Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Report on the implementation of the global approach to migration and mobility 2012-2013

The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) is, since 2005, the overarching framework of the EU external migration and asylum policy. The framework defines how the EU conducts its policy dialogue and operational cooperation with third countries in the area of migration and mobility, based on clearly defined priorities which reflect the strategic objectives of the EU, and firmly embedded in the EU’s overall foreign policy framework, including development cooperation.

The Commission Communication on "The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility" of 18 November 2011 launched a new and more consolidated, second phase of the GAMM. It introduced several new elements, e.g. the inclusion of international protection and the external dimension of asylum as a new thematic priority, and the expansion of the scope of the policy framework to include "mobility", thereby stressing the importance of fostering well-managed mobility of third country nationals across the external EU borders. The subsequent Council Conclusions of 29 May 2012 confirmed the GAMM as the framework for dialogue and cooperation with third countries in a comprehensive and balanced manner. The Council also emphasised the need for systematic monitoring of the implementation of the GAMM through biennial reports.

The GAMM is implemented through several political instruments (bilateral and regional policy dialogues and action plans), legal instruments (such as visa facilitation and readmission agreements), operational support and capacity-building (including via EU agencies, e.g. FRONTEX, EASO and ETF, and technical assistance facilities such as MIEUX and TAIEX) as well as the wide range of programme and project support that is made available to third country administrations and other stakeholders, such as civil society, migrant associations and international organisations. In the period 2012-2013, the Commission has supported more than 90 migration-related projects with more than €200 million in all regions of the developing world. In addition, several EU Member States (MS) have provided financial support to the implementation of the GAMM.

The principle bilateral frameworks for facilitating policy dialogue and operational cooperation with partner countries are the Mobility Partnerships (MPs) and Common Agendas on Migration and Mobility (CAMMs). So far, MPs have been concluded with six countries: Moldova (2008), Cape Verde (2008), Georgia (2009), Armenia (2011), Morocco (2013) and Azerbaijan (2013). Discussions on the MP with Tunisia have been concluded (November 2013) and its signing is imminent. Discussions on a MP have begun with Jordan (December 2013). Furthermore, a draft CAMM has been proposed to India (April 2013) and Nigeria (October 2013), but substantive discussions are yet to begin.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)96: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:096:FIN

ESO: Background information: EU's external migration policy: a bolder approach http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eus-external-migration-policy-a-bolder-approach/

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