PURPOSE: to establish, as part of the integrated border management fund, the instrument for financial support for border management and visa 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: effective protection of the EU's external borders is an essential precondition for managing migration flows and ensuring internal security. Strong external borders are also what allow the EU to maintain a Schengen area without internal border controls. Financial support from the Union budget is essential for the implementation of integrated European border management as implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard, set up by Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
In order to respond to increased migratory and security challenges, the Commission has proposed the establishment of a new integrated border management fund under the next multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027. This new fund aims to provide enhanced support to Member States with a view to securing the Union’s common external borders, with an envelope of EUR 9.31 billion (in current prices). A five-fold increase as compared to the current multiannual financial framework for the overall envelope for border management is foreseen for the next period.
Within that framework, the proposed integrated border management fund shall be composed of two instruments: an instrument for financial support for border management and visa and an instrument for financial support for customs control equipment.
This proposal concerns only the instrument for border management and visa. A separate proposal covering the instrument for customs control equipment is presented by the Commission in parallel.
CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the instrument for financial support for border management and visa as part of the integrated border management fund. It lays down the objectives of the instrument, the budget for the period 2021-2027, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.
Objective: the instrument shall ensure strong and effective European integrated border management at the external borders while safeguarding the free movement of persons within it, in full compliance with the Union’s commitments on fundamental rights, thereby contributing to guaranteeing a high level of security in the Union.
Its specific objectives are to:
Priority shall be given to supporting actions with a European dimension.
Support to Member States: in addition to a basic amount of EUR 5 million that is envisaged to be 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 that shall reflect the needs and pressure experienced by Member States in the two areas covered by this instrument (border management and visas).
Funding shall be distributed based on the following weighing: 30% for external land borders, 35% for external sea borders, 20% for airports and 15% for consular offices. A mid-term review shall take into account new or additional pressures.
The remaining 40 % of the overall financial envelope shall be managed through the thematic facility, which shall periodically provide funding for a number of priorities defined in Commission financing decisions.
The instrument shall furthermore maintain support for the functioning of the Special Transit Scheme implemented by Lithuania, in line with the EU’s obligations, compensating Lithuania for the transit visa fees it foregoes and additional costs it incurs as a result of the facilitated transit document (FTD) and facilitated rail transit document (FRTD) scheme, such as the costs of replacing and upgrading equipment and IT systems, and training and operational costs.
Proposed budget: the Commission’s proposal for the next multiannual financial framework includes EUR 8.01 billion (in current prices) for the instrument for border management and visa for the 2021-2027 period. Implementation shall be by means of shared, direct or indirect management. The global resources shall be allocated as follows: