PURPOSE: to establish the asylum and migration fund for the period 2021-2027.
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
BACKGROUND: during the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, the EU budget has played a decisive role in managing flows of asylum seekers and migrants. The European migration agenda adopted in May 2015 stressed the need for a consistent common policy to restore confidence in the Union’s ability to combine European and national efforts to address migration issues.
In October 2017, the European Council reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive approach to managing migration flows, aimed at restoring control of external borders and reducing irregular arrivals and deaths at sea.
Drawing on the lessons from the past, the Commission, in its proposal for the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027, proposed to significantly increase the share of the overall EU budget devoted to migration and external border management by more than 2.6 times, including an increase in the funding allocated to decentralised bodies in this policy area.
The renewed Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF) shall build on the results and investments made with the support of previous funds: the European Refugee Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals, the European Return Fund, and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the period 2014-2020.
CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the asylum and migration fund for the period 2021-2027. Its scope is largely inspired by the current AMIF Regulation, while taking into account new strategic developments and the mandates of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the future European Union Agency for Asylum.
The Fund shall continue to support the EU's overall policies in the field of migration, integration and return, such as support to:
Support to Member States: in addition to a basic amount of EUR 5 million allocated to Member States at the beginning of the programming period, the financial envelope foreseen for the programmes of Member States shall be allocated based on a distribution key reflecting the needs and pressures experienced by Member States in the area of integration.
It is proposed to give 30% weighting to the area of asylum, 30% to the area of legal migration and integration and 40% to the area of countering irregular migration including returns. The Commission shall carry out a mid-term and a retrospective evaluation of this Regulation, including the actions implemented under the fund. A mid-term review shall take into account new or additional pressures.
The remaining 40 % should be managed through a thematic facility, which shall periodically provide funding for the support for specific actions, providing additional funding for dedicated actions of high EU added value. Specific attention shall be put on promoting effective returns; support for resettlement and the solidarity and responsibility efforts between the Member States.
Proposed budget: the financial envelope for the implementation of the fund for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 10.41 billion in current prices. The financial resources shall be used as follows:
It should be noted that the Commission proposal concerning the multiannual financial framework provides for EUR 865 million (in current prices) to the relevant decentralised agencies for the period 2021-2027.