Labour market performance and migration flows - European ...

European CommissionOccasional Paper 60, Volume IAlthough the EU Commission highlighted the necessity of linking EU competitiveness with labourmigration and providing more rights to third-country nationals, this proposal – although dulyacknowledged by the EU Council – did not result in immediate concrete action. 130 Anotherimportant point to highlight is that since decisions relating to migration were taken on a unanimitybasis, controversial issues that did not enjoy full consensus were relegated.The Seville Council in 2002 focused on fighting against irregular migration and stressedreadmission, hence emphasising member states’ preoccupations with migration governance andsecurity issues rather than with economic immigration. The Conclusions of the Council aimedspecifically at incorporating third countries as EU partners in migration management. Thus, theconclusions urged that EU cooperation with third countries include a clause entailing jointmigration management, and readmission in the case of illegal migration.However, the Thessaloniki European Council in 2003 tones down this approach. In addition tostressing the necessity of creating common frameworks on visa policies and documents of thirdcountrynationals, the council focuses explicitly on integration policies, and argues that migrantintegration leads to social cohesiveness and welfare. 131 Nevertheless, there is no emphasis oncreating new legal migration channels, and focus is directed towards the integration of existingmigrants.On the other hand, more emphasis is laid – especially in the communications of the EuropeanCommission – on strengthening the link between labour migration and integration policies, whilsttaking into account the EU’s job and skill shortages: integration becomes “even more importantand topical today as the economic and social aspects of demographic ageing become moresignificant”. Hence, “access to the EU employment market for immigrants and refugees” nowembodies “an essential component of the integration process.” 132Another important development was the Green Paper adopted by the EC on an EU approach tomanaging economic migration which aims at convincing EU institutions, EU member states andcivil society actors of the positive impact of recruiting third-country nationals. 133 The HagueProgramme, 134 adopted in 2004 and active until 2010, further stresses the need to develop policiesfor the integration of legal migrants. Employment is specifically recognized as a key prerequisitefor the integration of third-country nationals.Assessing these developments we conclude that a milestone in the development of a common EUmigration policy and associated labour considerations is the gradual – albeit precarious – linking ofEU labour strategy with migration and integration policies. In the light of these attempts atreforming the EU economic agenda, it was inevitable that the link between immigration andemployment needed to be enhanced and that reducing employment gaps in the EU meant devisingimmigration and integration policies tailoring EU needs. In order to increase and manage thefreedom of movement of labour, more effort had to be made to ensure the existence of rights andfacilities “by community law” (Vandamme: 2004, 441). This is why more sophisticated legislativeinstruments were devised in order to regulate labour movement and to give access to employment130 In 2001, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive dealing with “the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of paid employment and selfemployedeconomic activities”. However, the directive has not been adopted.131 The Communication on immigration, integration and employment consecrated the need for developing a common migration governance approach so as to address the needs of theEuropean labour market. See for instance, Commission issues Communication on immigration, integration and employment, 2003,http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2003/07/inbrief/eu0307201n.htm.132 Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on immigration,integration and employment( COM/2003/0336 final), http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/integration/fsj_immigration_integration_en.htm.133 European Commission, Green Paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration, (COM (2004) 811 final, Brussels, 1.11. 2005.134 The Hague Programme outlines 10 objectives for the European Union so as to strengthen the area of freedom, security and justice in the next five years. For more information, see “TheHague Programme: 10 priorities for the next five years” http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/human_rights/fundamental_rights_within_european_union/l16002_en.htm.168