Commission staff working document - Strengthening actions and tools to meet integration challenges - Report to the 2008 Ministerial Conference on Integration
Date: 2008-10-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU migration policy, admission of aliens, border control, foreign policy, illegal migration, integration of migrants, migration control, political cooperation

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 8.10.2008 
SEC(2008) 2626 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Strengthening actions and tools to meet integration challenges 

Report to the 2008 Ministerial Conference on Integration

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 3 

STRENGTHENING ACTIONS AND TOOLS TO MEET INTEGRATION 
CHALLENGES............................................................................................................ 4 

EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EDUCATION AS KEY TO THE 
PARTICIPATION OF IMMIGRANTS IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES ...................... 9 

CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................ 11 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Integration of third-country nationals is one of the most important challenges that Europe has 
to  address  today  as  there  can  be  no  successful  immigration  policies  without  integration 
strategies1. Integration is therefore a key part of the EU's comprehensive immigration policy. 
Clearly, integration policies need to take into account historical and cultural backgrounds and 
differing  administrative  systems.  Successful  integration  policies  must  engage  the  local  level 
where  integration  takes  place.  Exchanging  good  practice  and  promoting  new  approaches  is 
important to ensure successful policies capable of adapting to changing circumstances. Since 
the adoption in 2005 of the Common Agenda for Integration2 implementing the Common 
Basic Principles on integration (CBPs) established by the Council in 20043, the EU is acting 
as  a  facilitator  by  providing  common  points  of  reference  and  promoting  evaluation  and 
comparative analysis for designing effective integration measures. 

In  June  2007,  following  an  informal  meeting  of  Ministers  responsible  for  integration 
held  in  Potsdam  under  the  German  Presidency,  Council  Conclusions  on  integration 
policies  in  the  EU4  stressed  the  need  to  consider  approaches  to  integration  that  involve 
society  as  a  whole  and  identified  a  number  of  priorities  such  as  participation,  diversity 
management  and  common  indicators.  The  Council  invited  the  Commission  to  report  to  the 
next  Ministerial  Conference  on  Integration  of  3/4  November  2008  in  Vichy  under  the 
French  Presidency  on  what  had  been  done,  together  with  the  National  Contact  Points  on 
Integration  (NCPs)5.  This  report  provides  an  overview  of  the  main  activities  to  strengthen 
further integration policies according to the highlighted priorities.  

More  recent  initiatives,  which  contribute  to  developing  integration  strategies  in  the  EU,  are 
also taken into account. The Communication A Common Immigration Policy for Europe: 
Principles,  actions  and  tools  of  June  20086  recognised  that  well  managed  immigration 
brings prosperity and recalled that a clear commitment from host society and immigrants alike 
is  needed  to  realise  the  benefits  of  immigration.  In  this  context,  it  presented  a  number  of 
measures  for  enhancing  integration  at  EU  and  national  level,  consolidating  the  Common 
Agenda  and  implementation  of  the  CBPs.  It  highlighted  the  need  to  strengthen  the 
mainstreaming approach, which is now an integral part of policy-making and implementation 
across a wide range of EU policies and funding7, including, among others, integration into the 
labour  market,  social  inclusion  and  education.  The  up-coming  European  Pact  on 
Immigration  engages  Member  States  to  renew  their  commitment  to  managing  immigration 
including reinforcing integration strategies. Immigrants should be granted rights comparable 
to  EU  citizens  (such  as  access  to  education,  employment,  public  and  social  services)  and 
should  be  subject  to  equal  obligations  (such  as  respecting  of  the  laws  of  the  host  country). 
Measures  for  acquiring  the  host  country's  language  and  access  to  employment  should  be 

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EU integration policies target third-country nationals and, following a mainstreaming approach, develop 
synergies with other relevant EU policies addressing broader target groups  
COM/2005/389 
Council Document 14615/04 
Council Document 10504/07 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/integration/fsj_immigration_integration_en.htm 
COM/2008/359 
Third Annual Report COM/2007/512 

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strengthened.  Civic  programmes  focusing  on  the  host  society's  history,  institutions  and  the 
common shared values of the EU should also be fostered. 

As requested by Council Conclusions of June 2007 (point 9), this report highlights what has 
been done so far to consolidate the Common Agenda and implement the CBPs by developing 
approaches  to  integration  that  involve  society  as  a  whole,  focusing  on  participation  and 
citizenship, measures targeting the host society and the contribution of integration policies to 
the  prevention  of  social  alienation,  as  well  as  new  instruments,  such  as  common  European 
modules  for  integration  and  common  tools  for  evaluating  integration  policies.  These 
instruments  will  contribute  to  further  addressing  in  the  future  the  integration  aspects 
highlighted by the June 2008 Communication and the up-coming Ministerial Conference on 
Integration  and  the  European  Pact  on  Immigration.  The  report  also  covers  very  recent 
developments  in  employment,  social  inclusion  and  education  as  crucial  elements  of  the 
participation of immigrants in European societies. 

2. 

STRENGTHENING  ACTIONS  AND  TOOLS  TO  MEET  INTEGRATION 
CHALLENGES 

2.1. Participation and citizenship 

The EU should promote measures to encourage immigrants to commit to greater rights (such 
as access to education, employment, public and social services)8 and responsibilities (such as 
the  respect  of  the  laws  of  the  host  country)  thereby  fostering  a  genuine  link  with  European 
societies.  Initiatives  on  participation  in  local  life  have  a  growing  impact  on  integration  of 
immigrants and citizenship policies could affect their engagement in the host society. It has to 
be  stressed  that  nationality  falls  within  Member  States'  competence.  However,  without 
prejudice to the fact that the Member States alone remain competent in the area of nationality 
laws,  there  is  a  clear  need  to  exchange  information  and  work  jointly  to  foster  successful 
policy-making, as highlighted in Potsdam.  

The  CBPs  and  the  Common  Agenda  stressed  both  that  involving  immigrants  in  the 
democratic  process  and  in  formulating  integration  policies,  especially  at  the  local  level, 
supports  their  integration  and  encouraged  Member  States  to  put  in  place  measures  to  foster 
this aspect. A chapter in the first edition of the Handbook on Integration stressed the key role 
of  civic  participation  in  the  integration  process  and  shed  light  on  different  initiatives  across 
Europe9.  In  addition,  the  European  Integration  Fund  Community  Actions  2007  financed 
research looking into various forms of participation and drawing up recommendations on how 
to  get  immigrants  more  involved  in  civic  and  political  life10.  The  nationality  issue  was  also 
addressed in the Fifth Report on Citizenship of the Union11 and a technical seminar financed 
by  INTI  Programme12  was  held  in  Paris  in  November  2007  focusing  on  'The  acquisition  of 
nationality, citizenship and national identity' and taking into account EC acquis and national 
legal systems. As a follow-up, a chapter of the forthcoming third edition of the Handbook will 

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12 

Member  States  must  comply  with  fundamental  rights,  in  particular  children's'  rights,  as  general 
principles of law when implementing integration policies 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centre/immigration/integration/doc_immigration 
_integration_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/integration/funding_integration_en.htm# 
COM/2008/85 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/2004_2007/inti/funding_inti_en.htm 

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give examples of successful experiences raising immigrants' commitment to participate in the 
life of European societies. 

Despite the various forms of participation and the variety of approaches to citizenship policies 
in  place  across  the  EU,  results  from  the  Migrant  Integration  Policy  Index  indicate  that 
Member States score low on nationality and participation policies are still weak13.  

Representation  of  immigrant  communities,  especially  at  the  local  level,  through  the 
establishment of platforms for consultation during the decision-making process on integration 
issues, and possibilities for immigrants, after an appropriate period of legal residence, to vote 
and  stand  as  candidates  in  local  elections14  are  key  to  strengthening  participation  in  the 
democratic process and fostering integration.  

Furthermore,  citizenship  could  be  seen  as  an  element,  among  others,  contributing  to 
enhance  solidarity  and  strengthen  a  sense  of  belonging  to  a  society  both  among 
immigrants and the rest of the population. In Member States, where access to nationality is 
a  necessary  precondition  for  citizenship,  clear,  precise  and  objective  criteria  for  access  to 
nationality  are  of  fundamental  importance.  Administrative  barriers  such  as  high  fees  or 
lengthy  processes  could  be  streamlined,  being  decisions  they  are  subject  to  judicial  review 
and  effective  remedy  in  case  of  violation  of  rights.  Integration  conditions  and  measures 
foreseen  by  existing  EC  legislative  instruments  are  monitored  and  evaluated  to  effectively 
shape them as supporting the integration process15.  

2.2. Measures targeting the host society 

Stressing the importance of involving society as a whole, integration is defined at EU level as 
a  dynamic  two-way  process  of  mutual  accommodation  by  all  immigrants  and  citizens  of 
Member  States16.  As  Europe  becomes  increasingly  diverse,  measures  targeting  its  societies 
are crucial to support understanding and co-existence between different cultural identities to 
ensure well-being. This is not possible without the full commitment of all members of society, 
as June 2007 Council Conclusions and June 2008 Communication highlighted. 

At EU level numerous initiatives explore the issue of migration-related diversity and how to 
manage it. The INTI technical seminars 'Mass Media and Integration', Vienna, 6-7 November 
2007, 'Awareness-raising and migrant empowerment', Athens, 31 March – 1 April 2008 and 
'Dialogue  Platforms',  Dublin,  15-16  May  2008  enabled  experts  to  share  successful 
experiences and identify good practices to be presented in a chapter of the forthcoming third 
edition of the Handbook on Integration. At the local level, Integrating Cities conferences held 
in  Rotterdam  in  October  2006  and  in  Milan  in  November  2007  established  transnational 
cooperation  between  municipal  stakeholders  in  the  field  of  integration17  and  the  European 
Network Cities for Local Integration Policy CLIP was set up to share good practice on a wide 
range of integration-related issues including the role of local authorities18. The 2008 European 
Year  of  Intercultural  Dialogue  launched  many  major  initiatives  at  EU  and  national  level 

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www.integrationindex.eu 
As it is the case in some Member States, COM/2007/512 
See also up-coming Report on the application of Directive 2003/86 on the right to family reunification 
CBP 1 
www.integratingcities.nl/ e www.integratingcities.it/  
www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/populationandsociety/clip.htm 

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focusing also on migration-related issues to promote the sense of being together in diversity 
including  a  public  debate  focused  on  the  impact  of  migration  on  intercultural  dialogue 
(Brussels,  5  March 2008), three transnational  projects tackling integration at local level and 
involving  cooperation  of  stakeholders  and  numerous  projects  at  national  level  addressing 
integration-related  issues  and  intercultural  dialogue19.  Moreover,  campaigns  to  raise 
awareness on immigration and to enhance the capacity of public institutions and the media to 
adequately reflect and manage migration-related diversity in society were launched with the 
financial  support  of  Integration  Fund  Community  Actions  2007.  Up-coming  instruments  to 
further  engage  both  immigrants  and  the  host  population  in  integration-related  initiatives 
include, as foreseen by the Common Agenda in 2005, the launch of an integration website as 
one  stop-shop  for  all  stakeholders  in  Europe  and  the  establishment  of  the  European 
Integration  Forum,  in  co-operation  with  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee,  to 
involve organised civil society at EU level in the integration debate. 

Immigrants cannot be active participants in the day-to-day life of European societies if they 
are  not  given  real  opportunities  to  play  a  positive  role.  Ensuring  that  immigrants  are 
welcomed for the contributions they make to our society and that they are encouraged to play 
a  key  part  in  it,  is  crucial  to  creating  an  inclusive  community  based  on  mutual  respect  and 
tolerance  within  the  clear  boundaries  set  by  law  and  EU  common  values.  This  long-term 
challenge requires further efforts.  

Improving the capacity of public institutions to adjust to migration-related diversity is crucial 
to  removing  structural  barriers  against  the  empowerment  of  immigrants.  This  can  be 
best achieved by strengthening intercultural competences, as relating to key competences for 
life  long  learning20,  and  facilitating  access  to  public  and  private  services,  for  example  by 
creating one-stop-shops or providing information in different languages and promoting skills 
to access digital services. 

At the same time, we need to take measures targeting the host society and involving the 
media  to  foster  understanding  of  immigration.  Interaction  between  immigrants  and  the 
host  population,  including  volunteering  or  mentoring  schemes  and  measures  to  combat 
racism,  xenophobia  and  discrimination21  are  of  key  importance  to  enhance  the  mutual 
accommodation  process.  Awareness-raising  activities  including  celebration  days,  festivals, 
events  on  migration  and  diversity,  information  campaigns  and  television  and  radio 
programmes  addressing  migration-related  issues  and  media  coverage  of  important  get-
together events, also contribute to this process.  

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21 

www.dialogue2008.eu 
Which  should  be  included  in  training  and  recruitment  of  officials,  see  Council  Conclusions  on 
Intercultural Competences of 21 May 2008 and Recommendation of the European Parliament and the 
Council of 18 December 2006 
Many  initiatives  are  in  place  at  EU  level  including  the  on-going  campaign  'For  diversity.  Against 
Discrimination',  the  national  awareness-raising  activities  under  the  Community  Action  Programme  to 
combat  discrimination,  a  Commission  inter-service  group  against  racism  and  xenophobia,  Directive 
2000/43 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic 
origin,  Directive  2000/78  establishing  a  general  framework  for  equal  treatment  in  employment  and 
occupation,  the  Proposal  for  a  Directive  on  implementing  the  principle  of  equal  treatment  between 
persons  irrespective  of  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or  sexual  orientation  COM/2008/426  and  the 
Communication Non-discrimination and equal opportunities: A renewed commitment COM/2008/420. 
See 
and 
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/rights/discrimination/fsj_rights_discrim_en.htm 

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/legis/legln_en.htm 

also 

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2.3. Prevention of social alienation 

Social  alienation,  discrimination  and  isolation  are  certainly  not  linked  exclusively  to 
immigration.  However,  integration  policies  specifically  targeted  at  third-country  nationals 
could  make  an  important  contribution  to  the  empowerment  of  immigrants,  their  active 
participation in the host society and to counteracting their marginalisation. In particular, the 
engagement of civil society to reach local communities and young people is crucial to avoid 
isolation. 

Following  Council  Conclusions  on  integration  of  June  2007,  a  German  led  initiative  is 
gathering  together  interested  Member  States  to  begin  a  regular  exchange  of  experience  on 
intercultural dialogue as an instrument for fostering integration in consultation with the NCPs. 
Sub-group meetings will be organised as workshops to discuss issues of common concern and 
at least one NCPs' meeting a year will be dedicated to this specific subject. Moreover, under 
the  2008  European  Year  on  Intercultural  Dialogue,  a  comprehensive  study  on  Sharing 
Diversity  –  National  approaches  to  intercultural  dialogue  in  Europe22  already  provides 
extensive  information  on  the  different  national  situations  on  the  broad  issue  of  intercultural 
dialogue. These initiatives contribute to the more specific work undertaken in the context of 
the EU Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment23. 

As  stressed  by  June  2007  Council  Conclusions,  it  is  important  to  explore  further  how 
integration policies can help prevent social alienation by fostering immigrants' empowerment 
and  putting  the  focus  on  the  benefits  that  successful  integration  brings  for  host  society  and 
immigrants alike. A lack of a sense of belonging, especially among young people, could be 
linked to identity crisis and interact with other risk factors24 that might in extreme cases lead 
to the rejection of the host society or to vulnerability to violence. 

Intercultural  and  inter-  and  intra-  religious  dialogues  are  powerful  instruments  for 
fighting racism, xenophobia, discrimination25 and isolation of immigrants. Analysis and 
exchange of experience on intercultural and inter- and intra- religious platforms and strategies 
supporting  intercultural  dialogue  initiatives  on  a  structured  basis,  including  the  creation  of 
common spaces and activities at the local level, are key to fostering integration. A sustainable 
and  cross-sector  approach  to  intercultural  dialogue  needs  to  be  developed  to  strengthen 
intercultural  competences  by  supporting  initiatives  in  education,  culture,  youth  and 
audiovisual policies and enhancing the concept of intercultural dialogue in all other relevant 
policies. In particular, it is necessary to pay special attention to engage proactively with young 
people considering also the frequent use of new online social media26. 

2.4. Common European modules for integration 

To  promote  successful  strategies  for  integration  policies,  different  aspects  of  the  integration 
process  were  studied  and  various  integration  measures  put  into  practice  at  EU  and  national 

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http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc537_en.htm 
These include the funding of four comparative studies, a report by the Commission's Expert Group on 
Violent  Radicalisation  (May  2008),  a  mapping  of  Member  States'  policies  and  a  conference (October 
2007) on the role of education in preventing radicalisation 
Such  as  exclusion  from  the  labour  market,  poverty,  social  exclusion  and  discrimination.  See  also 
Renewed Social Agenda COM/2008/412 
See footnote 21 
ICT, Social Capital and Cultural Diversity www.jrc.es/publications/pub.cfm?id=1534 

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level27.  It  is  now  necessary  to  identify  in  more  detail  the  elements  of  success  and  failure  of 
these initiatives and to capitalise on these valuable experiences to develop common European 
modules for migrant integration as requested by June 2007 Council Conclusions. 

The  integration  process  is  characterised  by  various  key  dimensions  identified  in  the  eleven 
CBPs. The Common Agenda made suggestions to put them into practice providing a number 
of instruments, including financial programmes, to facilitate the process. The knowledge and 
experience  gained  through  the  successful  process  of  elaborating,  together  with  the  NCPs, 
experts, practitioners and non-governmental stakeholders, three editions of the Handbook on 
Integration  provide  the  primary  foundation  for  these  common  modules.  These  are  in  fact  a 
natural  evolution  of  the  Handbook  exercise  for  the  identification  of  good  practice.  The 
agreement  on  a  number  of  different  elements  of  integration  measures,  recognised  as 
successful  and  suitable  to  form  part  of  a  specific  integration  module,  will  represent  added 
value  through  systematising  different  national  experiences  on  integration.  The  creation  of 
common European modules will form an established but flexible point of reference that can 
be  adapted  to  different  contexts  contributing  to  the  successful  design  of  integration 
programmes across Europe.  

Common  European  modules  will  be  the  building blocks for comprehensive integration 
strategies covering the various aspects of the integration process. Different modules will 
focus  on  different  aspects  of  the  integration  process  according  to  the  CBPs  and  will  be  a 
flexible  tool  at  the  disposal  of  policy  makers  and  practitioners  when  designing  specific 
integration  programmes,  including  for  newly  arrived  immigrants  as  mentioned  in  the  June 
2008 Communication. For example, to set up a language course for immigrants, the relevant 
module will give useful practical indications for the successful implementation of the courses 
such  as  the  organisation  of  lessons  in  flexible  hours  or  the  possibility  of  child  care  for 
immigrants' parents, etc.  

In particular, the first modules will start by addressing the key issues identified by the June 
2008  Communication  and  the  up-coming  Ministerial  Conference  on  Integration  and  the 
European  Immigration  Pact,  including  organisation  of  language  courses  for  newly-arrived 
immigrants,  organisation  of  civic  courses  on  the  host  society's  history,  institutions  and  the 
common  shared  values  of  the  EU,  promotion  of  the  participation  of  immigrants  and  other 
citizens  in  local  life,  establishment  of  effective  school  programmes  for  integration  of 
immigrant pupils. The process of defining in detail their form and content will be carried out 
in  consultation  with  experts,  to  provide  for  further  technical  discussion,  and  coordinated 
through the NCPs. 

2.5. Evaluation of integration policies 

To  effectively  shape  policies  and  improve  performance  by  learning  from  the  highest 
standards,  yardsticks  relating  to  various  aspects  of  integration  are  crucially  needed.  The 
Commission  intends  to  design  specific  indicators  for  integration  strategies  to  monitor  and 
evaluate  outcomes  and  deliverables  of  policies,  rather  than  simple  outputs,  and  provide  for 
comparative  analysis  as  indicated  by  June  2007  Council  Conclusions  and  June  2008 
Communication. 

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COM/2007/512 

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Different instruments are currently in place for the development of common indexes. The first 
edition  of  the  Handbook  included  a  chapter  on  indicators  which  showed  the  importance  of 
their  use  in  public  policy  and  integration  programmes  and  the  second  edition  explored  the 
issue  of  planning  and  evaluating  policies  as  a  key  element  of  integration  governance.  INTI 
projects  such  as  the  Migrant  Integration  Policy  Index  by  British  Council,  Benchmarking 
Integration Governance in European Cities by Eurocities and Migrants' Integration Territorial 
Index  by  Idos  selected  methodologies  to  provide  comparable  information  and  ranking 
frameworks  for  integration  policies. Moreover, the Annexes to the three Annual Reports on 
Migration  and  Integration28  provided  an  overview  of  policy  developments  and  helped  to 
evaluate  and  strengthen  integration  measures.  Developing  indicators  and  evaluation 
methodologies  for  assessing  progress,  adjusting  policies  and  facilitating  co-ordinated 
comparative learning is also a priority of the European Integration Fund to be implemented by 
Member  States.  Therefore,  national  programmes  would  also  provide  possible  indicators  to 
assess integration strategies. In addition, Integration Fund Community Actions 2008 support 
the  development  and  application  of  common  statistical  tools,  methods  and  indicators  for 
measuring policy developments.  

information 

integration-related 

A  number  of  integration  policy  solutions  accompanied  by  the  development  of  tools  for 
evaluation  were  implemented  across  Member  States.  The  capacity  to  collect,  analyse  and 
disseminate 
should  now  be  enhanced  more 
systematically.  Common  specific  indicators  for  integration  policies  will  be  designed 
according  to  the  CBPs  in  cooperation  with  the NCPs  and  other  experts,  ensuring  coherence 
with other exercises at EU level29. They could also provide the European Integration Forum 
with an opportunity to discuss integration measures at EU level to address possible shortfalls 
revealed  by  them.  Results  generated  by  these  common  integration  indicators  will  be 
accessible through the up-coming integration website by making constantly available country 
fiches to ensure the up-to-date nature of the information that can be easily and timely revised 
to grasp the rapidly evolving policy developments. 

3. 

EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EDUCATION AS KEY TO THE 
PARTICIPATION OF IMMIGRANTS IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES 

As underlined by the June 2008 Communication, immigrants should be given the chance to 
participate  and  develop  their  full  potential.  In  order  to  make  this  happen  special  attention 
should  be  paid  to  promote  measures  to  strengthen  the  integration  of  immigrants  into  the 
labour market, in the host society and in the educational systems. 

It is generally recognised that employment is a key part of the integration process and is 
central  to  the  participation  of  immigrants,  to  the  contribution  they  make  to  the  host  society 
and to making such contribution visible30. Facilitating access to the labour market is crucial 
for  the  empowerment  of  immigrants,  especially  women  and  young  people.  The  recent 
Communication  from  the  Commission  on  a  'Renewed  Social  Agenda:  Opportunity,  Access 
and  Solidarity  in  21st  Century  Europe'31  stressed  that  creating  opportunities  means  ensuring 

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29 

30 
31 

COM/2004/508 and SEC/2006/892 
Such as the Open Method of Coordination in social protection and social inclusion and in education and 
training systems 
CBP 3 
COM/2008/412 

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the chances for all to develop their own potential while respecting Europe's diversity, tackling 
both  overt  and  indirect  discrimination  and  fighting  racism  and  xenophobia.  The  effective 
integration  of  immigrants  into  the  labour  market  is  also  an  important  contribution  to  the 
Lisbon targets for jobs and growth. The European Employment Strategy32 provides initiatives 
that  aim  to  upgrade  and  adapt  migrant  skills  and  qualifications.  Within  this  context,  the 
European Social Fund33 foresees specific support to labour market integration34.  

However, as stressed also in the June 2008 Communication, integration of immigrants into the 
labour market remains a major challenge. The creation of businesses by ethnic minorities and 
migrants,  especially  women,  should  be  fostered  by  recognising  their  special  support  needs 
within  the  existing  structures35.  Easier  recognition  of  diplomas36  should  be  encouraged,  as 
should  anti-discrimination  measures37.  In  response  to  the  2008  Spring  European  Council 
request for a comprehensive assessment of future skills needs up to 2020, the new skills for 
new jobs initiative will provide information about training opportunities and location choices. 
In addition, the June 2008 Communication also put forward concrete proposals for enhancing 
the  knowledge-based  economy  of  Europe,  advancing  economic  growth  and  meeting  labour 
market requirements. These include developing immigration profiles, based on assessments of 
future  skills  requirements  in  Europe,  that  give  an  integrated  vision  of  the  immigration 
situation within each Member State at a given moment as well as preventing unemployment 
through education and training. 

Migrants face a higher risk of poverty than the rest of the population and specific obstacles in 
accessing  housing,  health  care  and  financial  services.  This  situation,  compounded  by 
discrimination,  is  hampering  their  full  participation  in  society.  Social  inclusion  and  the 
effective  access  to  social  protection  play  an  instrumental  role  in  the  successful 
integration of migrants. The June 2008 Communication stressed the need to strengthen the 
mainstreaming approach of integration in all relevant policy areas including in the European 
Strategy  for  Social  Inclusion38.  It  also  highlighted  the  need  for  non-discriminatory  and 
effective  access  by  legal  immigrants  to  health  care  and  social  protection39,  as  well  as  the 
effective application of EU law providing third-country nationals with the same treatment as 
EU  nationals  as  regards  the  coordination  of  social  security  schemes  across  the  EU40.  The 

32 
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35 
36 

37 
38 

39 

40 

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_strategy/index_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/esf/ 
Other initiatives include a High Level Advisory Group on Social Integration of Ethnic Minorities and 
their  Full  Participation  in  the  Labour  Market  analysing  labour  market  barriers  and  exchanging  good 
practice,  the  Integrated  Guidelines  calling  for  Member  States  to  consider  immigrants'  integration  into 
EU  labour  markets  (COM/2006/815),  annual  Joint  Employment  Reports  monitoring  the  impact  of 
national  reform  programmes  (Council  document  6706/07),  an  Ethnic  Minority  Entrepreneurship 
Network and a study on good practice investigating how to overcome difficulties in setting up business 
(http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/migrant/index.htm),  a  chapter  of  the 
second edition of the Handbook on Integration addressing economic integration  
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/support_measures/migrant/index.htm 
As regards recognition of qualifications within the EU see 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/rec_qual_en.html 
Directive 2000/78 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation 
Open  Method  of  Coordination 
inclusion: 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/the_process_en.htm 
Equal and fair access to health care and social protection for all are key objectives of the OMC on social 
inclusion and social protection 
Regulation 859/2003 extends the provisions of Regulation 1408/71 to third-country nationals who are 
legally residing in the EU and in a cross border situation. In July 2007, Commission adopted a proposal 

social  protection 

(OMC)  on 

social 

and 

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social inclusion of migrants is an established key priority of EU social inclusion strategy. In 
this context, the Commission proposed focusing the 2010 thematic year of the strategy on the 
social aspects of migration.  

Finally, as stressed again in the June 2008 Communication, education and training provide 
tools  for  improving  the  level  of  successful  attainments  and  contribute  to  establishing 
cultural  bridges  for  a  more  cohesive  society.  Comprehensive  integration  policies  include 
education and training as fundamental elements in empowering immigrants to become active 
participants  in  society41.  The  European  Council  of  13-14  March  200842  called  on  Member 
States  to  support  the  improvement  of  immigrants'  achievement  levels  and  the  2008  Joint 
Report on the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme43 stated 
that  the  educational  challenges  of  immigrant  pupils  require  further  attention44.  Recently  the 
Commission  published  the  Green  Paper  on  migration  &  mobility:  challenges  and 
opportunities  for  EU  education  systems45  exploring  causes  and  identifying  measures  to 
address  these  educational  challenges  together  with  the  stakeholders  active  in  this  area.  The 
European Integration Fund also supports integration measures targeted at immigrant pupils. 

Immigrant  children  and  young  people  face  specific  challenges  that  need  special 
attention.  In  particular,  they  tend  to  have  poorer  school  results  than  other  pupils46,  as 
highlighted by the Green Paper. Targeted language classes and tuition, initiatives promoting 
respect for diversity in the educational environment and support for teachers and parents are 
among the measures to be promoted to facilitate integration at school. The up-coming INTI 
technical seminar on Immigrant Youth, Education and the Labour Market (Lisbon, November 
2008) will contribute to the on-going public debate launched by the Green Paper by bringing 
together  experts  to  identify  good  practices  for  effective  measures  in  this  area  which  will  be 
presented in a chapter of the forthcoming third edition of the Handbook for Integration. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Migration-related  diversity  is  increasingly  a  characteristic  of  European  societies  and  it  is 
becoming essential for all immigrants and EU citizens to benefit from the prosperity that 
well  managed  immigration  brings.  As  certain  aspects  of  the  integration  process  gain  in 
importance,  new  challenges  arise  and  need  to  be  addressed  effectively.  The  June  2008 
Communication stressed that greater political commitment is needed in the context of the new 
common methodology for immigration governance. Cooperation at EU level should now go 
beyond  the  exchange  of  information  and  practice.  The  up-coming  European  Pact  on 
Immigration  and  the  imminent  Ministerial  Conference  on  Integration  in  Vichy  will  also 
provide a crucial contribution to shaping the agenda of future immigration policies in the EU 
including integration.  

extending the provisions of Regulation 883/04, which will replace Regulation 1408/71, to third-country 
nationals who are legally residing in the EU and in a cross border situation, COM/2007/439 
CBP 5 
Council document 7652/1/08 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/et_2010_en.html 
Other initiatives at EU level to promote educational measures also for immigrants include the Lifelong 
Learning  Programme  (Comenius,  Leonardo  da  Vinci  and  Grundtvig)  and  the  Youth  support  projects 
related  to  intercultural  education,  school  integration  of  migrant  pupils  and  social  inclusion  for 
disadvantaged youth. See COM/2008/423 
COM/2008/423 
PISA 2006, OECD 

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43 
44 

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As highlighted, the issues of  participation and citizenship, management  of  migration-related 
diversity  and  evaluation  and  monitoring  of  integration  policies,  all  require  immediate 
attention.  Future  concrete  and  ambitious  strategies  will  focus  on  the  new  integration 
priorities  identified  by  the  June  2008  Communication  and  by  the  up-coming  Ministerial 
Conference and the European Pact on Immigration. In particular, integration into the labour 
market,  social  inclusion  and  education  will,  together  with  language  and  civic  courses,  anti-
discrimination,  equal  opportunities  and  diversity  management,  be  the  object  of  future 
initiatives further developing the mainstreaming approach which encompasses all integration-
related policy areas at EU level. 

As provided for in the Common Agenda, the European Integration Forum will soon bring 
together stakeholders from civil society to inform the policy-making process creating a venue 
where  the  voices  of  immigrants  can  be  heard  and  researchers  can  share  their  analysis.  The 
website on integration will also provide an EU-wide platform for networking on integration 
by establishing a documentation facility, a gathering point for good practice and an instrument 
for the direct exchange of information among stakeholders.  

Moreover,  in  line  with  the  call  of  the  up-coming  European  Pact  on  Immigration,  the 
Commission  will  put  forward  a  proposal,  in  the  context  of  the  further  development  of  the 
common immigration policy, to structure, monitor and evaluate integration policies to further 
facilitate the implementation of the CBPs and the improvement of integration strategies across 
Europe contributing to the final aim of creating a more inclusive and cohesive society. 

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