The recent communication of the Commission on the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility confirmed once again the increasing EU interest on circular migration and mobility partnerships with the European Neighbourhood, with a priority given to South Mediterranean (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt), and Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). It also emphasises the increasing importance of labour and skills-matching, and validation of diplomas, qualifications and skills under legal migration and mobility schemes. The first mobility partnership agreement was signed between EU and Moldova in 2008, followed by another with Georgia in 2009, and the latest one signed with Armenia in October 2011. EU has also launched negotiations for mobility partnership agreements with Morocco and Tunisia in October 2011, which would follow by negotiations with Egypt and Libya when political conditions allow for cooperation.
ETF Migration and Skills Project that started in 2011 includes implementation of three field surveys in Armenia, Georgia and Morocco; production of three country migration profiles based on the analysis of survey data; presentation and discussion of survey findings with national stakeholders in each country; organisation of an international seminar on migration& skills; and providing support to the EC services and the three country authorities on the skill dimension of labour migration within the Mobility Partnership perspective. In 2012, the project will focus on the finalisation of surveys and country analyses, organisation of one international and three national seminars, and production of a short synthesis report on cross-country survey findings.
The project is based on a previous ETF project of 2006-2008, involving migration surveys on the skills of potential and returning migrants in five sending countries (Albania, Egypt, Moldova, Tunisia, and Ukraine). The skills perspective is a quite new angle of looking at labour migration, which contributes to EU policy on circular and return migration. Country migration reports including key findings of surveys are available and downloadable from the ETF website. Other outcomes of the project were a synthesis report on migration and skills and policy brief on legal migration and its skills dimension. There were also two spill-over activities implemented during 2009-2010: (i) Skills matching for legal migration in Egypt (2007-2010) to develop European-Egyptian occupational profiles for a number of occupations in construction and tourism and an assessment system for the skills of legal migrants; (ii) Skills recognition component of the EC Mobility Partnership with Moldova (2008-2011) to support EU-Moldova Mobility Partnership and develop mechanisms for transparent professional qualifications and better LM and skills matching under circular migration and return.
The overall objective is to contribute to the improvement of evidence-based policies on labour migration and its skills dimension in the three partner countries and EC services by providing good quality analysis and institutional capacity building. It is foreseen a close consultation and cooperation with EC services (particularly DG HOME, DEVCO, DG EMPL) and EEAS, including EU Delegations in the countries covered, as well as with national authorities relevant for labour migration services.