The Tampere conclusions adopted by the European Council in October 1999 under the Finnish Presidency deeply influenced the EU’s migration and asylum policies. Centred on four pillars, the Tampere ‘plan’ defined priorities for the development of both the external and internal dimensions of the Union’s migration policy. The four pillars are: (i) Partnership with countries of origin, (ii) A Common European Asylum System, (iii) Fair Treatment of Third-Country Nationals and, (iv) Management of Migration Flows.
The 20th anniversary of the Tampere conclusions in October 2019 provides an optimal moment to reflect on the Tampere legacy and the way forward in the light of upcoming developments: a new strategic agenda adopted by the European Council in May; a new Parliament and Commission with new policy priorities following the European elections; and a new five-year programme 2020-2025, including on asylum and migration policies, to be adopted by the European Council.
In that context, the Odysseus Academic Network, EMN-Finland and the European Policy Centre are jointly organising in 2019 a series of activities around the 20th anniversary of Tampere. The focus is on discussing and providing recommendations that can guide future developments in the areas covered by the Tampere agenda. In June 2019, a series of roundtable meetings were organised in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation to debate the Tampere pillars. The meetings brought together high-level policy-makers, academics and other stakeholders. In order to ensure a maximum level of inclusiveness, a call for contributions was organised.
The findings were presented at a high-level European Conference in Helsinki, on 24-25 October, on the EU’s future agenda on migration and asylum policies, organised by the three partners. The conference was a special event in connection with the Finnish Presidency of the European Union (2nd Semester 2019).