Academic seminar: call for papers (now expired, but maintained for information)

Tuesday 7 June, 2016 – 13:00 – 16:00; Queen’s University Belfast 27 University Square 27:101

Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence – Tensions at the Fringes of the EU Stream

(Keynote speaker Prof. Catherine Barnard, University of Cambridge)

Free movement of persons is a fundamental principle of the European Union and has been elevated to a human right in the Charter of Fundamental Rights for the European Union, distinguishing the EU from other regional integration project. The right to move, reside and work anywhere in the EU is of fundamental relevance not only to EU citizens, but also to non-EU citizens who have long term residence status. The resulting mobility within the EU offers enormous potential for the integration of the EU’s societies, especially because the current Treaties presuppose that mobile citizens enjoy equal treatment rights in their host states, at least if they are economically active. Nevertheless, alleged negative effects of mobility are recently being stressed in some Member States, and in particular in the run-up to the UK’s referendum on its continued EU membership. Mobility is accused of enhancing inequalities, threatening social cohesion as well as national welfare arrangements and generally raises fears among the non-mobile population. Such fears may or may not have a base in reality, but they seem to inform policy development.

This seminar offers the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary exchange on the interrelation of mobility and equality, in particular the question of how mobility relates to gender, ethnicity, race and disability as well as equality at the intersections of these themes. Since the EU Commission has tabled a part of its mobility package on 8 March 2016, and is due to table further elements, this workshop will offer a first opportunity to critically evaluate how far the legislative proposal entrenches or addresses such inequalities. We offer to publish papers in the Jean Monnet on-line paper series at CETLS (after peer review, but not excluding expansion into journal articles).

Researchers participating include:

Professor Dagmar Schiek

Professor Yvonne Galligan

Dr Bal Sokhi-Bulley

We hope to engage researchers in an open exchange and invite papers from a range of scholars.

Papers are invited covering all aspects of this theme, including the following questions:

• Equal treatment is not guaranteed for all EU citizens moving for work, since free movement rights of companies and service providers are interpreted as conflicting with those rights for posted workers, including agency workers. How do regimes for posted workers entrench existing inequalities, between EU citizens and other migrants and along divisions by gender, ethnicity and abilities?
• To what extent does mobility enhance opportunities for those excluded from employment markets, e.g. women, ethnic minorities or persons classed as disabled?
• Do social achievements such as a minimum wage at reasonable levels or comprehensive social benefits really act as pull factors for EU citizens and migrants from beyond the EU, and does this enhance inequalities within Member States or their regions?
• Do mobility of EU citizens and / or migration of non-EU citizens threaten the employment opportunities, wage levels and access to social services of non-mobile factions of the population, and reinforce inequalities within these populations?
• How does the human rights dimension of mobility and equality relate to the demands, made by UK politicians, to deprive mobile citizens from their equal treatment rights?
• How does the EU’s approach to mobility and equality impact on (labour) migration of non-EU citizens, and their opportunities to become mobile under fair conditions?

Submission Deadline for Abstracts: 6 May, 2016 (deadline extended)

Abstracts should be 200-300 words in length and should clearly specify the structure of the paper and methods used. Abstracts and short biographical note of 5 lines should be submitted on-line to: e.basheska@qub.ac.uk by 6 May, 2016. Attendance and participation is free, and funding for travel and accommodation is available for a limited number of speakers. All those interested to participate as guests and/or discussants should register by sending an email to m.howell@qub.ac.uk. The participation of public administrators, civil society representative, students, and of other interested individuals and/or organisations is most welcome.