The European Commission's Action plan on integration and inclusion for the 2021-2027 period is guided by the overarching principle of ‘inclusion for all’. The plan envisioned concrete actions across a number of key areas of integration. The pages here allow you to track the progress made on the actions across the EU and learn more about the outcomes.
The 2021-2027 actions build upon the successes and lessons learnt from the 2016 Action plan on the integration of third-country nationals.
Types of actions
The current action plan is part of a comprehensive response to tackling the challenges linked to migration put forward in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. The plan includes actions dedicated to the different areas of integration, as well as actions supporting effective inclusion across all areas.
Actions in main sectoral areas include initiatives addressing integration needs in terms of:
- Education and training
- Employment and skills
- Health
- Housing
Actions supporting effective integration and inclusion in all sectoral areas are dedicated to:
- Building strong partnerships for a more effective integration process
- Increased opportunities for EU funding under the 2021-2027 Multi-annual Financial Framework
- Fostering participation and encounters with the host society
- Enhancing the use of new technologies and digital tools for integration and inclusion
- Monitoring progress: towards an evidence-based integration and inclusion policy
This tracker follows the progress of all the actions taken under the above areas.
Overarching principles
The EU's work on integration and inclusion is underpinned by a shared set of principles and values which should also guide the work of the EU countries when they design, implement or review their strategies. This is true across the full range of EU inclusion policies, as set out by the European Pillar of Social Rights, including the 2021-2027 action plan.
Inclusion for all: The overarching principle of the plan aims to ensure that all policies are accessible to and work for everyone, including migrants and EU citizens with migrant background. The latter are for the first time included in the action plan, too.
Targeted support where needed: While mainstream social policies should be inclusive for all, policymakers should design tailored support mechanisms to help newcomers to quickly integrate. An example are the complementary courses designed for highly qualified migrants to help them make the best use of their skills.
Mainstreaming gender and anti-discrimination priorities: The action plan is built on and complements the EU's Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, the EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025, the EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy and the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030. The plan pays special attention to the integration of migrant women and girls.
Support for all stages of the integration: The successful integration of migrants depends both on early action and long-term investment. The plan recognises that the mainstream policies are essential to supporting continued inclusion, and meaningful participation.
Maximising EU added value through multi-stakeholder partnership: The plan takes into account that integration happens on multiple levels of governance, involving various governmental, private and public partners.
Action plan progress tracker
The action plan has set concrete goals for fostering integration in a number of key areas of integration, as well as for providing overarching support and coordination. Explore the concrete goals, ongoing and completed actions and their evaluation below.
1. Actions in key areas of integration
This section explores the work done in 4 key areas of integration: education and training, employment and skills, health and housing. The bar char below represents the progress made under these 4 areas. In each area, the actions are marked as:
- completed - actions which have already successfully concluded
- continuous - actions which have already started and whose implementation will continue to take place over the 2021-2027 period; most actions fall under this category
- pending - planned actions whose implementation has not yet started
Note that the separate actions often include multiple initiatives. The status of the actions is updated every 4 months.
2. Actions supporting effective integration and inclusion in all sectoral areas
This section explores the 5 streams of actions supporting integration across all areas: building strong partnerships, increased EU funding, fostering participation, enhancing the use of technology, and monitoring progress in policy. The bar char below represents the progress made under these 5 streams of actions. In each of them, actions are marked as:
- completed - actions which have already successfully concluded
- continuous - actions which have already started and whose implementation will continue to take place over the 2021-2027 period; most actions fall under this category
- pending - planned actions whose implementation has not yet started
Note that the separate actions often include multiple initiatives. The status of the actions is updated every 4 months.
