Integrated Border Management Fund: instrument for financial support for border management and visa 2021–2027

The European Parliament adopted by 473 votes to 169 with 39 abstentions a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing, within the framework of the Integrated Border Management Fund, the instrument for financial support in the field of border and visa management.

The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Subject matter

This Regulation establishes the instrument for financial support for border management and visa as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund (‘the Fund’) for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027.

The instrument shall contribute to the achievement of the following specific objectives:

- supporting effective European integrated border management at the external borders implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard as a shared responsibility of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and of the national authorities responsible for border management, to facilitate legitimate border crossings, to prevent and detect irregular immigration and cross-border crime and to effectively manage migratory flows;

- support the common visa policy in order to ensure a more harmonised approach between Member States on the issuing of visas, to facilitate legitimate travel and to mitigate security risks.

The instrument shall be implemented in full compliance with the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and with the Union’s international obligations as regards fundamental rights, including as regards the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and in particular by ensuring compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, the principle of transparency, the principle of non-discrimination and the right to seek international protection.

The Commission and the Member States shall cooperate in the implementation of the instrument. The Commission shall set up a helpdesk and a contact point to provide support to Member States and contribute to the effective allocation of funds.

Funding

The financial envelope for the implementation of the instrument for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7 087 760 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 8 018 000 000 in current prices) broken down as follows:

- EUR 4 252 833 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 4 811 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the programmes implemented under shared management, of which EUR 138 962 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 157 200 000 in current prices) for the Special Transit Scheme

- EUR 2 834 927 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 3 207 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the thematic facility for targeted support actions for Member States.

Co-financing rates

The contribution from the Union Budget shall not exceed 85% (as opposed to 75% as proposed by the Commission) of the total eligible expenditure of a project from Member States whose per capita gross national income ('GNI') is less than 90 % of that of the Union average and 75 % of the total eligible expenditure for other Member States.

Programmes

Each programme shall set out for each specific objective the types of intervention and an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources by type of intervention or area of support.

Before a Member State decides to implement projects with, in or in relation to a third country with the support of the instrument, it shall ensure that all actions proposed by, in or in relation to that third country comply with the international obligations of the Union and that Member State.

As soon as a Member State decides to initiate projects with, in or in relation to a third country under this instrument, the Member State shall inform the organisations which represent the partners at national level as well as the members of the Steering Board within 10 days.

Information, communication and publicity

The recipient of Union funding shall promote the actions and their results by providing coherent, effective and meaningful information to multiple relevant audiences, including media and the public in the relevant languages. To ensure the visibility of Union funding, recipients of Union funding shall refer to its origin when communicating on the action. To this end, recipients shall ensure that all communications to the media and the public, display the Union emblem, and explicitly mention the Union’s financial support.

The Commission shall publish information concerning the development of the annual and multiannual programmes of the thematic facility. It shall also publish the list of operations selected for support under the thematic facility on a publicly available website and shall update that list at least every three months.

Emergency assistance

The Commission may decide to provide, on an exceptional basis, financial assistance to address urgent and specific needs in the event of a duly justified emergency situation and as a last resort. These situations can result from an urgent and exceptional pressure where a large or disproportionate number of third-country nationals have crossed, are crossing or are expected to cross the external borders of one or more Member States, in particular at border sections where the impact level has been identified as such that it jeopardises the functioning of the whole Schengen area.

Where necessary for the implementation of the action, emergency assistance may cover expenditure which was incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application or the request for assistance, but not prior to 1 January 2021.

Annual evaluation and performance reports

By 31 December 2024 at the latest, the Commission shall present a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Regulation and carry out a retrospective evaluation of the Regulation by 31 January 2030 at the latest.

By 15 February 2023 and by the same date of each subsequent year up to and including 2031, Member States shall submit to the Commission the annual performance report. These reports shall be published on a dedicated website and forward them to the European Parliament and the Council.