​​​​​​On 23 June the CIVEX commission adopted the opinion on the Neighbourhood Policy review and held an exchange of views on the recently published proposals on the reform of the Common European Asylum System, the legal migration package as well as the EU action plan on the integration of third country nationals. Furthermore a debate was held on security and fight against terrorism from a local and regional perspective in the presence of the major of Molenbeek Saint Jean Francois Schepmans 
 
Karl Vanlouwe, the EA Group coordinator in the CIVEX commission and rapporteur for the Action plan on integration commented upon the European Commission proposal and pointed out the key role of LRAs in the implementation of integration policies. While pointing out that Flanders has a compulsory integration policy, he underlined hat approaches differ between regions and countries and that we must learn from each other to ensure the costs on non-integration do not go beyond the cost of integration policies.

The rapporteur has called for best practises from EU regions so to take them as a reference in the COR position and recommendations.

The opinion will be further discussed and adopted at the next meeting on 22 and 23 September.