The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) approved on Tuesday 19 February its negotiating position with the Council of the European Union for three financial instruments that will finance European policies on asylum, migration and internal security after 2020.
In June 2018, the European Commission proposed tripling the total appropriation for these three funds with a budget of €34.9 billion, including €21.3 billion for global border management alone (see EUROPE 12039).
In two draft reports, one on the Fund for Asylum, Migration and Integration led by Miriam Dalli (S&D, Malta) and the other on the Fund for Integrated Border Management led by Tanja Fajon (S&D, Slovenia), the MEPs stressed several principles: - ensuring solidarity with the countries most affected by migration challenges; - direct funding to local and regional authorities for integration policies; - strengthening border surveillance; - a more effective visa policy, and; - more flexibility for emergency financing during border crises.
From the LIBE Committee’s perspective, the Fund for Asylum, Migration and Integration should have a budget of €9.2 billion (€10.41 billion in current prices), 51% more than in the previous multiannual financial framework.
The Integrated Border Management Fund would have a budget of €7.1 billion (€8 billion in current prices), while the European Commission has suggested an appropriation of €9.3 billion for this instrument. And it would include a new thematic mechanism, endowed with 40% of the overall budget, to ensure flexibility in the allocation of emergency funds in the event of a sudden crisis.
Internal Security Fund. By adopting the report by Monika Holhmeier (EPP, Germany), the LIBE Committee is calling for a budget of €2.5 billion (€2.2 billion at 2018 prices) for the Internal Security Fund, double the previous budget.
Thematically, the fund would focus on the fight against terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime. Sixty percent of its overall budget would go to the Member States, with 40% being set aside to meet any unforeseen challenges.
The EU Council has yet to adopt its position on these three financial instruments. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)