publish on the Internet,

6.
original
conclusion, partial conclusion or working document of
group.

in the
the document concerned, any résumé,
the

language of

Article 5

Meeting expenses

The Commission shall reimburse travel and, where appropriate,
subsistence expenses for members, experts and observers in
connection with the group’s activities in accordance with the
provisions in force at the Commission. The members shall not
be paid for their duties.

Meeting expenses shall be reimbursed within the limits of the
appropriations allocated to the departments concerned under
the annual procedure for allocating resources.

Article 6

Entry into force

This Decision shall take effect on the day of its publication in
the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall be applicable
until 31 December 2007. The Commission shall decide on a
possible extension before that date.

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2006.

For the Commission
Vladimír ŠPIDLA
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

(2) OJ C 38, 6.2.2001, p. 3.