“Towards a common immigration policy? European responsibility and needs”

Details

The European Union has reached the limits of its capacity to absorb further immigrants. The continuous inflow of immigrants into the European Union requires a common strategy and a better coordination of the immigration policies. Demographic change and problems linked to the ageing society in Europe could however be relieved by a selective admittance of skilled workers from third countries.

The Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (HSS), Brussels Office the Fondation pour l’innovation politique (FIP), Paris, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Brussels, the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy (CKID), Athens, the Centre for Political Studies (AZAD), Malta and the Fundación para el análisis y los estudios sociales (FAES), Madrid, have the pleasure of inviting you to a conference which aims to present and analyse the several European initiatives that have been made in this sense and to examine the challenges and requirements on the way to a common European immigration policy:

Programme

12.00 p.m. Walking lunch

12.45 p.m. Opening and Introduction: Markus RUSS Director Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, Brussels Office

Dr. Ioannis M. VARVITSIOTIS MEPChairman of the CKID and former Minister of Defence, Greece

01.00 p.m. Panel 1 – Legal and illegal immigration: Strengthen the area of freedom, security and justice within the European Union

Moderation: Ranier FSADNI, Chairman AZAD Centre for Political Studies, Malta

H.E. Anca Daniela BOAGIU Minister of European Integration, Romania

Ilkka LAITINEN Executive Director, European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX)

Dr Simon BUSUTTIL MEPVice Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union

Manfred WEBER MEP Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Rapporteur on the directive for returning illegally staying third country nationals

02.30 p.m. Panel 2 – Selective migration: Political, institutional and social implications for the EU and the Member States

Moderation: Philippe BRONGNIART Member of the Executive Board, Fondation pour l’innovation politique

Dr. Hubert PIRKER, MdEP Security spokesman, ÖVP Delegation, European Parliament

Marcel CANOY European Commission, Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA)

Jaime GARCIA-LEGAZ PONCE Head of Economic Affairs and Public Policy at the FAES Foundation

Bernd HEMINGWAY Regional Representative of the Office for Northern & Western Europe and the Baltic States of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

3.45 p.m.Coffee break

4.00 p.m. Panel 3 – Responsibilities, prospects, limits: Measures, strategies and possible action plans for the EU and the Member States

Moderation: Pantelis SKLIAS, Head of International Cooperation Department of the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy

Stephan MAYER MP Member of the Home Affairs Committee, German Bundestag

Alexandros ZAVOSPresident of the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute-IMEPO

Sandra PRATT European Commission, Immigration, Borders, and Asylum at the Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security

Jakob von WEIZSÄCKER Research fellow at BRUEGEL (Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory)

5.15 p.m. Résumé and conclusion:

Elvire FABRY, Director Europe-International, Fondation pour l’innovation politique

Outlook: Jean Louis BRUGUIEREMagistrate and Vice-president of the Paris Court of Great Claims (Tribunal de Grande Instance)