Eastern Partnership Panel on Migration, Mobility and Integrated Border Management

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)

• 2019, Chisinau, Moldova, Expert Meeting on Improved Migration Data Collection as a Tool for Evidence Based and Effective Migration Policy
• June 13-14, 2019, Minsk, Belarus, Panel Meeting in Integrated Border Management
• October 11-12, 2018, Tbilisi, Georgia, Meeting on Information Campaigns
• September 27-28, 2018, Odessa, Ukraine, Meeting on Integrated Border Management

EaPPMA Meetings (2011 - 2017)

• December 14-15, 2017, Warsaw, Poland, Panel Meeting on Economic Integration of Migrants.
• October 17-18, 2017, Kyiv, Ukraine, Expert Meeting on Preventing Facilitation of Irregular Migration.
• June 21-22, 2017, Yerevan, Armenia, Panel Meeting on Return, Readmission and Reintegration.
• March 2017, 23-24, Budapest, Hungary, Expert Meeting on Border and Migration Management in Emergency Situations,
• December 7-8, 2016, Minsk, Belarus, Panel Meeting on Migration Strategies.
• October 27-28, 2016, Riga, Latvia, Expert Meeting on Information and Communication Technology Use in Migration Management.
• June 2-3, 2016, Stockholm, Sweden, Expert Meeting on Resettlement and Other Forms of Admission of Persons in Need of International Protection.
• April 14-15, 2016, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Panel Meeting on Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Human Beings.
• November 26-27, 2015, Tbilisi, Georgia, Panel Meeting on Family Reunification.
• October 21-22, 2015, Kyiv, Ukraine, Expert Meeting on Unaccompanied Minor Asylum Seekers.
• June 4-5, 2015, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ad-hoc Panel Meeting on Registration, Integration and IDPs.
• May 6-7, 2015, Minsk, Belarus, Expert Meeting on Labour Migration: Practical Aspects of Admission and Control.
• March 5-6, 2015, Budapest, Hungary, Panel Meeting on Migration Data Management and Migration Trends.
• December 8-9, 2014, the Hague, Netherlands, Expert Meeting on Credibility Assessments in Asylum Procedures.
• November 6-7, 2014, Warsaw, Poland, Panel Meeting on Labour Migration.
• June 10-11, 2014, Vilnius, Lithuania, Panel Meeting on Smuggling of Human Beings.
• March 26-27, 2014, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Expert Meeting on Detention.
• December 12-13, 2013, Budapest, Hungary, Expert Meeting on Statelessness.
• November 13-14, 2013, Prague, Czech Republic, Panel Meeting on Integration of Migrants and Rights of IDPs.
• May 21-22, 2013, Warsaw, Poland, Expert Workshop on Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings.
• March 20-21, 2013, Tbilisi, Georgia, Panel Meeting on Readmission, Return and Reintegration.
• October 18-19, 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Panel Meeting on Circular Migration in Chisinau.
• September 10-11, 2012, Bucharest, Romania, Expert Workshop on Country of Origin Information (COI) in the Context of Refugee Status Determination Process.
• May 3-4,  2012, Tbilisi, Georgia, Panel Meeting on National Refugee Status Determination Procedures.
• December 9, 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, First Meeting of EaPPMA.

The Söderköping Process Meetings (2001 – 2011)

• High Level Meeting of the Söderköping Process, 8 December 2011, Stockholm
• High Level Meeting of the Söderköping Process, 13-14 December 2010
• High level meeting of the Söderköping Process, 10-11 December 2009
• Senior Level Review Meeting, 2-3 October 2008
• Senior Level Review Meeting, 6-7 September 2007
• Senior Level Review Meeting, 11-13 October 2006
• The Senior Level Review Meeting, 12-13 May 2005
• First Thematic Workshop on Reception and Detention Regimes of the Söderköping Process
• Senior Level Review Follow-Up Meeting
• Thematic workshop on Registration Systems
• Thematic Workshop on Return and Readmission
• Central and Southern Cluster Meeting, 2004
• Briefing for Embassies and International Organisations, 2004 
• Northern Cluster Meeting, 2004 
• Fourth Steering Committee Meeting, 2004 
• EC Project for Söderköping Process Continuation, 2004 
• Conference on Complementary Protection, 2004 
• Third Steering Committee Meeting, 2004 
• Visit to the IOM Technical Cooperation Centre, 2004 
• Briefing for Ukrainian Authorities and NGOs, 2003
• Briefing for Embassies and International Organisations, 2003 
• Senior Level Review Meeting of the Söderköping Process, 2003 
• Second Steering Committee Meeting, 2003 
• SMB Project Proposal for the Söderköping Process Continuation, 2003 
• Southern and Central Cluster Conference of the Söderköping Process, 2003 
• Round Table for Belarusian Governmental and Non-governmental Organisations, 2003 
• Round Table for Moldovan Governmental and Non-governmental Organisations, 2003 
• Northern Cluster Conference of the Söderköping Process, 2003 
• Briefing for Embassies and International Organisations, 2003
• Round Table for Ukrainian Governmental and Non-governmental Organisations, 2003 
• First Steering Committee Meeting, 2003
• Suceava Meeting, 2002
• Regional Conference on Cross-Border Co-operation, 2002
• Senior Level Review Meeting in the East-Central European Four Plus Two Cross-Border Co-operation Enhancement Process, 2002
• Seminar for Capital City Officials (Kyiv, Minsk, Vilnius, Warsaw) in the Context of the Four-Country Cross-Border Co-operation Enhancement Process, 2002
• Seminar for Regional Migration and Border Guard Officials, 2002
• Interim Senior-Level Consultations of the Four-Country Cross-Border Co-operation Enhancement (Söderköping) Process, 26-27.11.2001, Warsaw, Poland
• Field-Based Officials Meeting, 2001
• Regional Meeting on Migration and Asylum, 2001
• Meeting for Senior Officials from Migration and Border Management Structures, 2001

Documents

 

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

EaPPMA:

• Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit (Brussels, 24 November 2017)
• Compilation on Economic Integration of Migrants
• Discussion Paper for the Panel Meeting on Economic Integration of Migrants
• EU and Eastern Partners unite in order to contribute to migrants’ well-being: economic integration in spotlight
• Eastern Partnership: Work Programme 2014-2017
• Joint Declaration, Eastern Partnership summit (Riga, 2015)
• Joint Declaration, Eastern Partnership Summit (Vilnius, 2013)
• Joint Declaration, Eastern Partnership Summit (Warsaw, 2011)
• Joint Declaration, Prague Eastern Partnership Summit  (Prague, 2009)
• Eastern Partnership: Commission Communication to Parliament & the Council (Brussels, 2008)
• Eastern Partnership: Commission staff working document (Brussels, 2008)

The Söderköping Process:

• Concluding Documents, Senior Level Review Meetings [2005 ]
• Roadmap 2005-2007
• Söderköping Cluster Meetings 2004

Related links

• View Printable Map 
• Panel webpage
• Panel newsletter 
• Panel calendar 

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”