EUROPEAN REFUGEE FUND CONFERENCE 30-31 OCTOBER 2003
The first phase of implementation of the European Refugee Fund (ERF) will end on 31 December 2004, and the Commission intends to put forward, before the end of 2003, a proposal for a legal base for a new instrument, so as to enable it to be operational from 1 January 2005.
The Directorate general for Justice and Home Affairs of the European Commission will host a conference on the European Refugee Fund on 30 and 31 October in Brussels, in order to carry out wide-ranging consultations with the Member States and with organisations taking part in the current ERF phase.
The first objective of the conference is to draw lessons from the first phase of implementation of the European Refugee Fund, building on the results of the mid-term evaluation, which is currently being carried out by an external consultant (PLS Ramboll Management A/S), as well as on the comments made by Members States and beneficiaries of the ERF.
The second objective of the conference is to gather opinions and new approaches for the next phase of the instrument, taking into account the results of the first phase as well as recent legislation or new legislation in the area of asylum policy under consideration in the Council.
The options to be discussed will especially take into account the specific character and complementarity of this instrument in relation to the other financial instruments, in particular those envisaged in the field of asylum and immigration. 5 workshops have been planned during this two-day conference, as shown in the provisional agenda.
Participants will include representatives of national administrations of each Member State and new Member State, representatives of the political and parliamentary world, NGOs, practitioners in the area of asylum, local and regional administrations and international organisations active in the area of asylum policy and / or in the implementation of measures covered by the E.R.F (reception, integration, repatriation).

EUROPEAN REFUGEE FUND CONFERENCE 30-31 OCTOBER 2003
DRAFT AGENDA

· Location: Building "Charlemagne" - Rue de la Loi  n°170 - 1040 BR

· Dates 30 and 31 October, 2003

Opening : Thursday, 30 at 10.00
Closure :   Friday, 31 at 17.30

 

· Provisional agenda

 

30 October 2003

08.00 - 18.00  Registration of participants

10.00 - 11.00 Opening of the conference
 J. Nunes de Almeida, Cabinet of Commissioner Vitorino
Representative from the IT Presidency (name to be confirmed)
 Representative from the European Parliament (R.J.E. Evans, TBC)

 

11.00 - 11.30 Introduction: elements of the Mid-term evaluation of ERF
 Lotte Grünbaum, PLS Ramboll Management

 

11.30 - 12.00 Presentation of the workshops
JL De Brouwer, Acting Director, DG JHA/A

 

12.00  - 14.00  Lunch

 

14.15 - 18.00 3 parallel workshops (with coffee break 16.15 to 16.45)

 

Workshop 1 :  Development and new expectations in the field of reception of asylum seekers
Chair : H. van Goethem, International federation of Red Cross Societies
Rapporteur : M. Verheij, DG JHA/A/2

 

Workshop 2 : Integration of refugees: what topical issues?
Chair : JF Durieux, UNHCR
Rapporteur : S. Pratt, DG JHA/A/2

 

Workshop 3 : New developments as regards return : New elements for  the development of an integrated and sustainable approach
 Chair : P. Von Bethlenfalvy, IOM Brussels
Rapporteur : C. Klos, DG JHA/A/2

 

18.30 - 22.00 Cocktail / dinner followed by the screening of "In This World", Michael Winterbottom, Centre Culturel de Woluwe St Pierre

 

31 October 2003
09.00  - 12.30 2 parallel workshops (with coffee break 10.30 - 11.00)

 

Workshop 4 : Examples of good practices and innovative projects in national ERF Programmes. The added value of transnationality (Community Actions)
 Chair : S. Keskinen, Ministry of Labour, Finland
 Rapporteur : P. de Bruycker; DG JHA/A/2

 

Workshop 5 : Towards a revised approach of Community Solidarity in the implementation of a common asylum policy : the future of the  European Refugee Fund
 Chair : J. Widgren, ICMPD
 Rapporteur : A. Boillot, DG JHA/A/2
12.30  - 15.00  Lunch
15.00  - 16.00  Workshops conclusions by the Rapporteurs
16.00 - 17.00  Conclusion round table
 Chair : J.L. De Brouwer, DG JHA/A
Participants :
 John Haskins, Reception and Integration Agency, Ireland
Member of the European Parliament (name TBC)
 Koen de Mesmaeker, OCIV, Belgium
Kayamba Tshitshi Ndouba, CEAR, Spain

 

 

 

AGENCE POUR LA GESTION DES FRONTIÈRES 2
* LÍDERES DE LA UE APOYAN CREAR UNA AGENCIA DE CONTROL FRONTERAS 2

ASILE 3
* JUDGE ATTACKS HUGE COST OF DOOMED ASYLUM CASES 3
CONFÉRENCE INTERGOUVERNEMENTALE 4
* LA PRÉSIDENCE ITALIENNE ESSAIE DE CERNER LES POINTS DE CRISPATION ET ENVISAGE DES CONSULTATIONS BILATÉRALES POUR APLANIR LES DERNIÈRES DIFFICULTÉS AVANT DE PRÉSENTER UN COMPROMIS GLOBAL AVANT LA FIN NOVEMBRE

CONSEIL EUROPÉEN 8
* SOMMET INTERINSTITUTIONNEL: CONSEIL/PE/COMMISSION 8
CONSTITUTION 8
* PRODI ET BERLUSCONI D'ACCORD SUR UN RÉFÉRENDUM EUROPÉEN 8
* PRODI INSISTE SUR LA NÉCESSITÉ D'UN COMMISSAIRE DE PLEIN DROIT PAR PAYS 8
* LE PARTI POPULAIRE EUROPÉEN INSISTE SUR UNE RÉFÉRENCE À L'HÉRITAGE "JUDÉO-CHRÉTIEN" DE L'EUROPE DANS LA CONSTITUTION 9

DROIT DE VOTE 9
* HIDDEN MOTIVE OF FINI'S VOTES-FOR-IMMIGRANTS 9
* BELGIQUE: MARDI, DÉBAT SUR LE DROIT DE VOTE 11

DROITS DE L'HOMME 11
* L'UE APPORTE SON SOUTIEN AU GOUVERNEMENT BOLIVIEN (FRATTINI) 11

DROITS FONDAMENTAUX 12
* ADOPTION DE LA COMMUNICATION SUR LA PROMOTION DES VALEURS DE L'UE 12
* MOBILISATION POUR AUGMENTER LE NOMBRE DE FEMMES DANS LA RECHERCHE INDUSTRIELLE 13

ELARGISSEMENT 14
* SONDAGE: JEUNES DES 10 PAYS ADHÉRENTS AU 1ER MAI 2004 14

IMMIGRATION 16
* ITALIE 16

NORVÈGE 16
* NORWEGIANS NUANCED ON VIEW OF EU MEMBERSHIP 16
RÉFUGIÉS
* BITTERSWEET RETURN FOR GREEK CIVIL WAR'S LOST VICTIMS 
* DANS DES CAMPS HORS D'EUROPE : EXILONS LES RÉFUGIÉS

XÉNOPHOBIE 24
* SUISSE: FORTE TENTATION XÉNOPHOBE DANS LES FIEFS DE LA DROITE POPULISTE 24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emilio De Capitani
Secretary of Committee on
Citizens' Freedoms and Rights,
Justice and Home Affairs
Bruxelles: office: ATRIUM 7 K 81
tel. (32) 02 - 284.35.08
Strasbourg: office: SDM 3 120
tel. (33) (0)3. 881.7.4022

 

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