Brussels, 15/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - With its adoption (by 577 votes to 66 against, with 14 abstentions) of the report by Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, Spain) (see EUROPE 11409), the European Parliament voted in Brussels on Wednesday 14 October to approve draft amending budget No7/2015 providing additional funding this year to manage the refugee crisis.
An additional sum of €401.3 million (including €330.7 million in new money) was allocated to the EU countries hardest hit by the refugee inflow, to non-EU countries hosting most Syrian refugees and to three EU agencies handling most refugee-related tasks.
“Parliament understands the urgency of the refugee situation and has been ready to act fast to reinforce resources. However, with the refugee crisis likely to remain an issue in the coming years, we want to ensure adequate resources for it in the longer term, during the revision of the EU multiannual financial framework in 2016”, said Gardiazabal Rubial, rapporteur on changes to the 2015 budget.
Parliament also adopted a decision to use the flexibility instrument to provide €66.1 million in commitments to finance part of this aid.
Now that the Council and Parliament have approved the amending budget, the aid may be made available immediately. The increases proposed are: - €100 million in commitment appropriations for the asylum, migration and integration fund (AMIF) and the internal security fund (ISF); - €1.3 million in commitment and payment appropriations for 120 new posts at the Frontex border agency, the European asylum support office (EASO) and Europol agencies; - €300 million in commitment appropriations for the European neighbourhood instrument (ENI) to contribute to the Madad Trust Fund. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)