European Commission
Malmström

Today the Commission discussed Hungary again. Some issues are now solved and the Hungarian authorities have shown a willingness to change some laws, which we had questions about. But there is still reason for concern and we decided today to proceed with the legal procedures regarding certain issues in Hungary. We will send a reasoned opinion about the age discrimination of judges and the data protection authority’s independence. As regard the central bank’s independence, we will ask for additional information. There is still much that is of particular concern in Hungary. Media freedom is one thing, as well as the independence of the judiciary. Within two weeks, we will also have the Council of Europe’s review of the judiciary’s independence. Hungary will most likely be on the agenda for quite a while.

I’ll be off soon to attend a seminar on labour migration here in Brussels organised by the Swedish Confederation of Enterprise. The Swedish Minister of Migration Tobias Billström and Stefano Scarpetta from the OECD will also participate. The focus of the discussion is the Swedish model, but I will mainly talk about the challenges facing the EU. In particular, I will talk about the importance of thinking in a long term perspective about how to emerge from the crisis and to make Europe more attractive. I am convinced that labour migration is one of many necessary measures, as is a pension reform and education initiatives. My speech will be published here later in the day.

On the agenda for today’s Commission meeting was the strategy for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Brazil this summer, known as the Rio + 20 summit. It has been some time since we had a proper discussion on sustainable development in this constellation. Week after week the focus has rather been on the economic crisis, and although we are some Commissioners who are constantly trying to point out that green growth and sustainability is important to actually emerge stronger from the crisis, these issues tend to be sidelined. So it was good to have a proper discussion today.

As of last year, we are now 7 billion people on this earth and this figure will only increase. We must therefore use our natural resources more sustainably and for this reason it is also important that countries at the meeting in Rio can make some progress on this issue. We discussed the goals that the EU should prioritize our key allies and the need for a close dialogue with the industry on these issues.

Early this morning I also met with the Jordanian Foreign Minister. Jordan is a country which in recent years increasingly is seeking a closer cooperation with the EU. The country has not undergone a revolution, but the government is aiming to implement important reforms and changes. Last week there was a high-level meeting between the EU and Jordan, led by Cathie Ashton. One of the issues discussed was the visa requirements and we are investigating the feasibility of opening negotiations with Jordan, just as we do with Tunisia, a so-called mobility partnership, where we expand our cooperation in the fields of asylum, security, trafficking, visa, labour migration, etc. We decided to send a delegation of officials from my DG to Amman within a few weeks to continue discussions on a more technical level.

There has been much debate in Sweden in recent weeks over Prime Ministers Reinfeldt’s statement on retirement at an older age. The retirement age debate is, of course, directly linked to pensions, an area in which the EU plays only a supportive role to ensure that Member States have well-functioning pension system. My colleague Laszlo Andor presented an assessment this week of the pension situation in Europe, which is based on a consultation process with Member States. In it, we say that as the average age of EU citizens increases, it is also reasonable that the retirement age should also be rasied. Merely raising the retirement age is not enough to meet the huge demographic challenge ahead of us, we also need to boost our workforce by attracting labour migrants to Europe. Commissioner Andor and I are currently looking into ways to facilitate labour migration to the EU.

Yesterday the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted for a more responsible budget, which also included an amendment saying that the Parliament, which currently commutes between Brussels and Strasbourg, should only have one seat. The question of where the European Parliament shall convene is stated in the EU treaty.  To change this, all Member States must agree. But the fact that the Parliament has clearly stated that commuting is a major cost for EU citizens (not to mention the environmental impact), and therefore should be abandoned, is very good.

It is now calm in the building opposite the Commission and already last night we got the news from the summit that they had reached an agreement on the fiscal compact. I am very glad to see that Sweden chose to join, though Britain and the Czech Republic, unfortunately, chose to stand outside. The pact will be important in the long run as it puts high demands on Member States to comply with budget rules. The only drawback is that it is not an agreement endorsed by all Member States. In general, in the history of EU cooperation, intergovernmental agreements are not a satisfying solution.

What was even more important from the summit was the discussion about growth and youth unemployment in Europe. All Member States must now prepare a National Job Plan to focus efforts on youth unemployment. The Commission also proposed that all countries should have a Youth Guarantee, similar to the Swedish model, which ensures that all young people are either in a job, in training or in education within 4 months of leaving school. The Commission will also send experts to the eight countries most affected by this problem to see if there is a better way to use the Social Funds to improve job opportunities for young people.

One focal point of the discussions was the internal market where Member States affirmed that completing the Digital Single Market by 2015 is a priority. Creating easier access to finance for small businesses was also suggested during the meeting. It is good that the summit – at last – focused on growth. Austerity and fiscal pacts are all very well but there’s been too much talk about institutional issues and far too little about how we get the wheels rolling again. Starting from this afternoon, the College of Commissioners has a two-day meeting where we will have a follow up to the summit conclusions and continue to talk about growth measures and labour migration.

This morning I met with the CEO and representatives from the Swedish mining company LKAB. The company accounts for 90% of iron ore production in Europe. We talked, among other things, about energy efficiency and research.  It was an interesting meeting, and in times of economic crisis it is especially nice to hear that there is still a huge demand for labour, as there is in Kiruna. They are dependent, and will in future be increasingly more so, on getting people with the right skills. They have partnered with universities in Iceland and Turkey among others to try and get this right. Increasing mobility with Turkey is one of my political priorities, and so while things are moving slowly with Turkey at the EU level, it is nice to see that it is moving forward elsewhere.

During the day, I followed CNN reporter Nic Robertson’s live reporting from Hama in Syria on Twitter. It’s really a terrible situation in the country and I am admiring the Syrian population for being incredibly brave and persistent.

It’s my third day on Twitter, and I admit, it is fun to see that I already have 500 followers.

JHA Council in Brussels talking to the Minister of Interior from Luxembourg Jean-Marie Halsdorf.

We received the alarming news after lunch today of a grenade attack in the Belgian city of Liege. Reports so far suggest there have been four deaths and over 60 injured.  I am very saddened by this news and am following the news reports minute by minute.

Today I have been in the Council meeting in Brussels to discuss, among other things, the Common Asylum System, PNR agreement with the United States and the Schengen proposal, with the EU Ministers of Interior. At the same time, in Strasbourg, the European Parliament is holding session and I am very pleased to hear that they have now finally adopted the proposal on a Single Permit.

The proposal aims at facilitating the entry for people who come to Europe to work. In some EU countries, a person that comes to work from outside the EU must apply for both a permit to work in the country as well as another permit to stay. In order to simplify the whole process and improve the situation, the Commission has proposed that there should be only one permit. The permit shall also guarantee the same rights that citizens have in regards to working conditions, taxation, training, and access to welfare systems and the transfer of pensions.

This is the first legislative proposal which aims to facilitate labour migration to the EU, since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which means that both the Parliament and the Council participated in the legislative process. The Council has already adopted the proposal, which means that Member States now have two years to implement the new rules. It is a very important step towards a more open Europe. We are now negotiating the proposal to make it easier for experts to come to Europe and to improve conditions for seasonal workers.   I hope we shall find an agreement in the coming year.

Discussions on what really happened at the European Council last Friday are continuing and there are certainly lively domestic political debates going on, in the UK especially.  We will soon receive a legal text from the van Rompuy Cabinet that I know many Member States want to read.

Today is the last Commission meeting before the summer. The biggest issue we discussed is the so called Basel III, which is a regulatory framework for Europe’s 8200 banks. This means regulation of a sector that so far has had too little regulation and it also shows that we have learned from the crisis. One of the most important measures has been to initiate a European Systemic Risk Board. We have had long discussions about this in the last weeks, but we have now agreed on a compromise that harmonises the rules but still leaves room for some flexibility. This issue, together with that of the situation in Greece, will be discussed during tomorrow’s extra summit between the Heads of State and Government of the countries in the Euro zone. The situation is of course very serious.

We also adopted my proposal on integration. Integration is a clear example of issues that should be dealt with on a local level – the Commission will never integrate migrants, but we can support Member States in creating opportunities for local actors and civil society to exchange knowledge and experiences on what works well. By doing that, we increase the possibilities for newly arrived people to learn the language of their new country, to get a job, go to school, and make sure that everyone’s experiences are counted for.

Approximately 20 million migrants from outside the EU live in our Member States today. They represent four percent of the total population of the EU. During these times of populist movements and xenophobic winds sweeping over Europe, it is worth to point out that immigrants contribute in a positive way to our societies – both economically and culturally. To mention an example, statistics show that 30 percent of Spain’s GDP growth in the last 15 years has been due to migrants settling in the country. And we know that we will not be able to sustain our way of living without increased migration. I wrote last week that migration to the OECD countries is decreasing. This is worrying, because already in 2013 or 2014 the working population of the EU will shrink due to the fact that our citizens get older. The EU workforce will decrease by 50 million people in the coming 50 years, and by 2020 there will be a shortage of about one to two million professionals in the health care sector. In spite of high unemployment in many countries, we need increased migration to the EU to be able to sustain our economic standards.

For all of this to work, we need successful integration. But honestly speaking the EU has not quite succeeded in integrating those who have moved here from other countries. There are clear differences between migrants and EU citizens when it comes to for instance the employment rate. 19 percent of so called third-country nationals were unemployed in 2009, while the percentage of unemployed EU citizens was 9 percent that same year. We must also get better at using the human capital available on the labour market today. 45 percent of third country nationals were overqualified in their current job in 2009, compared to 21 percent among EU nationals.

Today we also published a Eurobarometer on integration, which shows among other things that immigrants and EU citizens agree that language skills and having a job are among the most important factors for integration. It is clear that everyone gains from improving integration. But to get there, we must all contribute – both Member States’ governments, local actors, civil society, EU citizens, and immigrants.

2011-07-12 Today I took part in the presentation of the new OECD report on migration, together with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and my colleague Commissioner László Andor. The report shows that migration into OECD countries fell by about 7% between 2008 and 2009. The report also looks at the impact of the economic crisis on the management of labour migration and presents recent policy changes on family and humanitarian migration as well as on border controls. The OECD also states that there is a growing need for increased labour migration.

I share the conclusions of the OECD report that we need more labour migration and that we have seen policy developments in the migration area the last year which are affected by the economic downturn, for example both a more restrictive approach to labour migration and stricter policies for family reunification and humanitarian migration. We cannot ignore concerns of the general public as regards migration so it is very important that we contribute to an informed debate, building on facts and figures. And this report will add to this debate.

In order for individual and societies to benefit from migration, we need effective integration policies. And just like the Commission, the OECD has identified some main aspects of importance when it comes to supporting newly arrived migrants to give them a good start in their receiving countries which will facilitate their participation, including learning the local language and entering employment. The Commission will adopt shortly a Communication on integration, addressing the main integration challenges.

I also welcome the committee vote in the European Parliament today on the Qualifications Directive that will clarify legal criteria to define the grounds needed for protection. Today’s agreement brings us one step closer to our overarching goal of completing the Common European Asylum System by 2012. The European Parliament and the Council will now vote on the Directive but I am confident that the amended Directive will be swiftly adopted.

2011-06-07 The economic crisis that hit Europe in 2008 showed us the strong links between the EU economies. The Spanish economy affects the German, the Swedish economy is linked to the Estonian and so on. The lesson learned was that a better economic and budgetary coordination is needed. Therefore, the EU agreed on the so-called European Semester, which should help Member States to gear up their economic and social policies to deliver on growth, jobs and public finances. To this aim, the European Commission – based on national programmes submitted by Member States – has today issued country specific, tailor-made recommendations for each EU Member State. The European Council will discuss these recommendations at the end of June.

These recommendations mainly focus on public finances, more competitive tax systems, public investment, labour market reform and other measures that help stimulating growth. The issue of labour market reform is of special interest to me as this includes labour migration which is part of my portfolio. The importance of labour migration will increase in the following years due to the demographic challenges that Europe will be facing. I am very optimistic that the European Semester will help to encourage new debates and actions on this important issue.

The situation in Libya is extremely worrying. I saw Gaddafi’s speech yesterday where he showed his true colours. I’m pleased to hear about the Libyan ambassadors and politicians standing up to Gaddafi and clearly stating that the violence is not acceptable.

We have to prepare for the worst case scenario and prepare to address a potential situation of migrants coming from the region to the EU. We are exploring the possibility for the Commission to propose that these migrants could stay in the EU temporarily if the situation should deteriorate.

In light of the recent events in North Africa and the Middle East it’s clear that we must renew our European Neighbourhoods Policy (ENP) with more concrete goals. One main element of an enhanced ENP is mobility, for Eastern as well as Southern partners. We need to create an environment where we allow businesses to reinforce their contacts and cooperation, be more open to receive and provide training to students and allow researchers to benefit of the knowledge and expertise available in the EU. We also have to facilitate labour migration.

For me it’s also crucial that a greater emphasis is put on democracy, rule of law and human rights. We haven’t done enough in this respect.