Europos ekonomikos ir socialinių reikalų komitetas
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CIVIL SOCIETY DAYS 2016
Representatives from European civil society organisations and networks, members of the EESC and European institutions gathered in Brussels on 31 May and 1 June for the annual Civil Society Days, hosted by the EESC. The main focus of the discussions over the 2-day event was migration and the challenges and changes that this presents to our European society to make the most of it.
As part of a wider programme of country visits to 11 EU countries and to Turkey, an EESC delegation undertook a three-day mission to Ankara and Izmir to meet authorities and civil society organisations active in the migration field from 9 to 11 March 2016. In its Turkey mission report, the EESC presents 13 concrete recommendations to address the current situation.
For nearly two years the large and unprecedented flow of refugees from war-torn or underdeveloped countries to the European Union has heavily impacted Europe's political and social life. Providing food and shelter for the masses of refugees reaching the EU, familiarise them with the new realities and cultural differences as well as supporting them through their integration process was and still is a major challenge which the concerned Member States could only face thanks to the spontaneous and overwhelming support of citizens and civil society in general.
A new EESC opinion calls for a stronger focus on integration policies and highlights best practice examples. If integration is successful it will lead to social cohesion, economic growth and job creation.
On 20 April the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Georges Dassis, will attend the international conference "Human flows and the word we share: Can Europe tackle the Refugee and Migrant Issue?"
Since the peak of the migration flow in 2015, the European Union has had to focus on operational and urgent responses to immediate challenges. However, a solid long-term migration policy needs to be developed to manage and accompany migration, as stated in the European Agenda on Migration.
Since the peak of the migration flow in 2015, the European Union has had to focus on operational and urgent responses to immediate challenges. However, a solid long-term migration policy needs to be developed to manage and accompany migration, as stated in the European Agenda on Migration.
Speaking at the EESC Plenary on 16 March 2016, Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, outlined her consultative approach to a common EU foreign and security policy, and the key contribution of civil society to a global strategy. More
Key messages on EU migration strategy from 11 fact-finding country visits and 180+ meetings with Civil Society organisations active in the field. Persecution, conflict and poverty drove more than one million people to seek safety in Europe last year. Significant numbers went missing or died (most drowned) making the arduous journey. The majority who reached Europe made their way across the Mediterranean, arriving mainly in Greece and Italy. For those who survived, arrival in Europe has rarely meant the end of suffering and harsh conditions.
Over a million migrants and asylum-seekers have arrived in the 28 EU Members States in 2015, many of which are Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis. What are the policies and measures implemented at European level to integrate them into the labour market? What is working and where are the gaps? Those were the questions tackled at the EESC Labour Market Observatory's debate entitled "Integrating refugees into the labour market: turning the crisis into an opportunity".
