Brussels, 11/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - As expected, on the initiative of Antonio Vitorino, on Wednesday the Commission approved a draft directive on "conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of paid employment and self-employed economic activity", and, at the same time, proposed a "mechanism for open cooperation for Community immigration policy" (see EUROPE of 11 July, p.8). "Today, the Commission has begun respecting the undertakings of its communication of last November by which it launched a wide-ranging debate on asylum and immigration (see EUROPE of 23 November, p.13). We have managed to set up a framework that will enable Member States to be open and transparent in their immigration policy. We need an evaluation of the advantage that a legal immigration flow provides", Commissioner Antonio Vitorino declared when presenting this new "package" to the press.
The draft directive for the first time defines common criteria in all Member States and a single procedure, simplified and transparent, through the introduction of a single document (entry and residence) while laying down the rights of third-country nationals. At the same time, in the respect of subsidiarity, Mr. Vitorino said that it was Member States that "must decide on the number of immigrants on their territory, as they alone can know their absorption capacity". The proposal offers a fairly flexible legal framework to take account of differences in the evolution of the labour markets (notably, sectoral and regional) and should meet the demands already manifested by European employers while fully respecting the rights of legal immigrants, say Commission sources. It thus proposes the following provisions: 1) definition of a four-week period for an employer to check the availability, on the EC labour market, of candidates for a vacant position; 2) possibility for Member States to undertake specific programmes to respond the sectoral deficits (green card, or equivalent measure); 3) possibility, at national level, of further opening up access to third-country nationals to certain positions for which the high remuneration demonstrates the high degree of specialisation; 4) possibility for employers to provide a contribution to programmes aimed at integrating and/or training job applicants from third countries.
At the same time, the Commission proposes using the open coordination method so as to verify coherence in the development of the policies of Member States, and formulate an initial series of guidelines in the fields of the management of migratory flows, including combating illegal immigration, the admission of economic migrants, partnership with third countries and the integration of migrants. This method, based on information exchange and good practice, "is the added value at Community level", commented Vitorino. "For us, emigration is no panacea to settle the problems of the ageing of the population or to fill vacant positions. We want a good employment policy and a good immigration policy. Immigration is neither a problem nor a solution, it's a reality that has to be well managed", said Mr. Vitorino. The Commissioner hopes "that an initial assessment will be made on the occasion of the conference organised by the Belgian Presidency on 16 and 17 October in view of political conclusions to be drawn at the Laeken Summit".
Speaking to the press, Vitorino stipulated that the draft directive was also aimed at nationals from candidate countries. "Should this proposal be adopted, the candidate countries should be involved in the exercise even before their membership", he went on.
Regarding the conclusions of the work of the Sussmuth Committee set up in Germany on the status of refugees (see EUROPE of 9/10 July, p.18), Antonio Vitorino considered that "its proposals were very useful and in line with the Commission's". Finally, as to whether this "package" would change the life of an immigrant, the Commissioner replied: "There will be three changes: 1) transparency in the legal immigration channels; 2) information on the possibility of employment for third-country nationals (for example, through the EURES network); 3) the abolition of a series of bureaucratic obstacles (in case of arrival in the EU, the two permits - residency and working - would be issued at the same time)".