A public audition held by the European Commission on “economic migration” was held in Brussels on 14 June. Participants in the audition a follow up to the Green Paper on the management of economic migration by the EU presented in January included all the parties directly involved: governments, EU institutions, regional and local authorities, employers’ organizations, trades unions, NGOs and representatives from the third countries at the origin of migratory flows. During the audition, the European Commissioners Vladimir Spidla (employment and social affairs) and Franco Frattini (justice, liberty and security) defined economic migration as a “reality that has now become an opportunity and a need for member states, in view of current and future demographic changes”. They emphasized that “the successful integration of today’s immigrants is the key for a sound management of the future strategy of the Union”. The audition also permitted the three main aspects of economic migration to be circumscribed: the degree of harmonization between national policies and EU intervention; the procedures for the admission of wage-earning or self-employed workers; and the rights of the workers admitted. For further info: http://europa.eu.int/come/justice_home/news/consulting_public/economic_migration/news_contributions_economic_migration_en.htm
