On Wednesday 11 July, the European Commission announced that that green light had been given on Tuesday 10 July to an initial 12 financial guarantee programmes worth around €800 million, as part of the EU's external investment plan (EIP). The EIP is mainly intended for Africa and the EU's neighbouring countries in order to fight the deep-rooted causes of illegal migration to Europe (see EUROPE 11911).
The Commission believes the €800 million should enable €8-9 billion in public...