PRESS RELEASE No 15/2010 5 February 2010

    Migration: a challenge for Mediterranean – EESC and

    Greek ESC to host international conference

On 9-10 February 2010, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

    and the Greek Economic and Social Council (ESC) will jointly host a high-level

    international conference aiming to identify ways of tackling the perennial issue

    of migration in Mediterranean countries.

At a time when a common immigration policy is driven by both the need to ensure an optimal

    management of migratory flows in response to demographic challenges in Europe and a

    concomitant need to combat illegal immigration, the conference's main goal is to examine all

    dimensions of this highly complex issue. In a comprehensive opinion on the immigration policy, the

    EESC proposed last year ten principles that should underpin any actions in this area: respect of

    fundamental rights, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and partnership with third countries,

    just to name a few. In the same vein, the Greek Economic and Social Council have recently

    adopted an own-initiative Opinion on the issue.

The conference will be addressed by Greek Deputy Prime Minister, Theodoros Pangalos, Greek

    Ombudsman, Georgios Kaminis, and President of the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute (IMEPO),

    Alexandros Zavos, It will be opened by Christos Polyzogopoulos, President of the Greek Economic and Social Council, Georgios Dassis, President of the EESC's Employees Group and

    Antonio Marzano, President of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and

    Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and President of the Italian Economic and Labour Council. The

    closing speech will be given by the EESC President, Mario Sepi and Christos Polyzogopoulos.

    Other panels will include Presidents of national Economic and Social Councils, national authorities,

    academics and other stakeholders. The event will take place at the Royal Olympic Hotel in Athens

    and will start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 9February 2010.

At the conference discussion will focus mainly on the challenges for the Common European

    immigration and asylum policy in view of the impact of migration for Mediterranean Member -

    States of the EU. Participants will examine challenges to the European policy on migration and

    asylum, the economic dimensions of migration, interregional perspectives for co-operation and

    polices for second-generation immigrants. This approach is in line with the EESC-European

    Commission initiative to launch a European Integration Forum that gives representatives of civil

    society a say on integration issues, which, in turn, feeds into EU level decisions.

For more information, please contact:

    Barbara Gessler, Head of Press Unit, EESC; +32 2 546 8066; barbara.gessler@eesc.europa.eu Dr Martha Theodorou, Head of Public and International Relations,

    ESC of Greece; +30 210 9249514; ipr@oke-esc.eu

To consult EESC opinion on a Common Immigration Policy for Europe, go to:

    https://toad.eesc.europa.eu/opinions/EESCopinionDocument.aspx?identifier=ces\soc\soc319\ces342-

    2009_ac.doc&language=EN

    Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 99 – 1040 Bruxelles/Brussel – BELGIQUE/BELGIË Tel. +32 25469396 – Fax +32 25469764 E-mail: press@eesc.europa.eu – Internet: www.eesc.europa.eu EN