in the context of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities among EU Member States; in
particular when interventions by one State benefitted the Community as a whole.30
To this purpose, four financial solidarity mechanisms (Funds) were established:31
-
The External Borders Fund, which supported actions of border control and
surveillance. It acted in complementarity with the FRONTEX Agency;
-
The European Returns Fund, which aimed at returning and reintegrating irregular
migrants to their home countries;
-
The European Refugee Fund, which focuses on the reception of refugees as well as
access to fair and effective asylum procedures;
-
The European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals, for the social, civic
and cultural integration of third country nationals residing legally in European
societies.
The overall amount set aside for 2007-2013 was 4 billion euros, less than 1% of Europe's Multiannual Financial Framework.32During this period, almost all Member States utilized all four
funds,33 with funding was at a maximum 75% rate.
30
See Commission of the European Communities, “Communication from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament of 10 May 2005 – The Hague Programme: ten priorities for the next five years. The Partnership for
European renewal in the field of Freedom, Security and Justice”, [COM(2005) 184 final – Official Journal C 236, 24
September 2005, available at
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/human_rights/fundamental_rights_within_european_union/l16002_en.htm
31
See Commission of the EUropean Communities, “Communication from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament establishing a framework programme on Solidarity and the Management of Migration Flows for the
period 2007-2013”, {SEC(2005) 435} /* COM/2005/0123 final, Brussels, 6 April 2005, available at
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52005DC0123&rid=1
32
See European Parliamentary Research Service, “EU Funds for asylum, migration and borders”, 11 February
2014, p. 4, available at
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2014/130663/LDM_BRI(2014)130663_REV1_EN.pdf
33
See European Commission DG Home Affairs, “Asylum, Migration, Integration”, available at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/financing/fundings/migration-asylum-borders/index_en.htm; only Denmark has
used solely the External Borders Fund, see European Commission DG Home Affairs, “Asylum, Migration, Integration: Fund
Map” available at http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/financing/fundings/mappingfunds/countries/denmark/index_en.htm
Page
19