... meeting Appendix xxx

988th meeting – 21-22 February 2007

Appendix 7

(Item 6.1b)

Terms of reference for the European Committee on Migration (CDMG)

Fact sheet

Name of Committee:

European Committee on Migration (CDMG)

Compliance with Resolution Res(2005)47:

YES

Programme of Activities: project(s)

2005/DG3/439 Integration Policy and Practice

2007/DG3/1137 Labour Migrants – improving their integration and migration management

Project relevance:

Third Summit Action Plan – Chapter III (Ensuring social cohesion, fostering intercultural dialogue, managing migration);

Action Plan of the Final Declaration of the 7th Conference of European Ministers responsible for migration affairs (Helsinki, September 2002) – transmitted by the Committee of Ministers to CDMG so that it could take account of it when planning future activities (817th meeting);

The political importance for member states to improve the integration of migrants and people of migrant origin in order to protect their human rights and promote social cohesion.

Including:

- strengthen the dialogue and partnership between member states and, when relevant, non-member states, taking into account existing bilateral and multilateral agreements on migration issues and take steps in identifying possible legal gaps;

- elaborate and promote new integration policies which are based on the conclusions of the present declaration and relevant Council of Europe texts;

- establishing a regular dialogue and partnership between countries of origin, transit and destination countries on ways of ensuring orderly migration, social cohesion and the rights of the individual.

Consolidation, promotion, implementation of Council of Europe standards (including the European Social Charter, the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and the various recommendations and resolutions of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly relevant to migrants and migration).

Project added value:

Added value

The added value of CDMG as an intergovernmental committee dealing with migration issues to the work undertaken by the European Union and other international organisations arises from:

- the human rights approach of CDMG to migration issues;

- the capacity of the committee to introduce into the planning and development of migration policies the often ignored individual dimension of migrants;

- the composition of CDMG that brings together uniquely in a single body policy experts from the many different national ministries with responsibilities in the migration field (integration, migration, social and labour affairs, internal affairs, foreign affairs) thereby giving it the potential to develop holistic and coherent policies;

- the technical character of the work of the committee based on intergovernmental co-operation and investment by its members rather than outsourcing.

External partnerships

Through active partnerships, particularly with ILO, OSCE and IOM, the CDMG will identify ways in which they can assist in the implementation of its policy recommendations.

Internal co-operation

The tasks of CDMG require a holistic approach to migration questions which its composition allows. It works with and supports the activities of Council of Europe bodies, notably the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress and the North-South Centre, as well as other DGs, including areas such as language policy and discrimination.

Financial information:

2 two day meetings in 2007 (the number of annual meetings is based on need). 46 members + the Chair + 10 participants (of which 9 at the expense of the corresponding Council of Europe budget); other participants and observers at their own expense. 3 two day meetings of the Bureau (9 members, all reimbursed) are planned in 2007.

Budget: 2 CDMG meetings = €81 400 for travel and subsistence, €8 000 for interpretation and €10 000 for translation and document production; 3 Bureau meetings = €24 600 for travel and subsistence, €12 000 for interpretation and €10 000 for translation and document production.

Terms of reference for the European Committee on Migration (CDMG)

1. Name of Committee: European Committee on Migration (CDMG)

2. Type of Committee: Steering Committee

3. Source of terms of reference: Committee of Ministers

4. Terms of reference:

Having regard to:

- the Action Plan of the Third Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, in particular Chapter III (Building a more humane and inclusive Europe);

- recommendations of the Conferences of the European Ministers responsible for migration affairs, in particular the Action Plan of the Final Declaration of their 7th conference (Helsinki, September 2002);

- decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the field of migration, and bearing in mind the criteria set out in document CM(2006)101-final;

- recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the field of migration;

- Council of Europe conventions, resolutions and recommendations relevant to migration, integration and diversity and the rights of migrants, including:

- European Social Charter;

- European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers;

- Recommendation No. R (92) 12 on community relations;

- Recommendation Rec(2000)15 on security of residence of long-term migrants;

- Recommendation Rec(2006)9 on admission, rights and obligations of migrant students and co-operation with countries of origin;

- Recommendation 1718 (2005) and Resolution 1462 (2005) of the Parliamentary Assembly on co-development policy as a positive measure to regulate migratory flows.

Within the framework of the Programme of Activities, under the Programme “Migrants”, the Committee is instructed to pursue the tasks specified in “i” by the activities specified in “ii” – “ix”:

i. develop European co-operation on migration, on the situation and integration of populations of migrant origin and refugees and on community relations;

ii. prepare the conferences of European Ministers responsible for migration affairs and implement the decisions of the Committee of Ministers relating to their follow-up;

iii. facilitate the exchange of experience and information with a view to improving policy and practice in the member states through reports, seminars, conferences and targeted dissemination and assistance;

iv. prepare recommendations and other instruments offering member states innovative and practical advice on policy development and implementation, drawn upon an analysis of practice in member states;

v. undertake evaluations of the implementation in member states of the recommendations prepared by the committee;

vi. prepare opinions for the Committee of Ministers;

vii. co-operate with other Council of Europe bodies, in particular with the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress, the North-South Centre, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (nationality, refugee and asylum seekers), the European Committee for Social Cohesion, the Steering Committee for Culture, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the Development Bank;

viii. effectively co-ordinate its activities, from the viewpoint of their added value, with the international organisations dealing with the same area of activity, in particular the ILO, OSCE and IOM;

ix. while taking account of the progress of this work, prepare, under its own responsibility, proposals for the Programme of Activities for the coming years.

5. Composition of the Committee:

5.A Members

Governments of member states are entitled to appoint representatives of the highest possible rank, as appropriate, in fields of international migration, the situation of migrants and community relations.

The Council of Europe budget will bear the travel and subsistence expenses of one representative from each member state (two in the case of the state whose representative has been elected Chair).

5.B Participants

i. The following committees may each send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of the corresponding Council of Europe budget sub-heads:

- the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (nationality, refugee and asylum seekers);

- the European Committee for Social Cohesion;

- the Steering Committee for Culture.

ii. The Parliamentary Assembly may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

iii. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

iv. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

v. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

vi. The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre, Lisbon) may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

vii. The Council of Europe Development Bank may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of its administrative budget.

viii. The Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote and at the charge of the sending body.

5.C Other participants

i. The European Commission and the Council of the European Union may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote or defrayal of expenses.

ii. The states with observer status with the Council of Europe (Canada, Holy See, Japan, Mexico, United States of America) may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote or defrayal of expenses.

iii. The following intergovernmental organisations may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote or defrayal of expenses:

- International Labour Office (ILO);

- United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO);

- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);

- International Organisation for Migration (IOM);

- European Free Trade Association (EFTA);

- Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);

- Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR-OSCE);

- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);

- Budapest Group (charged with the follow-up of the European Conference on Uncontrolled Migration).

iv. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (UNICE) (“social partners”) may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote or defrayal of expenses.

5.D Observers

The following non-member states and/or non-governmental organisations may send (a) representative(s) to meetings of the Committee, without the right to vote or defrayal of expenses:

- Australia;

- Churches' Committee for Migrants in Europe (CCME);

- International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).

6. Working methods and structures:

The Bureau of the committee comprises 9 members, including the chair and vice-chair of the committee.

In order to pursue its tasks the committee may have recourse to ad hoc meetings of limited numbers of its members, subordinate bodies (committees of experts, ad hoc advisory groups), consultants, scientific experts, and the organisation of hearings, within the budgetary resources available.

7. Duration:

These terms of reference will expire on 31 December 2008.