EESC opinion: Management of migration flows

Key points:

The Committee:

• supports the proposal to set up a European Fund for the Integration of Third-country Nationals for the period 2007-2013, a European Refugee Fund following on from the existing fund, and an External Borders Fund;
• asks the Council to examine and adopt together the draft Communication defining the framework of the general programme “Solidarity and management of migration flows” and the decisions setting up specific funds for implementing the general programme;
• calls upon the Commission to take account of the EESC’s recommendations in its action plan linked with the Hague Programme;

recommends that the Council and the Commission:

• ensures the transparency of operation of these new structural funds by making an explicit connection between the Hague Programme and the Communication under consideration;
• include practical provisions in the decisions setting up these various funds to ensure that non-state operators are associated at as early a stage as possible in the annual and multi-annual framework of guidelines drawn up by the Member States and by the Commission itself.