European Union

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a repor voted on Tuesday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a "key strategic partner for the EU" but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and "a more structured and frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues".
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a repor voted on Tuesday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a "key strategic partner for the EU" but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and "a more structured and frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues".
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a repor voted on Tuesday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a "key strategic partner for the EU" but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and "a more structured and frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues".
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Good evening. Before I say anything else, let me express my deepest condolences to the victims and their families of yet another appalling terrorist attack here in Ankara. We cannot accept terrorism as the new normal. No matter how many times it has happened, we will never get used to it, and we will always fight it. On the 18th of February, EU leaders stood united with Turkey after the latest terrorist attack in Ankara, condemning terrorism in all forms and reaching out in solidarity. Let me reiterate this pledge and stress that we stand together in the fight against terrorism, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Events like these also remind us that our cooperation goes way beyond migration. It is about working together on our common challenges. They range from the economy to counter-terrorism, from visa-free travel to foreign policy. And it is about moving forward in the accession talks.

Prime Minister, we are in between two important summits of the European Union and Turkey. At our last summit on the 7th of March, we took stock of the implementation of our Joint Action Plan and the Joint Statement of last November. At that meeting I was also handed the mandate to work out the details of a new proposal to further enhance our cooperation to stem and ultimately end irregular migration from Turkey to Europe.

My task for our summit on Thursday and Friday is to put together the elements needed to make this proposal legally sound, in line with EU and international law, practically implementable, and of course acceptable to all 28 EU Member States as well as to Turkey. That is why I am here in Ankara today.

This is not an easy task, and we have to get it right. It is clear that there is still hard work to be done. Today we established a catalogue of issues that we need to address together if we are to reach an agreement by Friday. I will bring this catalogue back to Brussels, along with the confidence I have in the goodwill of Prime Minister Davutoglu.

Thank you again, Ahmet. I look forward to continuing our discussions this evening and I look forward to welcoming you back in Brussels this Friday. Thank you.

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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

On 15 February 2016, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2016/220[1] amending Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP. 

The Decision extends the restrictive measures until 20 February 2017. The Decision maintains the measures against two persons and one entity and renews the suspension of the measures for five persons set out in Annex I to Decision 2011/101/CFSP. The measures against 78 persons and 8 entities are lifted. The Decision maintains the arms embargo in place. 

The Candidate Countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this Council Decision. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it. 

 [1] Published on 17.2.2016 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 40, p. 11. 
* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

The Spring Social summit held a discussion on "a strong partnership for job creation and inclusive growth", focusing in particular on: 

- The experience of implementing the country-specific recommendations (CSRs);
- Digitalisation: the labour market and skills challenges;
- Integrating refugees into the labour market: progress made and the role of social partners. 

In his opening statement, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, stressed the need to agree on well-adjusted measures and emphasised that : "I have no doubt that the successful integration of refugees into our labour markets is in our best interest. It is the only way to enable the newcomers to stand on their own feet. And it is the only way to turn the current wave of migration into an economic opportunity. But the integration of refugees must not be done on the back of the most vulnerable individuals of our own societies: the poor, the unemployed, the disadvantaged. Questions like "why do refugees get so much support from the government, while it seems to have given up on me?" are legitimate. We must not provide any breeding ground for such questions to arise. And this is where I very much count on the social partners. Their role in maintaining social cohesion in Europe is key". 

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker underlined: "Across the European Union as a whole, we have seen a return to growth but we know unemployment remains far too high and there are still fragilities and uncertainties. And there are more challenges ahead, like the integration of refugees into the labour market. There is a lot of work to be done to advance towards a fair and truly European labour market. On this journey, social dialogue and the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union have to go hand in hand - indeed there cannot be one without the other - just as EU institutions, member states and social partners have to work hand in hand. That is what we are doing and today's dialogue is proof of that vital and close cooperation." 

From the side of the rotating presidency, Netherlands' Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, said that "we need to deliver growth and employment to both citizens and companies in Europe. To this end it is crucial that member states address their challenges and implement necessary and sometimes difficult structural reforms. This is also why making the Single Market both deeper and fairer is a top priority of the Dutch Presidency. We need the European social partners to bring this agenda further. Lodewijk Asscher, Netherlands' vice Prime Minister and minister for Social Affairs and Employment stressed "The Netherlands presidency of the Council is committed to reinforcing the social dialogue. Therefore, the Presidency will continue discussions on this in the Council with a view to establishing a Council position. We are also looking forward to speak with social partners in the Informal EPSCO, that will be largely dedicated to the issue of labour mobility". 

For the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) General Secretary, Luca Visentini  put emphasis on “The ETUC is committed to working with employers and EU institutions for a strong and socially fair economy. The social partners' joint declaration on a new start for strong social dialogue underlines our readiness to help tackle the many challenges the EU is facing, and I urge the Commission and Council to support this declaration. The ETUC has agreed statements with employers on refugees, digitalisation and industrial policy. We are participating in the semester process and put forward more socially fair recommendations aimed at boosting investment and demand. We welcome the new social pillar and will engage in detailed discussions on content, and how it can be implemented. We will propose improvements to the revision of the posted workers directive. We deplore the lack of European unity in dealing with the humanitarian crisis facing refugees, and are actively encouraging and supporting the integration of refugees and migrants into the labour market - on the basis of equal treatment.”

BusinessEurope's President, Emma Marcegaglia, representing employers, declared "Europe is at a crossroads. A robust industry, supported by high-performing public services, is an indispensable basis to weather the multiple challenges facing us. Regulatory business environment has to be improved to strengthen private investments and job creation, in particular by SMEs. The European social partners - BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME and ETUC- look forward to the swift adoption of the declaration on 'a new start for a strong social dialogue', in agreement with the Commission and Council. BusinessEurope's reform barometer 2016 shows that much more progress is needed to strengthen the implementation of CSRs. The European social partners have confirmed their interest in contributing to European solutions to the refugee crisis. Lastly, as part of a renewed European strategy on flexicurity, the EU employment policy agenda should be designed in a way that underpins the digital transformation of our economies".

The views cited in this text are those of the individual / organization concerned and do not collectively constitute the point of view of the Council or the European Council.

General : Interested in the refugee crisis? Then join our Facebook chat with Parliament Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume and budgets committee chair Jean Arthuis on Wednesday 16 March from 14.00 CET. The two MEPs led delegations to Turkey in February where they visited refugee camps and met political leaders and representatives from NGOs. Find out their findings and ask them about their views during our chat.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Interested in the refugee crisis? Then join our Facebook chat with Parliament Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume and budgets committee chair Jean Arthuis on Wednesday 16 March from 14.00 CET. The two MEPs led delegations to Turkey in February where they visited refugee camps and met political leaders and representatives from NGOs. Find out their findings and ask them about their views during our chat.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

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Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, visits Cyprus on 15 March 2016, ahead of the European Council meeting on 17 and 18 March in Brussels.

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Over the past decade, the profile of EU-Nigeria cooperation has been steadily increasing. It is grounded in the "EU-Nigeria Joint Way Forward " agreed between the EU and Nigeria in 2009.

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EU Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs meet in Brussels on 15 March 2016 to prepare the March European Council and adopt the interinstitutional agreement on better law-making.

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This is Tuesday’s edition of our daily Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.

Mr Anastasiades, right, chats with Britain's David Cameron at the EU refugee summit last week.

Donald Tusk, the European Council president who has been attempting to broker a deal to stop the influx of refugees into the EU, has flown to Nicosia for a meeting this morning with Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades. For a man who spent the week before the last EU migration summit travelling to seven different capitals in four days, the fact that Mr Tusk is making Cyprus his only stop ahead of the next two-day gathering beginning Thursday is telling: the small island nation may prove the most difficult needle to thread in Brussels’ nascent deal with Turkey to take back thousands of migrants now washing ashore in Greece. [UPDATE: Mr Tusk has tacked on an evening trip to Ankara at the last minute.]

Cyprus has long been one of the biggest complicating factors in EU-Turkey relations, so objections from Nicosia to the demands being made by Ankara– another €3bn in aid, a visa-free travel scheme, opening of new “chapters” in EU membership talks – may have been expected. But the small group of EU leaders who brokered last week’s deal, led by Germany’s Angela Merkel, seemed to have forgotten that Cypriot objections this time around are far more consequential: the country is in the middle of delicate talks that diplomats believe are the best (and perhaps last) chance to reunify an island divided since Turkey invaded and held its northern half in 1974. For Mr Anastasiades, making concessions to Ankara now without any compensation would not only cost him politically at home, but could wreck reunification talks altogether since the Greek Cypriot community he leads would likely abandon him. Like all other 27 EU heads of state, Mr Anastasiades can, on his own, veto the Turkey deal.

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The relations between the EU and the Republic of Moldova are based on the Association Agreement which was signed on the margins of the EU summit held on 27 June 2014. 

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Goslar is a central German town on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains. For a thousand years, its wealth was provided by the mineral deposits of the Rammelsberg Mountain, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site with many medium-sized businesses, year-round tourism and major industrial enterprises. But Goslar has been affected by demographic change and structural weakness.

The town’s population of approximately 50,000 is declining; in the ten years from 2003 to 2013, Goslar lost around 4,000 inhabitants. We have had to react to this demographic decline by exploring two possibilities. The first is to downsize administrations, which is something we have already done in Goslar. To further downsize would affect the town’s infrastructure – schools, museums and public swimming pools could no longer be well maintained by even fewer people. Furthermore, to continue downsizing would only lead to a greater population decline, and the downward spiral would accelerate – a bleak scenario indeed!

“It is economic nonsense to build container villages while flats and houses elsewhere lie vacant”

I therefore tend to favour the second alternative: to keep the number of inhabitants as stable as possible. We need people for our social activities, in voluntary work and in our clubs and associations. But we also need them for our economy. The Employment Agency in our area lists about 43,000 employed people, of which 14,500 are aged between 50-64. This means that over the next 20 years, 14,500 roles will become vacant. Who can we find to take these places?

When I talk with the entrepreneurs of this region, I often hear of their concerns that there will not be a sufficient workforce available in the coming years. Frequent questions are ‘Will I find enough staff?’, ‘Will I find enough young people that I can train?’ and ‘Should I invest in a shrinking town or should I relocate my business elsewhere?’. If the latter actually happens, it would mean that investment will no longer come to Goslar, and then this town’s history of more than a thousand years will come to an end. Goslar’s 1,700 timbered houses and 3,000 monuments will be little more than open-air museum pieces.

This is not just a problem for Goslar, or even just for Germany. The entire European community is facing a change. Statisticians think that today’s German population of 81 million people will grow slightly in the coming 5-7 years, but will then drop dramatically. In 2030, almost 5 million people more than today will be aged 65 or older. This group will represent around a third of the population, according to the Max Planck Institute. The United Nations has forecast a decline in Europe’s overall population of 8.3%, or approximately 50 million inhabitants, by 2050. The European Statistical Office Eurostat has the opinion that immigration will be the only solution for three-quarters of European regions.

“The big cities cannot by themselves provide either the accommodation or the integration of refugees”

I am of course aware that our society has some vastly differing opinions when it comes to refugees and migrants. But as early as the Autumn of 2014, I took a very clear position on the issue. I said that the big cities cannot by themselves provide either the accommodation or the integration of refugees, and I have also spoken of the big opportunity for the town of Goslar. Back then, I asked, ‘Why don’t we focus more intensively on the talents of those who come to our country?’

My basic idea was that it should be possible for regions with shrinking populations to take more refugees. The use of empty housing and lower rents, as is prescribed by the allocation formula, would help to alleviate pressure from big city hotspots. The aim is a decentralised accommodation for the people who come to us. This does not mean accommodating refugees together in a big hotel or a barracks that stands empty. It especially does not mean tents, containers or ghettos in big cities. It is economic nonsense to build container villages while flats and houses elsewhere lie vacant.

My statements in 2014 triggered quite a controversy, and the reality of today has more than outrun us. The problem now is that I do not know how many people will come in 2016 in need of social and economic care. But I am sure that solutions can and will be found. It is imperative that we not only accommodate refugees but that we offer them German language courses and provide them with everything they need to live in comfort. It is envisaged that they will stay here – in the medium-sized towns and in rural areas – for good, and will not leave us after a few months to head for the larger cities.

“Successful integration requires relationships between people and quick access to the local population and community”

However, I have not yet found a clear remedy, but if we succeed in keeping the refugees here and integrate them well, we will enrich our society and have at the same time the chance to oppose the prospect of demographic crisis. In 2015, the District of Goslar, which as a region has approximately 130,000 inhabitants, received approximately 1,540 refugees. This year, we are expecting about 1,600 new arrivals. All these people are to be accommodated in a ‘dispersed’ way. They will be accommodated in flats where there will be welcomed as neighbours, as successful integration requires relationships between people and quick access to the local population and community.

A brief look to the past tells us that integrating refugees can work. Historically, immigrants have always enriched their societies. The United States without the innovative power of immigrants would have no Silicon Valley; without its immigrant workers of the 19th century, there would be no American railways; and without the refugees and expelled persons taken in after the Second World War, there would have been no economic miracle.

The civil war in Syria has lasted for five years and yet everybody was completely astonished to find Syrian people knocking on Europe’s door as refugees. Europe is facing its first major performance test, and to pass, European policymakers have to stand together and introduce basic change. The continent will become a melting pot of cultures: younger, more intelligent and more vivid. The United States of America continues today to take their strength from this model. We too can achieve that. It is up to us whether we succeed in organising language and education, accommodation and work for the refugees and their children. As a result, Germany and Europe can only benefit, and will develop stronger than ever on a moral level, as well as economically and culturally.

Europeans must welcome and integrate refugees, accepting that they are not a burden but a great opportunity. We have to keep sight of the most essential issue: to support refugees is our most fundamental humanitarian duty.

IMAGE CREDIT: CC / FLICKR – Ralf Naegele

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