The Foreign Policy Centre, the British Council and Migration Policy Group, in association with the Commission for Racial Equality, launched The Inclusion Index on 20 September.

Speakers included Rt. Hon Neil Kinnock (Chair, British Council) and Sir Trevor Phillips (Chair, Commission for Racial Equality).

If Europe is to meet its Lisbon targets on employment and jobs, maintain cohesive healthy societies and live up to its founding values of equality and openness, it must take a close look at its policies governing inclusion and civic citizenship. The European Civic Citizenship and Inclusion Index has been conceived to fill a knowledge gap on civic citizenship policies and inclusion at a European level.

The need for immigrant inclusion in Europe is unavoidable. 13 million EU residents in the fifteen 'old' Member States (3.4% of the population) are non-naturalised immigrants. Globalisation, labour market and demographic pressures make inward migration a fact of life for EU Member States. If Europe is to live up to it aspirations on growth and jobs, maintain cohesive healthy societies and live up to its founding values of equality and openness the it must take a close look at its policies governing inclusion and civic citizenship.

What is the Index?

The European Civic Citizenship and Inclusion Index was conceived to fill a knowledge gap on inclusion policies at a European level. For the first time, it sets out EU Member States' inclusion and citizenship policies in a way that is transparent and comparable. It is important for Member States to think about issues of immigrant inclusion in a European perspective, to keep up with the reality of EU-level policymaking in the area, and the rapidly emerging EU Common Space of Justice, Freedom and Security.

Who is involved?

The European Civic Citizenship and Inclusion Index was conceived and managed by British Council, Foreign Policy Centre and Migration Policy Group. The research was designed and co-ordinated by Professor Andrew Geddes (University of Sheffield) and Jan Niessen (Migration Policy Group, and carried out by the Europe in the World Centre (University of Liverpool) and Migration Policy Group. The Index is part-funded by the Barrow Cadbury Charitable Trust, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and British Council.