European Migration Network (EMN)

The Commission presents a Staff Working Document on the European Migration Network Status Report 2009 This is the first Status Report produced by the European Migration Network (EMN), in line with Council Decision 2008/381/EC, requiring the EMN's Steering Board to provide a succinct status report on the ongoing activities of the EMN and the key findings of its studies, at least once a year. The Status Report primarily covers the period from the adoption of the Council Decision (14th April 2008) up to the end of 2009, with more recent developments also referred to, where this was particularly relevant. This concerns in particular references to recent Synthesis Reports of EMN studies produced since the Council Decision.

The report notes that since the establishment of the EMN, a number of developments, both political and legislative, have occurred in the European Union, which contributed to the expansion of the EU’s asylum and migration policy. A brief overview of these developments is given in order to provide the context for the EMN's progress. The report then describes the main activities carried out by the EMN up to the end of 2009 in terms of networking, ad-hoc queries, reports and studies, the collection, provision and comparability of information and enhancing the visibility of the EMN. The 2008 EMN Work Programme focused primarily on fully developing the EMN from a preparatory action to a formalised structure, based on a legislative instrument. The 2009 Work Programme placed major emphasis on making the EMN fully operational. The current Work Programme 2010 further consolidates and completes the activities launched in 2009, as well as delivers new outputs in line with the EMN’s mandate and consistent with the political agenda of the EU.