Brussels, 06/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 7 June, the European Commission is to adopt a raft of legislative proposals and communications on migration, including a partnership agenda with third countries in order to encourage them - especially financially - to manage irregular migration.
Proposals on the integration of migrants will also be unveiled, as will a review of the Blue Card Directive that allows highly qualified workers from third countries to reside and work in the EU member states and to enjoy the same conditions as European workers.
The partnership agenda with the third countries will be brought by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans. According to British newspaper the Financial Times, the agenda is reportedly about developing partnerships around the trade and visa liberalisation system with countries such as Niger, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon. The Commission will reportedly propose increasing funds up to €60 billion, including with the private sector, in order to conduct this policy, and will reportedly already propose the use of €8 billion over four years in order to help these countries better regulate migration flows.
The Commission had not confirmed these elements on Monday 6 June. Several days earlier, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen had said that the Commission wanted to build on the positive experience of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the financial arm of the Juncker plan, in order to facilitate innovative investments in developing countries. Mogherini had already spoken of this initiative at the Foreign Affairs Council at the end of May. She had said that the plan would contain financial incentives for these countries in Africa and the Middle East. The plan is partly inspired by an Italian initiative that has become known as the “migration pact” and that is based on the principle of investing in the African countries from which the migrants originate (see EUROPE 11533).
As regards visas, discussions in the Commission are reportedly focusing on mobility issues but not necessarily on liberalisation regimes, a source stated. However, the principle of financially encouraging these countries to keep migrants in their home countries and offering them socio-economic prospects is part of the plan even if the objective is to have a comprehensive strategy, the same source stated.
The Commission is also working on the readmission of migrants who are in an irregular situation in the EU. This will not automatically move to readmission agreements to be negotiated but the communication is expected to underline the third countries' respect of their duties under the reintegration of their nationals on their soil.
Successfully integrating legal migrants. On Tuesday, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos is to present an action plan on the integration of third country nationals into the EU member states, but without drawing up lists of actions to be conducted on a country-by-country basis. Announced in early April, this plan was discussed at the last General Affairs Council as part of the debate on the rule of law, during which the ministers had spoken about the link between fundamental rights and migrant integration (see EUROPE 11557). The ministers had underlined the measures for access to jobs or education, and in return the respect by migrants of the values of the countries where they go to live.
The review of the European Blue Card Directive (2009/50) was announced in September 2015. This single residence and work permit for highly qualified third country workers is under-used except in Germany. The objective of the legislative revision will be to facilitate the ways of issuing it and to simplify the rules for the member states as a whole. For employers, it will be about helping reduce red tape. The mobility between countries will also be facilitated, on condition the workers concerned have a contract, or other proof of work, in another member state. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)