Migrest Project (2004/2005)

The local and regional authorities situated in the cross border areas are directly and rapidly affected by the EU enlargement process and its impacts. The project overview is to provide cross border institutions with tools for managing the impact of the increased migration fows, considering both their administrative effects and the need for supporting the economic and social insertion of the workers coming from regions in the candidate countries.

The involved cross border regions will be Veneto (Regione del Veneto) and Kentriki Makedonia (Municipality of Thessaloniki), while the other EU partners are located in Veneto (7 partners). The project also foresees the participation of 3 partners from the candidate countries (2 from Romania, 1 from Poland).

The project target focuses on the selection and training of a new professional figure - the Migration Officer (MO) - who will provide technical assistance to satisfy the third priority indicated by the Call for proposals (2004-2005). The project is expected to create a context in which the MOs help the immigrants in an effective way so that they can benefit of a real socio-economic integration in the cross border regions. The cross border authorities will therefore have the adequate structures and tools for managing the administrative effects caused by the enlargement from the point of view of the migrant flows.

Migrest Project Objectives

The project overall objective is to provide cross border authorities with those necessary practical tools for managing the impact originated by the EU enlargement process, both at social and economic level.

• supply cross border regions public administrations information on the enlargement process and its impact, as well as of adequate skills for managing and ?driving? this process in their respective territories;

• improving the information access, which means creating new specific tools to inform the cross border authorities about the aspects related to the enlargement. Thanks to these tools, cross border authorities will be better prepared to identify the risks and the opportuities related to enlargement issues, particularly to the migration flows;

• developing strategies and qualifications, which means assisting cross border authorities in developing strategies and actions that will provide solutions to the management of the migration flows, including measures for staff qualification;

• stimulating the cross border cooperation at institutional and administrative level, which means promoting a network between the cross border auhtorities and also between them and those of the candidate countries, selected for participating in the project.

Project leader: Regione Veneto - Direzione Programmi Comunitari

Partners:
Venice International University
Unioncamere del Veneto
Provincia di Vicenza
Comune di Venezia
Camera di Commercio di Treviso
Centro Estero Veneto
C.R.A.C.A
CESMEAN
Municipality of Thessaloniki - Greece
Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin - Poland
Municipality of Timisoara - Romania
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania - Romania

For further information please visit the project website: www.migrest.net