Labour market performance and migration flows - European ...

European CommissionOccasional Paper 60, Volume IAbstractThe paper proposes to analyse to what extent emerging EU common immigration policy, including theEU’s new “Global Approach to Migration” can match the Euro-Arab Mediterranean labour market’sneeds and demands while fostering and consolidating cooperation in the Euro-Arab Mediterraneancontext.To this end, the paper outlines and assesses, in its first section, the gradual emergence of aharmonised EU framework on economic migration. More particularly, it sheds light on the generalcontext of EU migration policy, probes into the development of a common labour migrationstrategy, and then analyses the nexus between the Global Approach to Migration and economicimmigration policy since 2005.In the second section, the paper reassesses the current tools and instruments aimed at implementingthe Global Approach to Migration and examines whether they are applicable to ArabMediterranean Countries. It discusses in detail the dynamics and trends of highly-skilled migrationin the Euro-Mediterranean context and evaluates the pertinence and added value of the Blue Card.It also looks at how temporary migration schemes and integration policies might evolve into viableinstruments while incorporating the Global Approach into the Euro-Arab Mediterranean context.In the third section, the paper evaluates whether and to what extent the Euro-MediterraneanPartnership, as a multilateral framework for relations between the EU and Arab MediterraneanCountries, has integrated migration issues, and to what extent the European Neighborhood Policy,which gave new impetus to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, embodies at bilateral and regionallevels the Global Approach to Migration.In its final part, the paper offers some conclusions regarding EU labour immigration policy and itspotential and expected impact in Arab Mediterranean Countries. Moreover, it highlights somerecommendations and policy options for reinvigorating present tools and policy tracks in the Euro-Arab Mediterranean region. More precisely, the paper recommends the emergence of clearermigration orientation line at the EU level with a view to adopting a more coherent and consensualapproach towards Arab Mediterranean Countries. It also advocates refining and improving thecomprehensiveness as well as the specificity of the Global Approach to Migration by developingcertain tailored policies to the region and devising specific institutional and legal tools adapted toEU-Arab Mediterranean labour mobility. Moreover, the paper advocates the contextualisation ofthe Global Approach to Migration at a bilateral level between EU member states and ArabMediterranean Countries and recommends monitoring current and previous bilateral experiences soas to evaluate costs and benefits as well as extract best practices for cooperation.160