On Thursday 24th October, ICMPD Director General, Michael Spindelegger, spoke at the opening plenary of the Europe Conference ‘From Tampere 20 to Tampere 2.0: Towards a New Programme (2020–2024) for EU Migration and Asylum Policies 20 years after the Tampere Conclusions?’ which focused on highlighting relevant proposals and ideas for the next EU Commission.
Those who shared the opening plenary with Mr. Spindelegger included Paavo Lipponen, former Prime Minister of Finland, Antonio Vitorino, Director General, International Organisation for Migration and Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
In his key note speech, Mr. Spindelegger emphasised the importance of a united Europe working for clear and coherent migration structures:
"The EU and its Member States must also reconfirm their commitment towards a common vision, approach and system. […]This can only be managed when we leave behind the political controversy revealed by the 2015 crisis and use the momentum of the election year for hitting the reset button of EU migration policy making."
The conference takes place on the 24 -25 October and was co-organised by the European Migration Network, the Odysseus Network and the European Policy Centre and aims to facilitate conversations surrounding evidence-based decision-making, policy-related research and networking between relevant players in the European setting. It is a side event in connection with the Finnish Presidency of the European Union..