European Web Site on Integration - your chance to participate!

Background

The Hague Programme on strengthening freedom, security and justice in the EU, adopted by the European Council in November 2004, called for the development of a Web Site on Integration. In that same month the Groningen Ministerial Conference on Integration invited the Commission, in close cooperation with the National Contact Points on Integration, to establish a public-private partnership to create and maintain an integration Web Site.

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security has commissioned Unisys, in partnership with the Migration Policy Group, Social Change Online and Eurocities, to develop the Site.

What will be on the Web Site?

• A broad range of information and documents relevant to immigrant integration:
  • Official EU information
  • National legislation, policy papers and impact assessments from Member States
  • Documents from civil society organisations and research centres/academia
• Case studies of integration practices
• News
• Contacts directory
• Information on funding opportunities for integration practitioners
• Country information sheets
• An events calendar
• A powerful search engine

More details are available in the consultation briefing document, which is available for download below.

How can you contribute?

The project team is engaged in a process of consulting with stakeholders since the outset of the project. A first cycle of consultation in 2007 helped the project team to identify the needs and priorities of stakeholders. A second cycle has been launched in February 2008, with a view to engage stakeholders in contributing relevant content to the Web Site. A third one will start in November 2008.

You are welcome to contribute the following items:

• Documents: these are reports, policy papers, evaluations, etc. You can submit your documents in .doc or .pdf format to integrationwebsite@unisys.com.
• Case studies of integration practices: these are practices arising from a project or programme which you think could be considered as a ‘best practice’ in the integration of immigrants. To submit case studies of integration practices, you are kindly requested to use the template provided to that effect, which is available below for download. Please note that all the fields of the template should be completed. You can send your case studies to integrationwebsite@unisys.com, together with any supporting pieces.

When will the Web Site be launched?

The Web Site will be launched by the European Commission in 2009. A prototype of the Web Site will be shown at the 3rd European Ministerial Conference on Integration, which will be held on 3-4 November in Vichy, under the French Presidency.

If you have any questions on the above or on the attached document, please do not hesitate to drop a line at integrationwebsite@unisys.com.