strategic vision

Type: Regional consultative process on migration (region: Europe)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: European Commission

Established: 2001

Objectives

The Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management is the successor of the Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration and Asylum (EaPPMA) in turn the successor of the Söderköping Process.

The Söderköping Process or Cross-Border Co-operation Process (CBCP) was launched in 2001 as a cross-border cooperation process on asylum and migration among the following participating countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Sweden and Ukraine. The Söderköping Process secretariat was serviced by UNHCR, IOM and the Swedish Migration Board.

 

Following the inauguration in 2009 of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative (EaP represents the Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy and involves the European Union (EU), its member states and the following EU eastern neighbour countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), the Söderköping Process participating states decided to incorporate the Söderköping Process into the broader EaP context. 

The transition of Söderköping Process into the Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration and Asylum (EaPPMA) took place at 8 December 2011 Söderköping Process High Level Meeting and 9 December 2011 EaPPMA first Meeting. 

EaPPMa was established under the EaP Platform 1 “Democracy, good governance and stability”, it followed the principles of the EU Global Approach to Migration, promoting cooperation and dialogue towards the harmonization of policies and practices.

At the 5th Eastern Partnership Summit (2017) the Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration and Asylum has been reorganized into the Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management under the EaP Platform 4 “Mobility and people-to-people contacts". 

The Objectives of the Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management include the following:

  • Advancing the dialogue on migration and asylum policies between the Eastern Partners and the EU, as well as amongst the Eastern Partners;
  • Facilitation of exchange of best practices to achieve approximation with international standards;
  • Strengthening asylum and migration systems of Eastern Partners.

Current Thematic Focus

  • Border management
  • Migration law; Rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants
  • Asylum and refugees
  • Migration policy and governance (through exchange of information on participating countries’ legislation and governance structures)
  • Labour migration
  • Irregular migration
  • Combatting trafficking in human beings

Chairing Country

No institute of Chair. Instead, two hosting countries (1 EU eastern neighbour country and 1 EU MS) are selected for each Panel meeting.

Network of National Focal Points

The Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management is supported and steered by a network of National Focal Points.

Secretariat

No institute of Secretariat. Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management is supported and steered by a network of National Focal Points. IOM and European Comission perform Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration suport function through the IOM Mission in Ukraine and EC Directorate General General for Migration and Home Affairs respectively.

Members

Member States (34 States)

  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Greece
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Moldova
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom 
  • Ukraine

Member Organizations (1 Organization)

  • European Union      
Observers

Relevant intergovernmental or non-Government Organizations can be invited to meetings on an ad hoc basis (e.g. International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Council of Europe (CoE), European Police Office (EUROPOL), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), International Labour Organization (ILO), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF), Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, Caritas, La Strada).

Meetings

 

Each year,two panel meetings and two expert meetings are organized by a tandem of two chairing states (one EU MS and one EU eastern neighbour country), focusing on different policy areas of concern for both EU member states and the Eastern Partnership countries, providing a platform for exchange of information and best practices among the concerned states.  Representatives of the governments, international organizations, civil society and academia are invited to prepare presentations and participate in the discussions covering specific topics of relevance to all parties.
Since 2017, each meeting is complemented by interactive session organized by IOM and aimed at in-depth discussion of various issues related to relevant meeting topic.

Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management Meetings (since 2018)

EaPPMA Meetings (2011 - 2017)

The Söderköping Process Meetings (2001 – 2011)

Documents

 

Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management:

EaPPMA:

The Söderköping Process:

Related links
Contact information

 

Website
http://www.eapmigrationpanel.org

European Commission
Ms Silja Kasmann
General Affairs, A3 International Coordination LX46 07/093
International Relations Officer, Migration and Home Affairs Directorate (DG HOME)
European Commission
B-1049 Brussels, Belgium
E-mail: silja.kasmann@ec.europa.eu

IOM
Mr Mark Lloyd Richmond
Capacity Building in Migration Management Programme Coordinator
IOM Mission in Ukraine
Kyiv, 8 Mykhailivska street, 01001, Ukraine
Email: mrichmond@iom.int
http://iom.org.ua/en