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The European Integration Fund |
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Immigration has a valuable role to play in strengthening the EU’s competitiveness, addressing current and future demographic challenges and filling labour shortages. The key to maximising the benefits of immigration is the successful integration of migrants into their host societies. To this end, the European Fund for the Integration of non-EU immigrants (EIF) seeks to promote European cooperation, with the objective of granting comparable rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all. Facilitating the integration of non-EU immigrants  With a budget of EUR 825 million for the period 2007-13 (EUR 57 million for Community actions), the EIF supports national and EU initiatives that facilitate the integration of non-EU immigrants into European societies. All EU States except for Denmark participate in the EIF. The EIF is primarily targeted at newly arrived immigrants. It supports EU States and civil society in enhancing their capacity to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate integration strategies, policies and measures, as well as their exchanges of information and best practices and cooperation on integration issues. Concrete actions Concretely, such initiatives include programmes for improving diversity management in neighbourhoods, intercultural training and dialogue, the promotion of courses for better understanding the integration processes, platforms and tools for comparative learning, measures for sharing information and best practices among European integration practitioners (e.g. online discussion forums, conferences, etc.) and activities in the hosting EU State and in the immigrant's country of origin on introduction to the host society. The EIF is complementary to the European Social Fund (ESF) for actions related to the participation of migrants in employment. Distribution of resources Each year the resources under the Fund are distributed to the Member States in accordance with the criteria laid down in the basic act. The Commission has issued a report on the calculations made for the budget years 2007-2011: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the application of the criteria for the distribution of resources among the Member States under the External Borders Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals and the European Return Fund. Mid-Term implementation evaluation The Commission has approved a report on the results achieved and on qualitative and quantitative aspects of implementation of the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals for the period 2007-2009. The report, which is requested by the Fund's legal basis, has been transmitted to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The Commission report is complemented by the national evaluation reports submitted by all EU States participating in the implementation of the Fund and with two studies. National evaluation reports: Studies:
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