European Commission
Malmström

As always, it is very interesting to be in the US and to meet with people who work in academia and various think tanks. I had some very rewarding discussions at Harvard with their dedicated students and a number of researchers about integration, terrorism, trafficking, the European crisis, etc. The discussion mainly focussed on immigration and asylum, which was the theme of my lecture.

I then proceeded to Washington where I had a meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss the fight against child sex abuse images online and cooperation in matters concerning data protection.

I Tuesday afternoon at the FBI, where I received a detailed report on their work to tackle cybercrime. It was interesting to hear about their experiences, especially as we are now establishing a cyber crime centre in The Hague.

In between these meetings I also met with a number of journalists and with various US officials who work against cybercrime and identify violent individuals who are at risk of being radicalised. We talked a lot about the Breivik case and it is evident that the trial in Oslo has received a lot of attention here as well.

Tonight there will be a big reception at the Swedish ambassador’s home, and tomorrow I will speak at a major conference on cyber security. It is organized by CSIS, a think tank where I did an internship for a few summer months some 15 years ago.

The US election campaign dominates many of the conversations here, and of course it is interesting to follow the campaign up close. Today Bo, the president’s dog made his campaign debut. You can read more about it here.

Today, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy violated human rights in 2009 by sending boat migrants back to Libya. The unanimous verdict is important and most welcome, albeit not surprising. It clarifies – and confirms the EU Commission’s position – that countries who push back migrants to where they risk persecution, without assessing their situation, are breaching international law.

Shortly after the events of 2009, my predecessor, EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot, demanded that the Italian government at the time clarified how these push-backs had been carried out. The Commission also wanted to know how Italy intended to make sure that such situations would be avoided in the future. As far as we know, no similar returns of boat migrants have been carried out since then.

Last year, more than fifty thousand migrants crossed the Mediterranean in rickety vessels to the EU. According to UNHCR, over 1500 of them died trying. We must come to the assistance of migrant boats in distress, and we must guarantee access to protection to those in need.

Now, the Commission will study the verdict from the court carefully to see whether further action is needed.

Today I presented new proposals on better cooperation with migrant source countries at a press conference. One of the things that we have learned from the Arab Spring is that we need a coherent policy on migration issues. The new proposals puts migrants and migrant rights at the centre of this policy, with the goal of ensuring that human rights are respected in both the EU and in third countries. We also need better cooperation with countries outside the EU, cooperation that will benefit both parties. Part of this is the Mobility Partnership, which aims to facilitate labour migration and student exchanges. We already have such agreements with Moldova, Cape Verde, Georgia and Armenia. We hope to soon agree a Mobility Partnership with Tunisia, which includes asylum issues, visa issues, labour migration, border cooperation and the fight against human trafficking. Hopefully Mobility Partnerships will be an important part in the democratization process in countries across North Africa. Discussions with Morocco towards agreeing a Mobility Partnership with the EU are also progressing well. 

During the press conference, I also launched the EU Immigration Portal: www.ec.europa.eu/immigration which collects information from all Member States on what rules apply if you want to move to the EU, for example where to apply for work permits in a particular country and what rights you have as a migrant.

Yesterday we initialled a new agreement with the US on air passenger data, termed PNR (Passenger Name Records). We are currently working from a pretty unclear agreement, signed in 2007, and it is this that the Commission that has been tasked to renegotiate. The new agreement means major improvements in terms of increased clarity, enhanced protection of passengers’ rights, increased transparency and clearer opportunities for redress if the data has been misused. Before the new agreement can enter into force, the European Parliament and the Council will vote. This is a controversial issue but I hope to get their support for the new agreement.

Lecture at the University of Copenhagen

I have spent the day in Copenhagen, as part of preparations for the incoming Danish EU Presidency. The day began with me giving a public lecture at the University of Copenhagen. The theme was the Arab spring and the EU’s migration policy. It was followed by a really good discussion and the students were extremely well informed.

Then I had a long conversation with Morten Bödskov, the new Minister of Justice, who is the Danish Minister responsible for most of my portfolio issues. We went through all the issues on the agenda for the first half of next year, and discussed various difficulties and opportunities. It will not be an easy Presidency, in view of the economic crisis and the negotiations on the next multi-annual budget. In the area of Home Affairs alone, there are many tricky issues, such as the asylum package, the Schengen proposal, a number of visa issues, cybercrime, border control, etc. to be addressed during their Presidency. The Danes have opt-outs on almost all of these issues, but I am convinced that they will manage to solve several difficult issues in spite of that. We have high hopes.

I also met with the Labour and Integration Minister, Mette Frederiksen, to discuss, among other issues, labour migration.

Today’s visit also provided a good opportunity to communicate that the Commission’s review of the recent Danish plans to reinforce border controls, is now formally closed.

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.

2011-06-24 The Swedish Midsummer tradition has just begun and the weather is -as usual – rainy. Every now and then there is a little sunshine. Just around this time of year I miss the ocean and the Swedish West Coast the most.

The EU Summit across the street has just finished. There were some tough decisions on Greece, which has to make serious efforts to reform its economy. Croatia is expected to become the 28th Member of the EU in July 2013.

Regarding migration, the European Council produced better results than I expected. A lot of the things that me and my colleagues have been working on during this spring are to be found in the Council Conclusions. The Member States reaffirm the goal of the Common European Asylum System by 2012 and they even mention in the text that achieving this is crucial.

The Commission is invited to go ahead with a dialogue for a Partnership on mobility with the new democracies in the Southern Mediterranean. There was also a big discussion on Schengen, but the final text is good. The text states the importance of Schengen and that it needs to be strengthened. There is a need for better monitoring and evaluation by the Commission and Member States in order to detect flaws and to provide better support for countries with difficulties. The Commission is also invited to introduce a temporary mechanism that could – under exceptional circumstances – be triggered, without jeopardising the principle of free movement of persons. The Commission should propose such a mechanism in September.

2011-06-23 Solidarity, tolerance, and mutual respect, these values have been cherished and protected in the EU for more than half a century. I am therefore saddened and concerned to see that these values risk losing respect and support around Europe. In recent years, we have witnessed growing support for populist movements and far-right political parties in the EU. In my areas of responsibility – asylum, migration, integration, and border cooperation – I can see that xenophobia is on the rise. Developments this spring illustrate the situation quite clearly.

Political leaders all over Europe have been quick to condemn the violence in Libya, in Syria, in the Ivory Coast, and to congratulate our Northern African neighbours in their fight for democracy and freedom. But when it comes to dealing with the consequences of these developments, and particularly when it comes to dealing with the men, women, and children coming to Europe for protection or in search of a better life, European leaders have not been as supportive.

EU Heads of State and Government are meeting in Brussels today and tomorrow to discuss asylum, migration, and the governance of the Schengen area in view of recent events. I urge them to confirm that we need a long-lasting and well-functioning relationship with the Southern Mediterranean countries on mobility, as well as security, and that we are serious when we say that we are open to helping them on the path to democracy and economic progress.

I also urge them to back the Commission’s recent and revised proposals for asylum Directives so that we can reach a decision on the completion of a Common European Asylum System by 2012, a deadline which all EU countries have already committed to. The need for common regulations is pressing.

2011-06-17 I came back from Kiev late last night, where I attended the annual meeting with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Interior of Ukraine. We discussed corruption, migration, human rights and visa regulation liberalisation. There is an action plan on visa liberalisation between Ukraine and the EU, but in order to achieve visa liberalisation, Ukraine still needs to take an array of measures. The government has taken ambitious steps when it comes to new legislation but it is very important that they are in line with European standards and implemented in a proper manner. I also met with the President Yanukovych, the First Vice Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. Except for politics we also had a short discussion on the preparations for the European Football Championship that will be hosted by Ukraine and Poland next year.

2011-05-31 The African Unison succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002. There are currently 53 member states (all African states except for Morocco). The African Union coordinates African interests and supports democracy, good governance and economical and social development.

The European Commission and the AU’s Commission meet once every year and this time we met in Brussels. Today we have had bilateral meetings in different constellations. I have discussed migration, visa issues and the situation in Libya with my African counterparts.