CPMR regions discuss actions to tackle migration challenges towards a multilevel governance approach

Member regions involved in the CPMR’s Migration Task Force gathered in Brussels on 07 February to discuss the key actions being taken to help ensure that regions have a stronger impact and support when it comes to tackling migration issues.

(This article was initially published on CPMR website)

Top of the agenda for the meeting’s discussion was the draft Issue Paper on ’Migration and Asylum in EU Regions: Towards a multilevel governance approach’, which presented by Ana Terrón Cusi, President of Instrategies and Consultant to the CPMR on migration issues.

This important paper outlines the state of play regarding the current situation, provides an analysis and relevant practices clarifying why regional and local authorities are key actors in many areas related to migration and asylum.

It also presents a set of recommendations towards the reorganisation of the Common European Asylum System and the funding instruments for the support to the internal dimension of asylum and migration policies in the post 2020 period.

The paper, updated after the Task Force’s previous debates, will be presented for approval to the CPMR Political Bureau, taking place in Patras, Greece, on 08 March. Following this, it will be shared with the EU Institutions, including high-level events to discuss the migration challenge.

The meeting also involved discussion on the CPMR’s work to further develop the mapping survey exercise, begun in 2017. The aim is to gather, present and share the innovative approaches and experiences of the regions on the reception and integration of migrants, showing potential added value and the gaps on the ground.

To date, a questionnaire had been developed and circulated among CPMR members and responses have been received from 22 regions from ten countries.

The valuable information included in this questionnaire was used for the drawing-up of the CPMR Issue paper and will feed into a beta version of a visual mapping survey, which will be available probably at the end of the first semester of 2018.

The third part of the meeting involved updates and exchange with members on other activities and project cooperation opportunities on migration.

For instance, MIPEX-R, a strategic pilot project for the CPMR, that seeks to adapt the MIPEX national methodology and tools to the regional level. Nine regions are committed to implement this project that should start in May 2018.

The members of the TF also focused their attention on the last AMIF calls (AMIF-2017-AG-INTE deadline 1/3/2018). Several proposals of the regions talking specific priorities of the call were circulated among the member regions in order to build up solid partnerships for competitive proposals.