Brussels, 14/06/2005 (Agence Europe) Opening the hearing held by the European Commission in Brussels on Tuesday as part of consultations on its Green Paper on legal immigration, Commissioner Franco Frattini reiterated the Commission's working programme and the forthcoming presentation, in July, of a communication on measures to be taken to create an efficient host policy, without prejudice to the diversity of national choices in terms of social integration policies. Having stressed that the Commission has received more than 120 written contributions since its Green Paper was published, the Commissioner quoted a number of "important messages". Among these are the need for better use of and increased levels of training for the labour force already present on the European territory. The training of workers is a major challenge for their integration. Franco Frattini also raised the very real problem presented today by the limitation clause on the establishment of workers from the new Member States of the EU, a problem which must be overcome (see EUROPE 8967 on the subject of recent votes within the EP). The Commissioner then referred to the creation of a "European Green Card", on the basis of a reciprocal information system between the Member States and the debate on the link between work, duration of stay and circulation within the Union. Raising the needs of businesses, which may lead to a worker being transferred from one production centre to another, Mr Frattini said that "work and residence permits should be intrinsically linked". However, he stressed that although many are in favour of a single application for working and residence permits, the "single permit" does not have unanimous approval. Lastly, Franco Frattini reiterated the importance the Commission attaches to the reduction of the disparities, in order to phase in the equal rights for workers from third countries and community workers.
"Migration is part of our reality, and given forecasts for demographic evolution, it is also a need. Its importance, therefore, is only going to grow", said the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Employment and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla, starting his address. Putting together a few observations which have emerged from the consultation on this Green Paper (focusing on the consequences of migration for the employment market and demographic change in the EU), Mr Spidla noted: 1) third country nationals should be granted access to the recruitment support network for labour at European level (EURES). "The aim of this network is to facilitate the free movement of workers throughout the European Economic Area", said Mr Spidla, adding that this EURES portal could include not only information on access to the labour market in the various Member States, but also data on "workers available in third countries"; 2) on access to the labour market, the majority of Member States feel that the principle of community preference should be maintained. However, their opinions differ on its scope. For example, Vladimir Spidla noted, it appears that "the community preference could be applied to people who have already worked in one of the Member States of the EU, but who have left it temporarily"; 3) much remains to be done about obstacles which currently exist to the free movement of workers within the Union. "Mainly affected are workers from the new Member Estates, although various obstacles also remain for citizens from the old Member States", said the Commissioner; 4) an efficient integration policy for immigrants is absolutely necessary, because "this policy alone will be able to ensure that future immigration is an appropriate response to the demographic challenges of Europe", Mr Spidla concluded.
German Christian Democrat Ewa Klamt, who was asked to put together a report on the Green Paper for the European Parliament, stressed that the acceptance of legal immigration depends on the capacity to stop illegal immigration and to carry out a "coherent policy of returning people to the border". All national decisions (she referred to the example of Spain, which recently regularised the situations of a great many illegal immigrants) have knock-on effects for the whole of the Union, Ms Klamt stressed, pleading in favour of a community approach and greater co-operation, but also for much greater flexibility. She feels that the creation of a European policy should be done in stages, starting with minimal prescriptions to be implemented at national level.
It is worth noting that the Green Paper was presented jointly by Commissioners Frattini and Spidla at the Employment/Social Policy Council of 2 June in Luxembourg, (see EUROPE 8962).