Citation

Popul. Dev. Rev. 2010; 36(3): 647-650.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Population Council, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1728-4457.2010.00350.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Two years ago, the European Council (consisting of the Heads of State and Government of the 27 member states of the European Union) established an independent "Reflection Group" with the objective of assisting the EU to anticipate the challenges likely to be faced in the longer-term horizon of 2020 to 2030. The Group was made up of 12 members, chaired by former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales and supported by a secretariat. It was invited to identify key issues and developments and to analyze how these might be addressed. Its mandate did not cover consideration of institutional matters (governed by the Lisbon Treaty) or current policies. The Group, after wide-ranging consultations, formally submitted its report, titled Project Europe 2030: Challenges and Opportunities, to Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, on 8 May 2010. The 50-page Report considers a variety of subjects, among them renewing Europe's economic and social model, empowerment of the individual through knowledge, climate change, internal and external security, and Europe's place in the world. One section of the Report is titled "The challenge of demography: Ageing, migration and integration." This section is reproduced below in full. It considers the EU's demographic future to be ominous unless concerted remedial efforts are undertaken. These should be directed at stabilizing or increasing fertility levels through family-friendly policies, complemented by reforms of pension and health care systems and efforts to increase labor productivity. But, without specifying the nature and extent of such measures, the Report asserts that they will not be sufficient. Boosting labor force participation rates, increasing intra-EU labor mobility, and, not least, adopting "pro-active" immigration policies are also deemed crucial. The Report is specific on the need for more immigrants. Assuming constant labor force participation, it suggests that by mid-century some 100 million immigrants would be needed to fill the gap caused by the shortfall in the size of the labor force. Although "such a large net intake over the next 40 years is neither likely nor necessarily desirable," the Report urges a shift in attitudes so that inmigration would be seen "not as a burden to be shouldered" but an "opportunity to be seized." In particular, a common EU migration policy should seek to attract skilled immigrants. Efforts to stem illegal migration and human trafficking should be complemented by bilateral agreements to "promote orderly immigration through mobility partnerships." The EU, however, should "do its utmost" to ensure that immigration does not result in brain drain in the sending countries. (The full report can be accessed at the Group's website, http://www.reflectiongroup.eu.)

Keywords: Human trafficking

Language: en