Vice-President Schinas opening remarks at the press conference to launch the action plan on Integration and Inclusion - Hoofdinhoud

Let me start on a personal note. This is the first time I come back to the Commission after the fight against the virus for a challenging month. I'm delighted to be back and I want to thank everyone, colleagues, friends and many journalists who wished me well. I can assure you that it's a totally different thing to discuss about the virus or deal with the virus as a regulator and fighting the virus from the hospital bed. If there are people out there that still undermine or negate the threat, send them to me. I will explain.

Being European means protecting the most vulnerable in our midst. It means healthcare and welfare systems that all can access. It means having the same opportunities. It means ensuring that people are equipped to thrive as our society and our labour market evolve. It also means a strong European dimension for culture and sports, as building blocks for our communities and drivers for our economy.

The primary thrust behind the European way of life portfolio, as designed by our President, is to help create the resilient and cohesive societies of tomorrow.

And the effective integration of migrants legally staying in the EU and people with a migrant background is crucial for the cohesion of our societies.

Beyond this, integration is key for people coming to Europe, for local communities, and for the long-term health of our society and our economy. Indeed, if we want to help our societies and economies thrive, we need to support everyone who is part of that society, with inclusion being both a right and a duty for all.

In reality there are two parties involved in integration processes: the migrants and the receiving society. And it is the interaction between the two that determines the direction and the ultimate outcome of the integration process. Both need and deserve our support to get this process right.

That is why, when designing the new Action plan on integration and inclusion we are presenting today, we wanted to take a more holistic approach, looking at the dynamics of the integration process from both sides and identifying the ways in which the EU can best support Member States' efforts in this area.

Ylva will expand in more detail about the content of the each of the actions, but allow me to first expound upon the principles behind them.

Our action plan focuses on the cornerstones of integration and inclusion: better access to education, jobs, healthcare and housing.

Education and training, skills and competence development are key to the successful integration of migrants and refugees. They help people to settle in new environments, thrive and contribute. Schools, museums, cultural centres and sports fields can be clearly identified as places where community-building happens. In every city and village, this is where families and neighbours meet and interact. By being involved, newly arrived migrants, refugees and people with a migrant background benefit in a multitude of ways: helping to learn the language of the host country, building a social network, using their skills or developing new ones, and acquiring a deeper understanding of the community's culture and values.

Promoting inclusion and providing opportunities for young people at risk through education, culture, youth and sports in this way can further contribute to the prevention of radicalisation, and cohesion inside the EU. Because it is integration and inclusion that help combat xenophobia, exclusion, radicalisation and ‘us vs. them' narratives while building mutual respect and fostering migrants' sense of belonging. Whilst I am keen to point out that there is no automaticity whatsoever between migration and extremism, we have to admit that there remains a risk that extremist organisations prey on the vulnerable and exploit voids left by public services and community structures. And this is true of any vulnerable group in society. And it is these voids that we need to fill.

In the same vein, equal access to healthcare and housing is crucial for successful integration. Limited access to either is what fosters divisions and undermines social cohesion.

And although, in all of these areas, it is national governments that are primarily responsible for creating and implementing social policies, the EU plays a key role in supporting Member States and stakeholders through funding, developing guidance and fostering relevant partnerships.

When it comes to funding, the Asylum and Migration Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, and the European Regional Development Fund all have vast potential and there is great scope for developing stronger synergies in the relevant programmes to ensure we are mobilising all our efforts towards the same overarching goal of more equality and inclusion, whilst avoiding overlaps.

Lastly, one of our guiding principles when it comes to inclusion - and I remember saying this in my hearing from the Parliament - is that I truly believe that the solutions need to be bottom up and not top down, which means supporting and working with local communities who know what works best in the area. This is why, for effective integration, we need to build strong partnerships with all those involved: migrants, host communities, diasporas, social and economic partners, civil society and the private sector.

All integration is local - and this is where the best ideas come form. For example, not far from here, in Kraainem, there is a Kraainem football club of amateur football players, and they managed, with our help, with Erasmus+ money, to bring together a fantastic programme of integration of refugees and migrants. It was their idea and we were able, at EU level, to support and bring it to life. These are the examples we need to be emulating and promoting across Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, the European way of life is an inclusive one.

I committed to using the cross-cutting portfolio attributed to me to promote a comprehensive approach when it comes to inclusion and integration and with this Action Plan, this is what we are doing.

We will support both Member States, regional authorities and host societies but also the people who come to Europe in the hopes of a better future and who in turn need to be supported to become part and parcel of the European way of life we all hold so dear.

Together we can build a future based on access and opportunities for all.

Thank you. I now pass the floor to Ylva to go into more detail about the actions we are presenting today.