The Committee welcomes the communication from the European Commission and considers it is a significant step further in understanding and tackling the challenges of integrating third-country nationals in the EU Member States.
The communication's approach is comprehensive and structured yet fails to take proper account of the complicated political and socio-economic challenges European societies have to face. Furthermore, it is an absolute priority that the European Commission and other EU institutions converge in sustained, far-reaching and bold communication actions aimed at curbing anti-immigration discourse and attitudes.
The Committee considers that the articulation of interests and a capacity to formulate collective proposals in partnership with public and private bodies is a prerequisite for a qualitative, participatory and efficient integration policy.
The Committee encourages the EU Commission to focus on integration, either in a dedicated European year or as a key element in one of the other upcoming years.
The Committee remains deeply committed to cooperating with the other EU institutions on the development of key policies and programmes for integration of third-country nationals. Moreover, it is determined to work on linking European civil society to the integration agenda and facilitating the participation of third-country nationals in a structured dialogue at European level.
