Brussels, 05/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On the sidelines of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the EU, on Thursday 5 June signed joint declarations on mobility partnerships with Moldova and Cape Verde. These partnerships, currently in a pilot phase, are a new instrument to better manage migration flows. They are based on concrete cooperation with third countries and include a number of migration- and development-related projects.
The main objective of all partner countries is active cooperation on joint projects to improve the management of migration flows and reinforce institutional development. These initiatives also seek, in particular, to maximise the benefits of migration for development and attenuate the negative effects of the emigration of workers, particularly the highly qualified, by encouraging circular migration, the return and re-insertion of these people. Before the end of the year, partnerships will also be in place with Senegal and Georgia. The Commission will present a report on mobility partnerships before the end of June 2009. (B.C.)