The European Union should strengthen the links between its integration policies and the social policy agenda. The revision of the social agenda after 2010 should also be used to give greater account to the social effects of immigration. These are the main conclusions of the own-initiative opinion drafted by Luis Miguel Pariza Castanos (GR II workers - Spain), adopted at the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee, on 17 and 18 February. The opinion on ‘Integration and the social agenda’ proposes to put in place a process of mainstreaming integration into the EU’s different political, legislative and financial instruments (which means that integration must be on the policy agenda in all areas of public action).

FOR NEW SOCIAL AGENDA

The year 2010 has been named the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. It will see revision of the Lisbon strategy and the social agenda as well as an evaluation of the Integration Fund. These should take account of the social effects of immigration on both immigrants and the host society.

The areas of action identified by the EESC include youth (more active family policies, for example), employment (the EESC, at the request of the Spanish EU Presidency, is drawing up an exploratory opinion on the integration of immigrant workers), entrepreneurship among immigrants, social protection, housing, and health care and other services. “Integration policies must be linked to the main objectives of EU social policy,” notes the rapporteur. “All people - including third-country nationals, EU citizens from immigrant backgrounds and minorities – will thus be able to benefit from them.”

INSTRUMENTS

Social agenda instruments are mainstreaming, social and civil dialogue, financing and the open method of coordination. To strengthen these links, the EESC proposes to incorporate mainstreaming into the EU’s different political, legislative and financial instruments. This process should start with an impact assessment in order to anticipate requirements. This will mean speeding up the process to define integration indicators complementing those covered by the open method of coordination for social inclusion. In addition, the quality of common European legislation on immigration should be improved. The opinion stresses the two essential instruments for development of the European social agenda, namely social dialogue and civil dialogue. It also suggests the open method of coordination in the field of immigration policy, as recommended by the European Commission and the EECS, and further development of the Integration Fund.

The report is available at www.europolitics.info > Search = 266772