Article 2 Task

The group's task will be:

• to analyse how to achieve better social integration of ethnic minorities and their full participation in the labour market within the European Union,

• to submit, before the end of the ‘2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All’, a report containing recommendations on the policies to be implemented in this connection.

The group will build on good practice in this field, and will focus more particularly on the following questions:

• the socioeconomic situation of ethnic minorities in today's European Union,

• the different situations and needs of minority groups, including recent migrants, established ethnic minorities, national minorities, the Roma and stateless persons,

• the impact of multiple discrimination and the influence of factors such as age, sex, disability and religion, as well as the impact of geographical isolation and level of education,

• the contribution of European Union policies and programmes to social integration of ethnic minorities and their full participation in the labour market,

• the impact of future developments, including possible new waves of accessions to the European Union (Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, western Balkans).

The Chairman of the group may indicate to the Commission when it would be advisable to consult the group on a specific question.