Youth exchanges within the western Balkans and regulated labour migration to the EU
9.3.2016
Question for written answer E-002083-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Reimer Böge (PPE) , David McAllister (PPE)
The Western Balkans region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) is politically, legally, economically, and ethnically highly diverse. In order to secure peace and stability in the long term, not least in view of the refugee crisis, the EU needs to engage with the region on a long-term basis. Erasmus+, IPA II, and other EU programmes are designed to allow for that fact, for example by supporting intensive exchanges of and with young students and professionals from the Balkan region.
Regarding the implementation of EU assistance programmes:
- 1.How is the EU promoting youth exchanges among the six Western Balkan countries?
- 2.Bearing in mind that in the EU, applications for asylum from nationals of Western Balkan countries are mostly rejected and that there are considerable obstacles preventing non-EU nationals from taking up legal employment in the EU, does the EU have any special initiatives to encourage properly targeted and regulated labour migration?