Brussels, 14/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 March, the European Commission announced that a European Migration Policy Centre (EMPC) would be opened this coming autumn to serve as a new platform for research and the development of policies in the field of migratory management. “Although well-managed migration is beneficial for the European Union, it can also be a major challenge. Europe must, therefore, be able to count on research” in this field, said Immigration Commissioner Franco Frattini in a press release. In his view, the mission of the new migratory policy centre will be to translate the results of research into realistic recommendations, thus helping to guide Europe's policy choices for the future. The European University Institute of Florence (IUE) will set up the new centre. It will anchor management of the EMPC from a base in the Robert Schuman Centre. The EMPC will receive IUE financial support, external funding from private and public sources, and contributions will be made by sponsoring institutions and foundations. The Commission is reviewing the possibilities for European Union funding. (B.C.)