The Commission of the Mediterranean Bar Associations of the F.B.E, having met in Trani on the 27th, 28th and 29th June to discuss Migrations in the Societies of the Mediterranean and Balkan Countries;

Having heard the papers and proposals during the course of the debate; Having considered the importance of the issues, which are the subject of these Assises, for all the Societies of the Mediterranean and the Balkan Countries;

Having established the considerable bearing on national and international law that the norms adopted at both Community and national levels have on the issues of immigration;

Having considered it appropriate to monitor and verify to what degree the measures adopted, and which will be adopted in future, have been implemented and harmonised in the juridical rulings of the single States; Having ascertained that a permanent exchange of knowledge and experience between the Councils of the Bar Associations of the F.B.E. and other Mediterranean countries has the function of advising the relevant Institutions on measures required to safeguard the status of immigrants; Having discerned the willingness of the President of the Council of the Association of Trani, of the President of the Province of Bari and of the Mayor of the City of Trani; establishes within the framework of the Commission of the Mediterranean Bar Associations of the European Bars Federation, the institution of a Permanent Juridical Observatory on Migrations, and on issues relating to norms and Euro-Mediterranean co-operation, with its base in Trani;

holds over until the next meeting of the Commission the task of identifying the permanent members of the Observatory and of indicating its functioning, authorising the President of the Association to set out the documentation related thereto. 27/29 June 2002

given that

in recent years migrations involving countries of the Mediterranean and the Balkans have reached enormous proportions and the problems therewith associated have at times been tragic; the subject, which is also the concern of these Assizes, is being strongly debated amongst citizens, Governments and European Community Institutions;

the subject of migrations has always been present in the proposals for Euro-Mediterranean co-operation, as reiterated at the recent meeting in Bari of the VII Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Conference and in the European Union summit in Seville.

the European Community Institutions are committed to adopting common policies on the questions of border protection, the battle against the illegal trafficking of immigrants; and at the same time are committed to the social and economic integration of emigrants as well as the promotion of their status;

efficient and effective support on the part of European Union countries of those where the migrations originate would promote and benefit the social development of those countries, the migratory flows being regulated in relation to the specific situations in the host countries as necessary;

the adoption of common policies on these issues, in consideration of the extent of migration towards countries of the European Union, can no longer be delayed;

the Bar has always played an active role in the protection of the weaker sections of society, without any distinction as regards sex, race, culture or religion, in the awareness that alongside the right to work there are also principles of equal dignity, such as solidarity and the respect of human rights;

The Bar itself, as an institution, debates these issues, which are the subject of the XII Assizes of the Mediterranean, in the knowledge of its role and;

therefore recommends

the setting up of a European Authority to constantly monitor the state of implementation of the common policies adopted by the member states.

Trani, 27/29 June 2002