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Europaudvalget 2005-06
Det Europæiske Råd 15-16/12-05 Bilag 7
Offentligt

COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 13 December 2005

15744/05

ASIM

RELEX 761

NOTE

from :

to :

No prev. doc.

Subject :

Presidency

European Council

15582/05 ASIM 64 RELEX 747

Global approach to migration:

Priority actions focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean

The Heads of State or Government, at the informal Summit held at Hampton Court on 27

October 2005, mandated a paper on migration to be presented to the European Council.

At the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 1 December 2005, the Commission

presented its Communication: "Priority actions for responding to the challenges of migration:

First follow-up to Hampton Court" (doc. 15204/05) and there was a first exchange of views

on the preparation of a follow-up ''priority actions'' paper.

The JHA Council charged the

Permanent Representatives Committee to take forward work on the paper in the light of that

discussion.

15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn

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The matter was further considered by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on

12 December 2005 and the text resulting from that discussion is set out in the Annex to the

present note. The General Affairs and External Relations Council agreed to submit the paper

to the European Council for adoption on the basis that the section dealing with funding would

be finalised in the light of the outcome of the broader discussion on the Financial

Perspectives.

__________________

15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn

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ANNEX

Global approach to migration:

Priority actions focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean

The European Council welcomes the Commission’s Communication of 30 November 2005,

Priority actions for responding to the challenges of migration: first follow-up to Hampton Court.

The European Council, against the background of the EU's Strategy for Africa and the Strategy for

the external dimension of Justice and Home Affairs, as well as recent events in the Mediterranean

region, agrees to initiate priority actions with a focus on Africa and the Mediterranean countries.

The European Council agrees on the urgent need in the short term for broad-ranging concrete

actions, which form part of ongoing work to ensure that migration works to the benefit of all

countries concerned. Action must be taken to reduce illegal migration flows and the loss of lives,

ensure safe return of illegal migrants, strengthen durable solutions for refugees, and build capacity

to better manage migration, including through maximising the benefits to all partners of legal

migration, while fully respecting human rights and the individual's right to seek asylum. The

immediate actions set out below form part of a broader agenda for developing the EU’s relationship

with Africa and the Mediterranean countries through genuine partnership. The European Council

also welcomes the complementary dialogue and cooperation being pursued by Member States in

this area.

The European Council further underlines the necessity of an integrated and global approach for some

of the proposed priority actions, such as the initiatives on the migratory routes and safety at sea,

which concern both the Mediterranean and certain African countries.

The European Council, in the light of the Commission Communication, endorses the following

actions and invites the Council and Member States to work closely with the Commission to

implement these actions during the course of 2006.

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DG H I

PH/bdn

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Increasing operational cooperation between Member States



Call on FRONTEX to:

implement border management measures in the Mediterranean region, in particular

joint operations and pilot projects, as early as possible in 2006;

present a Risk Analysis report on Africa, building on recent studies, by May 2006;

launch a feasibility study on reinforcing monitoring and surveillance of the southern

maritime border of the EU, namely in the Mediterranean Sea, and on a

Mediterranean Coastal Patrols Network involving EU Member States and North

African countries, as early as possible in 2006.



Explore the technical feasibility of establishing a surveillance system covering the whole

southern maritime border of the EU and the Mediterranean Sea by the end of 2006. Such a

system would use modern technology with the aim of saving lives at sea and tackling illegal

immigration.



Establish regional networks of Immigration Liaison Officers (ILOs) involving priority

countries or regions as early as possible in 2006, and present reports on illegal immigration and

trafficking, with the assistance where appropriate of ILOs in key countries, by May 2006.



Bring forward a proposal for the creation of rapid reaction teams made up of national experts

able to provide rapid technical and operational assistance at times of high influxes of migrants,

in accordance with the Hague Programme, by Spring 2006.



Ensure a substantial follow-up to the report of the Global Commission on International

Migration, and prepare for the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development that

will be launched in September 2006.



Present an analysis of the existing international instruments on the law of the sea, including

relevant aspects of refugee law, by March 2006.

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PH/bdn

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Dialogue and cooperation with Africa



Work to make migration a shared priority for political dialogue between the EU and the

African Union, including through regular senior officials’ meetings to prepare for EU-Africa

Ministerial Troika discussions.



Work in partnership with African countries and regional organisations, such as ECOWAS,

through a range of fora, initiatives and regional meetings, including an EU-Africa Ministerial

Conference in Morocco in 2006 and a conference on migration and development in Brussels in

March 2006.



Explore the feasibility of a migration routes initiative for operational cooperation between

countries of origin, transit and destination, with a view to developing a concrete initiative in

2006.



Enhance dialogue by spring 2006 with key sub-Saharan African states on the basis of Article

13 of the Cotonou Agreement, covering a broad range of issues from institution and capacity

building and effective integration of legal migrants to return and the effective implementation

of readmission obligations, in order to establish a mutually beneficial cooperation in this field.



Establish and implement a pilot Regional Protection Programme (RPP) involving Tanzania as

early as possible in 2006, with a steering group to oversee the programme. Based on findings

from the pilot, develop plans for further programmes in Africa.



Carry out a study to improve understanding of the root causes of migration to underpin the

long-term approach.



Develop regular dialogue with UNHCR as early as possible in 2006, to share experience and

expertise on working with countries in Africa.

15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn

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

Launch initiatives in early 2006 to promote cheaper and more easily available remittance

services, and support ongoing efforts by international organisations to improve data on

remittance flows; consider supporting efforts of African states to facilitate members of

diasporas to contribute to their home countries, including through co-development actions, and

explore options to mitigate the impact of skill losses in vulnerable sectors.



Establish information campaigns targeting potential migrants to highlight the risks associated

with illegal migration and raise awareness about available legal channels for migration.

Work with neighbouring countries



Hold a EuroMed Ministerial meeting on migration in 2006.



Engage Mediterranean third countries in the feasibility study of a Mediterranean Coastal

Patrols Network, Mediterranean surveillance system and related pilot projects, where

appropriate.



 ake

available experiences and best practices where appropriate from other regional

cooperation structures, including those relating to the Baltic Sea.



Use all available frameworks for cooperation with Mediterranean partners, including those

mentioned below, to prevent and combat illegal migration and trafficking in human beings,

build capacity to better manage migration, and explore how best to share information on legal

migration and labour market opportunities, for example through the development of migration

profiles and through strengthening sub-regional fora.



15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn

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

Undertake priority work with the following three countries:

Morocco – implement projects to combat trafficking and conclude negotiations of

the EC-Morocco readmission agreement as early as possible;

Algeria – hold a first meeting in early 2006 to take forward cooperation on the basis

of the migration provisions of the EC-Algeria Association Agreement and begin the

negotiation of the readmission agreement as quickly as possible on the basis of the

mandate given to the Commission;

Libya – conclude the work to agree the EU-Libya Action Plan on migration as early

as possible in 2006, in accordance with the Council Conclusions of 3 June 2005 on

initiating dialogue and cooperation with Libya on migration issues, and implement

projects as soon as possible thereafter.



Intensify research to improve understanding and management of migratory flows, building on

the migration component of the regional JHA I MEDA programme.



Help strengthen links between North and sub-Saharan African countries in the framework of

the possible migration routes initiative.



Continue dialogue and cooperation with UNHCR in helping third countries develop capacity

for refugee protection.



Hold a conference on

The role of internal security in relations between the EU and its

neighbours

in Vienna in May 2006.

15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn

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[Funding

The European Council welcomes the increased priority being given to migration and the

Commission's intention, subject to agreement on the financial perspectives, to intensify its financial

assistance in areas concerning or related to migration in respect of its relations with third countries,

including by an allocation of up to 3% of the ENPI, and comparable efforts in respect of other

relevant financial instruments. Equivalent efforts will in particular be considered in Sub-Saharan

Africa, with a view to tackling the root causes of migration.

The European Council also underlines the importance of ensuring that appropriate priority is given

within AENEAS to Africa and the Mediterranean to actions to be financed in 2006, including

actions promoting synergies between migration and development. Adequate resources for the

thematic programme for cooperation with third countries in the areas of migration and asylum under

the future financial perspectives should also be ensured with a sufficiently flexible means of

disbursing funding quickly in cases of serious and urgent need.]

Implementation and reporting

The European Council underlines the importance of swift implementation of the priority measures

identified and calls on the Commission to organise coordination meetings between Member States,

FRONTEX, UNHCR and other relevant organisations as necessary.

The European Council invites the Commission to report back on progress made by the end of 2006.

________________

15744/05

DG H I

PH/bdn