Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the policy plan on legal migration, fight against illegal immigration, future of the european migration network
Date: 2007-02-13
Institutions: Committee on Constitutional Affairs, European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU migration policy, action programme, cooperation policy, illegal migration, immigration, integration of migrants

30.6.2007

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III

(Preparatory Acts)

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

68th PLENARY SESSION HELD ON 13 AND 14 FEBRUARY 2007

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the policy plan on legal migration, fight against illegal
immigration, future of the european migration network

(2007/C 146/01)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— recommends that a common European policy on migration be recognised, paving the way for closer

cooperation and coordination between the Member States and third countries;

— urgently calls for the creation of a financial instrument aimed specifically at areas with the highest
immigration levels, and at transit areas subject to massive inflows of migrants, such as the Canary
Islands, Ceuta, Lampedusa, Malta, Melilla and southern Italy in general. In these areas, the mass inflow
of migrants is an extremely serious problem;

— recommends the adoption of all measures needed to put an end to human trafficking and the mafias
which carry it out, and asks that this be made a priority for the EU and given the necessary financial
resources.
the informal economy that
It
encourages it;

illegal migration and combat

is essential

to prevent

— emphasises the key role played by local and regional bodies, owing to the experience they have
gained through their relations with countries of origin and their measures to integrate migrants, parti-
cularly in the fields of healthcare (the area in which public spending is highest), housing, education
and employment;

— proposes creating a mechanism for following up opinions on immigration in order to ensure that the
Committee is represented, by the chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Commission or the rappor-
teurs, in the European Commission's various initiatives in this field. This mechanism would enable the
Committee to be actively involved in the different stages of the legislative process: a) the pre-legislative
phase (consultation as interested party, impact analysis); b) the policy evaluation phase (annual reports
on migration and integration, annual integration forum).

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THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Having regard to the Green Paper on the Future of
606 final);

the European Migration Network (COM(2005)

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission: Policy Plan on Legal Migration (COM(2005)
669 final);

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission on Policy priorities in the fight against illegal
immigration of third-country nationals (COM(2006) 402 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 2 December 2005 to consult it on this
subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 25 April 2006 to instruct its Commission for Constitutional
Affairs, European Governance and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice to draw up an opinion on this
subject;

Having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 4 and 5 November 2004
on the European area of freedom, security and justice — the Hague Programme;

Having regard to Article 63 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the Handbook on Integration issued by the European Commission's Directorate-General
for Justice, Freedom and Security;

Having regard to the resolution of the European Parliament on strategies and means for the integration of
immigrants in the European Union (2006/2056 (INI));

Having regard to the
(2005/2244(INI));

resolution of

the European Parliament on development and migration

Having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on The area of freedom, security and
justice: the role of regional and local authorities in implementing the Hague Programme, CdR 223/2004 fin,
OJ C 231 of 20.9.2005, pp. 83-86;

Having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commis-
sion 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),
CdR 339/2004, OJ C 231 of 20.9.2005, pp. 46-50;

Having regard to the Committee's Opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council
and the European Parliament — The Hague Programme: Ten priorities for the next five years — The Partner-
ship for European renewal in the field of Freedom, Security and Justice (COM(2005) 184 final), the Commu-
nication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament Establishing a framework
programme on Security and Safeguarding Liberties for the period 2007-2013, and the Communication
from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament Establishing for the period 2007-2013 a
framework programme on Fundamental Rights and Justice (COM(2005) 122 final) — 2005/0037 (COD) —
2005/0038 (CNS) — 2005/0039 (CNS) — 2005/0040 (COD)), CdR 122/2005, OJ C 192 of 16.8.2006,
pp. 25-33;

Having regard to its Opinion CdR 51/2006 on the Communication from the Commission to the Council,
the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
— A Common Agenda for Integration — Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the
European Union (COM(2005) 389 final), the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the
European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions —
Migration and Development: Some concrete orientations (COM(2005) 390 final), and the Proposal for a
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common standards and procedures in Member
States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (COM(2005) 391 final), OJ C 206 of 29.8.2006,
pp. 27-39;

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 233/2006 rev. 2) adopted on 29 November 2006 by the Commis-
sion for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
(rapporteur: Ms Laura de Esteban Martin, Director-General for State cooperation and European affairs of the
Community of Madrid (ES/EPP));

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Whereas:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Europe is undergoing the greatest migratory emergency in its history. The end goal of this migration
is to reach European soil, making it more than a localised problem that only concerns the Member
States and regions most targeted by this migration. The issue must also be considered from the
perspective of Europe as a whole, the Member States and the countries of origin and transit: together,
they must confront the new challenges generated every day by these migratory flows,
including
migratory population movements within the EU. The Hague Programme set up by the European
Council in November 2004 outlines a work programme for creating a common migration policy and
establishes it as an EU priority;

there is a lack of reliable statistical data enabling accurate assessment of the relationship between legal
and illegal migration and the migratory phenomenon overall. It therefore remains necessary to pursue
the work of the European Migration Network in order to obtain objective, comparable information
with a view to supporting common immigration and asylum policies;

the integration of immigrant populations should be considered in terms of their inclusion in the
labour market (with particular concern for female migrants), but also from a broader perspective
taking, inter alia, educational, cultural, social and political aspects into account;

integration is a two-way process that requires both the immigrants' will to integrate into the host
society and their responsibility to carry it through, and EU citizens' desire to willingly accept immi-
grants. Awareness and education campaigns are therefore necessary in order to exert a positive influ-
ence on the behaviour of both groups;

local and regional authorities, as direct recipients of this migration and major players in the imple-
mentation of integration measures (occupational, educational, cultural, social and political), must play
a key role in defining migration policy, at as close a level as possible to citizens, in order to ensure
that migrants are successfully integrated;

adopted the following opinion at its 68th plenary session, held on 13 and 14 February 2007
(meeting of 13 February):

1. Views and general recommendations of the Committee

of the Regions

fore take unilateral decisions that make it difficult to adopt a
common position;

The Committee of the Regions

1.1
believes, in line with its previous opinions on the return
of illegal migrants and the regional and local application of the
Hague Programme (1), that immigration should be considered
from a broad perspective that includes a clear vision of the
most important measures required in the field of migration
policy, and should not be based on fragmentary measures. All
the necessary legislative, operational and economic initiatives
must be considered in order to tackle the phenomenon from
beginning to end, through development cooperation with coun-
tries of origin and the fight against illegal human trafficking,
and by adopting the necessary measures to integrate all migrants
who have settled in our countries and combating the informal
economy, which exerts a strong pull factor and is a catalyst for
exploitation; the Committee notes that criminal organisations
help to encourage illegal immigration;

1.2
stresses that despite the increase in migration since the
1980s and the fact that the EU receives a high number of immi-
grants from developing countries (currently estimated at around
40 million people), there is still no common European policy
for the regulation of migratory flows, and Member States there-

1.3
points out that when it comes to managing migratory
flows, we should not have to wait until events take a serious
turn for the worse. Emergencies should not be a prerequisite for
establishing association agreements;

considers that the association agreements signed with
1.4
third countries should cover political, social, economic and
cultural aspects, so as to establish a proper relationship of inter-
dependence between migration and development, as recom-
mended in the European Parliament's report on development
and migration (2);

confirms that the key to preventing uncontrolled migra-
1.5
tion is full development cooperation, by implementing projects
that generate employment; setting up an economic and trade
forum, university networks and micro-credit funds for migrants;
implementing measures to help migrants cooperate in their own
countries' development; and installing infrastructures, particu-
larly to provide drinking water (42 % of Africa's inhabitants
have no access to drinking water), electricity (only 20 % have
regular access to the power grid), health centres and schools. In
this context, it will be crucial to help strengthen institutional

(1) CdR 242/2002 fin.
CdR 223/2004 fin.

(2) European Parliament
(A6-0210/2006).

report on development

and migration

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frameworks, establishing a series of prior conditions (such as
transparent management and democratisation of structures) in
countries receiving development aid, so as to ensure that it is
properly received and utilised. Overall, the aim must be to boost
the quality — rather than quantity — of development coopera-
tion; it is particularly important to guarantee that aid is imple-
mented transparently, in order to ensure that it actually does
generate development;

1.6
emphasises the key role played by local and regional
bodies, owing to the experience they have gained through their
relations with countries of origin and their measures to integrate
migrants, particularly in the fields of healthcare (the area in
which public spending is highest), housing, education and
employment. As part of their cooperation with countries of
origin,
local and regional authorities have set up numerous
agreements and projects, such as the shelters for returning
young people opened by the Community of Madrid in Morocco,
under the AENEAS programme;

1.7
notes the Declaration of the Fifth Conference of Parlia-
ments of EU Capital City Regions (held on 26 and 27 April
2006), which states that, owing to their prosperity and vitality,
capital city regions exert a strong pull on people from other
countries seeking new opportunities; and,
in this context,
considers that measures should be implemented to avoid mass
arrivals outside the regular channels via airport, sea and land
border crossings, and that adequate planning is required in
order to integrate these people into other regions of our coun-
tries;

1.8
also stresses the position of the capital city regions,
which support the development of a common European migra-
tion policy that fully covers all issues relating to the complete
integration of immigrants into society. Only through integration
will
it be possible to share the values of democratic life and
respect for human rights that underpin the political systems of
the EU; therefore, emphasises the importance of setting up
language or
initiatives to teach migrants about
languages and culture of the host society, and to help them feel
that they are important and share responsibility for their own
futures;

the official

1.9
believes that migration is a challenge for all: everybody
has a part to play, from administrations — European, national,
regional or local — to European citizens and migrants them-
selves. This is the only way to solve their problems, and for
everyone involved (including the countries of origin) to make
the most of the opportunities offered;

1.10
cooperation:

believes, as a result, that it is necessary to improve

a) between administrations

b) with social players

c) with companies (corporate social responsibility)

d) with immigrants' associations;

1.11

recommends the following:

a) greater cooperation and coordination between migration
officials and those who manage development cooperation in
each Member State;

b) the promotion of co-development as a means to harness the
potential of immigrant communities established in EU coun-
tries to boost development in their countries of origin. To
achieve this, it must be made easier for migrants to transfer
funds to their countries of origin, by reducing costs and
using official transfer systems;

calls upon the Commission and Member States to
1.12
apply policies to channel
the remittances sent by migrants
towards productive investments in their countries of origin,
making it easier for them to access micro-credit. Remittances
should be channelled so that they can be linked up with invest-
ments made via the development cooperation funds; also
recommends establishing a requirement for cancelled debt to
be transferred to productive investments which could be linked
up with remittances, so that migrants find it most profitable to
invest their savings in these projects;

calls for the establishment of a guarantee fund to
1.13
ensure the durability of micro-projects and maximise their
impact on development, and supports the creation of an
economic and trade forum and of networks of professionals
from the EU and developing countries;

urges Member States to work together with local and
1.14
regional authorities in drawing up migration policies and estab-
lishing national plans for integration and employment, as the
measures required to implement them are applied at local and
regional level;

1.15
urgently calls for the creation of a financial instrument
aimed specifically at areas with the highest immigration levels,
and at transit areas subject to massive inflows of migrants, such
as the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Lampedusa, Malta, Melilla and
southern Italy in general. In these areas, the mass inflow of
migrants is an extremely serious problem, as there are not suffi-
cient resources to provide them with adequate humanitarian
care. It is important to note that the income difference between
the countries on either side of the EU's southern border is the
highest in the world;

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1.16
urges the EU and its Member States to recognise the
particular nature of mass illegal immigration via the coasts of
the EU's island regions, the human tragedy that it represents,
and its consequences for security and cohesion in Europe. The
EU should exploit the potential of the regions forming its mari-
time border as a platform for developing mutually beneficial
relations with third countries;

1.21
calls upon the Commission, in line with the European
Parliament report on development and migration, to prepare the
necessary financial instruments for the integration of migrants
into the political life and society of the host country, through
linguistic, cultural and civic training, without undermining the
preservation of their identity. It also points out that considera-
tion should be given to the specific problems relating to the
integration of their descendants (children and grandchildren);

1.17
believes, in line with its previous opinions on family
reunification, on local and regional application of the Hague
Programme and on the Green Paper on a policy of return for
illegal residents, and in accordance with the European Parlia-
ment's position in its report on development and migration (3),
that measures should be implemented to increase the legal
certainty surrounding migration, in a number of areas:

a) ensuring that existing directives are correctly transposed and

applied;

1.22
considers that particular focus should be given to
education, the policy area most conducive to integration, as the
school pass rate among migrants is far lower than the average
to ensure that
for other EU citizens, and points out that,
migrants are integrated, it is essential to lay down the instru-
ments needed for their inclusion in the education system and
the labour market. To this end, the Committee proposes:

b) clarifying legislation, particularly as regards conditions for

attaining resident status;

a) setting up a financial

instrument specifically devoted to

solving immigrants' education problems;

c) clearly laying down the conditions under which migrants are

eligible for family reunification;

1.18
supports, in accordance with its Opinion on the Green
Paper on a policy of return for illegal residents (4), the develop-
ment of measures to boost and prioritise voluntary — as
opposed to forced — return. It would be beneficial to set up
incentives to keep potential migrants in their countries of
origin. In the event of forced return, particular attention should
be paid to vulnerable groups. In any case, cooperation with
countries of origin is essential;

b) implementing measures to facilitate the recognition and
equivalence of
the qualifications and, generally speaking,
professional skills acquired by migrants in their countries of
origin. This would make it easier for them to join the labour
market;

c) developing training programmes for employment, aimed
from countries which are not
specifically at workers
renowned for the vocational training and skill levels of their
workforce;

1.19
points out that, in accordance with the international
conventions on children, it is in the child's best interest for him
to grow up in a family environment, whenever possible. Aid
should be provided in the countries of origin, and children
should be educated and trained there so that they may find jobs
close to their families. Under the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, States must combat the illicit transfer of children
abroad;

1.23
it
Commission's Handbook on integration, to:

important,

considers

in accordance with the

a) implement programmes enabling immigrants to learn the
host country's language; these courses should be mandatory,
at least at elementary level;

believes that the European fund for integration should
1.20
be managed such that it takes account of the specific require-
ments of
local and regional authorities, and supports their
involvement in the negotiation of national programmes and the
relevant operational programmes;

(3) CdR 243/2002 fin; CdR 242/2002 fin; CdR 223/2004 fin; European
Parliament report on development and migration (A6-0210/2006).

(4) CdR 242/2002 fin.

b) set up and promote courses on civic duty, culture and, in
general, social integration and knowledge of the host socie-
ty's civic values. These courses could be given in immigrants'
mother tongue, to make things easier for them to understand
while they still do not have a good command of the host
country's language, although this should not delay or halt
acquisition of the host country's language and culture;

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c) make it as easy as possible to implement these courses, by
enabling e-learning, distance learning, flexible hours, part-
time courses, etc.,
in order to optimise take-up. It is also
to train those who will be in contact with
important
migrants, so that they are able to deal with problems;

2.6
considers that legal migration should take family reunifi-
cation into account as a cornerstone of migrants' social integra-
tion, for the strategy would otherwise be incomplete. Nonethe-
less, family reunification as a catalyst for integration must only
be promoted insofar as it is limited to the family unit, consisting
of parents, children and grandparents;

d) support migrants in their efforts to ensure that their children
learn the mother tongue, so that they are not subsequently
hindered from returning to their home country because they
do not know the language.

2. Communication

on

legal migration

(COM(2005)

669 final)

The Committee of the Regions

2.1
believes, with regard to legal migration, that it is impor-
tant to bear in mind that those whose skills lead them to
emigrate are those who will be able to stimulate development in
their countries of origin;

considers that, as

2.2
stressed in 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 (5), brain drain should
be taken into consideration. While it is important to leverage
the opportunities that this brings our economies, we should
also make it easy for migrants to return to their countries of
origin in order to boost development there, and should allow
them to re-enter in order to continue or complete their training,
thus creating a constant flow of experience and advantages for
the host and source countries;

2.3
believes that circular migration is an important founda-
tion on which to strengthen migration's positive contribution to
development;

2.4
supports the Commission's basic goal of guaranteeing a
common framework of rights for all third-country nationals in
legal employment already admitted in a Member State; high-
lights, in particular, the need to address the question of recogni-
tion and equivalence of degrees and other qualifications so as to
prevent migrants from working below their competences;

job accessibility for

stresses the importance of

2.5
the
successful integration of migrants, and points out the contrast
between the simplistic approach, which is geared exclusively
towards the need to welcome more migrants and simply legalise
the workforce, and the regional and local efforts to combat
exclusion, marginalisation and xenophobia, and the implementa-
tion of measures to integrate women, whose link with their chil-
dren is key for the integration of the family;

2.7
emphasises local and regional authorities' concern for
the issue of gender, as it is important to consider the double
discrimination that women suffer on the basis of both their
gender and ethnic background; therefore, calls on the Commis-
sion and Member States to step up dialogue with countries of
origin in order to promote women's rights and gender equality;

supports

to prevent

2.8
the Commission's position on temporary
workers and considers it necessary to draw up more favourable
regulations for the mobility of temporary workers. However, it
is important
temporary work from becoming a
channel for illegal migration. One possible solution would be to
include temporary work within the framework of cooperation
projects with countries of origin, so that the workers have an
incentive to return home once the temporary job is over,
in
order to continue work in the context of a cooperation project.
Within these programmes, it could also be possible to encou-
rage the arrival of temporary workers not just from countries
that are geographically close, but also from more distant places,
such as Latin America, benefiting from today's falling travel
costs;

believes it essential,

2.9
in line with the Commission, to
improve data collection for the effective development of a Euro-
pean migration policy, which in all cases should take labour
market requirements as a determining factor when it comes to
admitting migrants. It is unsustainable for 90 % of migrants to
be illegal before becoming legal;

2.10 welcomes the willingness expressed by the Commis-
sion in its document to strengthen the role of the European Job
Mobility Portal, which provides information, via the Internet,
from the EURES (European employment services) cooperation
network. This offers information, advice and employment (job
search) guidance to workers and employers, to inform, guide
and advise candidates on mobility,
job opportunities and
working and living conditions in the European Economic Area
and help employers who wish to hire workers from other coun-
tries; the CoR could contribute by informing the Commission of
web portals managed by local and regional authorities that
those
could be important
involved (6);

information for all

sources of

(5) CdR 2/2003 fin.

(6) COM(2005) 669, item 3.1.

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itself

attractive

supports the European Commission's proposal
should make

that
2.11
Europe
to skilled workers,
outstanding students and researchers. It should also be possible
(contrary to the current situation in some Member States) for
students to work during their studies, as this could help them to
make the transition to the labour market. It would be useful to
set up specific mobility programmes for foreign students, as has
been done throughout the EU with successful schemes such as
Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci, in order to prevent brain drain
and facilitate training, since these students are an invaluable
human resource for their countries of origin;

2.12
believes that the possibility of jointly issuing work and
residence permits should be examined, as this would reduce red
tape and increase control; therefore, proposes that work and
residence permits be standardised throughout the EU;

3.2
considers it necessary to promote association agree-
ments with countries of origin, which should be concluded
before there are migratory and humanitarian emergencies, and
which should cover cooperation in combating illegal migration
and in returning and repatriating illegal migrants, along with aid
for development and for the creation of job opportunities for
the native populations of these countries;

3.3
believes it essential to develop all the sources of infor-
mation available in the countries of origin relating to migration,
its scale, existing legislation and possibilities of channelling this
through legal avenues;

2.13
supports the Commission's belief that migration is not
the solution to Europe's ageing population; it is only a tool that
can relieve, but not resolve, the demographic deficit in Europe;

3.4
supports the European Commission's aim to set up a
rapid assistance mechanism for Member States experiencing
severe pressure on their external borders; and urges the Council
to grant the Commission the resources it needs to carry out this
task properly;

the

2.14 welcomes
the Commission's
importance
Communication places on cooperation with countries of origin,
and supports the strengthening of existing financial instruments
relating to migration, and the creation of other, specific instru-
ments;

that

2.15
points out that, on an internal level, the management
competences of regional and local authorities mean that they
are directly involved in immigration issues; stresses, therefore,
that they could bring real added value to the experience-sharing
activities and discussions planned by the Commission for 2007
in the fields of awareness-raising, information and training (7);

3.5
emphasises the proposal in the Commission document
relating to the need to bring an end human trafficking and the
mafias which carry it out, and asks that this be made a priority
for the EU and given the necessary financial resources. It is
important to be aware of the scale of the humanitarian disaster
this represents: figures from various international organisations
suggest that one in three migrants does not survive the journey
to the destination country;

2.16
offers to help the Commission conduct the impact
analyses that it intends to carry out before putting forward
concrete proposals on legal migration, and to help it in the
systematic consultation of local and regional authorities (8).

in this context, warns that European countries receiving
3.6
migrants must avoid delegating the task of returning them to
border countries that do not show sufficient respect for human
rights, so as maximise the control of human rights;

3. Communication from the Commission on policy priori-
immigration of third-

ties in the fight against illegal
country nationals (COM(2006) 402 final)

The Committee of the Regions

3.7
emphasises, in this context, that the European Employ-
ment Strategy and general guidelines must encourage legal
employment through steps such as the reduction of non-wage
labour costs and the easing of tax pressure on low-paid or low-
skilled workers, as this could help to reduce the appeal of unde-
clared work and thus the hiring of
illegal migrants. These
measures to flexibilise the labour market should boost the legal
employment of migrants;

supports,

in particular, the need for cooperation with
3.1
third countries in order to prevent illegal migration and, in this
context, supports the European Council's decision of 15 and
16 December 2005 to allocate 3 % of the European Neighbour-
hood and Partnership Instrument to the increase of financial aid
in areas directly linked to migration;

(7) COM(2005) 669, item 3.1.
(8) COM(2005) 669, Annex I.

supports the promotion of information campaigns on
3.8
the advantages of
legal migration and the dangers of illegal
migration, and the Commission's initiative to launch a study in
2007 on current practices and the effects of regularisations in
Member States, which will form the basis for future discussions
and the establishment of a legal framework for Europe-wide
regularisation.

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3.9
believes it necessary for Member States' diplomatic
representations, as well as intelligence services, to be coordi-
nated at EU level so as to be able to identify and combat, in
cooperation with the competent local authorities, the criminal
organisations carrying out illegal trafficking of migrants.

— to highlight information above all in relation to the labour

market;

— to improve statistical

information by improving coordina-

tion via the European Migration Network;

4. Green Paper on the Future of the European Migration

Network (COM(2005) 606 final)

— to harmonise statistical calculation methods in order to

allow for comparison and coordination.

The Committee of the Regions

5. Second report on migration and integration

supports the future EMN's mandate to provide the
4.1
Commission, Member States and the general public with objec-
tive, reliable and comparable information in the field of asylum
and migration, and agrees that it should be made publicly avail-
able (except where confidential),
in accordance with the data
protection agencies;

5.1
considers it necessary to step up annual migration and
development reports, which would provide statistics to help
plan migration and implement a suitable migration policy.
Public policy cannot be planned without sufficient information,
particularly in this field;

4.2
concurs that concrete tasks such as data collection and
analysis, research, publishing of opinions and recommendations,
and awareness-raising activities should be allocated to a single
body, as such streamlining generates economies of scale and
facilitates coordination; and

5.2
calls for information exchange to be stepped up through
existing networks and the future European Migration Network,
between Member States and with their
local and regional
bodies. All players should have access to as much information
as possible;

4.3
adds a further task: the EMN should also coordinate the
transposition of Community legislation by the different coun-
tries;

and the bodies

suggests, in line with the European Parliament (9), and
4.4
with a view to guaranteeing close cooperation between stake-
holders
collection,
appointing a liaison in each one, and setting up a web for use
by stakeholders and specialised users only. There should also be
a link between the national and international organisations
which deal with these matters, and which need to seek coopera-
tion methods in order to solve problems;

responsible

for data

4.5
advises, as regards the structure of the network, selecting
option one, i.e. ‘attaching the network to the Commission’, as it
would facilitate monitoring, coordination and relations with
other European institutions. With regard to the operation of
National Contact Points, the national representatives should be
responsible for data collection and studying problems. The role
of contact points should be to collect, analyse (where possible)
and transmit data to the network and national players in accord-
ance with national provisions on the tasks and activities of the
contact point. The network should have guaranteed independent
status vis-à-vis the governments of each country, and its struc-
ture should include regional and local bodies. In all events, the
fluidity of information transmission must be guaranteed;

4.6

considers it essential, through this network:

5.3
stresses that any idea to be implemented must translate
into programmes, and that any programme or legislation to be
developed must subsequently be analysed in order to assess its
utility and quality of management; welcomes, therefore, the
Commission's initiative to draft an annual assessment report on
migration and integration;

5.4
supports the Commission's proposal to set up an annual
integration forum in which experts, migrants, public administra-
tion staff (including local and regional levels) and all other stake-
holders can share best practices and obtain workable conclu-
sions. The Committee considers it vital to exchange best prac-
tices, whereby local and regional authorities can make a
concrete contribution, in order to drive forward and standardise
the results of policies applied in this area. In any case, the neces-
sary steps must be taken to obtain extensive and accurate data
about migration, which will be taken into consideration when
these policies are implemented. The forum should also take
annual reports into account, and contact should always be
maintained with all the players involved.

6. Conclusions

(9) Report on the Proposal for a Council Decision on the establishment of
a mutual
concerning Member States'
measures in the areas of asylum and immigration (COM(2005) 480 —
C6-0335/2005 — 2005/0204 (CNS)).

information procedure

Recommends that a common European policy on
6.1
migration be recognised, paving the way for closer cooperation
and coordination between the Member States and third coun-
tries;

30.6.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 146/9

6.2
considers it essential to boost the quantity and quality
of available data and to accurately assess labour market require-
ments,
if a European policy on immigration and control of
migration flows is to be implemented in an effective manner;

6.3
recommends promoting codevelopment as a means of
harnessing the potential offered by immigrant communities
living in EU countries with a view to boosting development in
their countries of origin, and calls for the study of creative alter-
natives for channelling legal immigration through the removal
of existing obstacles to taking on migrants in their countries of
origin;

recommends the adoption of all measures needed to
6.4
put an end to human trafficking and the mafias which carry it
out, and asks that this be made a priority for the EU and given
the necessary financial resources. It is essential to prevent illegal
migration and combat the informal economy that encourages it;

level,

stresses once again that, on an internal

the
6.5
regional and local authorities
management competences of
mean that
they are directly involved in immigration issues;
proposes, therefore, creating a mechanism for following up
opinions on immigration in order to ensure that the Committee
is represented, by the chairman of the Constitutional Affairs
Commission or the rapporteurs, in the European Commission's
various initiatives in this field. This mechanism would enable
the Committee to be actively involved in the different stages of
the legislative process:

Brussels, 13 February 2007.

a) pre-legislative phase (consultation as interested party, impact

analysis);

b) policy evaluation phase (annual reports on migration and

integration, annual integration forum);

6.6
requests, therefore, to be represented on the Commis-
sion's formal and informal working groups on migration policy;
believes that this follow-up would enable the Commission to
from the practical experience acquired by local and
benefit
regional authorities in the field of migration;

calls for the inclusion of regional and local authorities in

6.7
the European Migration Network;

asks to contribute to the web portal on immigration
6.8
that
the Commission wishes to set up, by informing the
Commission of web portals managed by local and regional
authorities that could be important sources of information for
all those involved;

6.9
calls for the existing legal and financial instruments to
be stepped up, and for a new instrument to be created in order
to ensure the integration — particularly through education —
of recent immigrants and their descendants (children and grand-
children);

proposes that a first summit be held on ‘The role of
6.10
European regions in managing migration flows’,
facilitating
exchange of opinions and experience between regions in this
field.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Michel DELEBARRE