Coping with a fundamental rights emergency – The situation of people crossing the Greek border in an irregular manner (ii) operational support through FRONTEX and, in future, the EASO; and (iii) voluntary relocation measures. Financial solidarity 50 The so‐called ‘framework programme on solidarity and management of migration flows’ encompasses financial solidarity mechanisms in the form of four funds: the EU Refugee Fund (ERF), the EU External Borders Fund, the EU Return Fund and the EU Fund for the integration of third‐country nationals. These Funds are important solidarity tools. Although it is too early to indicate the actual absorption rate of these Funds, 51 they have not been utilised to their full potential, diluting also their impact on addressing the current fundamental rights gaps. As an illustration, Greece has experienced problems with the implementation of its 2007 and 2008 annual programmes under the External Borders Fund which had to be revised with budget reductions of some 30% and 40% respectively. Table 2 External Borders Fund 2007‐2008 (€) 2007 External Borders Fund (original allocation) External Borders Fund (as revised‐ rounded) 2008 17,955,556 18,324,110 12,320,436 10,762,342 Note: Amounts shown include 25% national contributions by Greece. 52 Source: European Commission Particularly problematic has been the use of ERF funds. Although not as large as the Borders and the Return Fund, ERF is the main tool to fund civil society action in support of asylum seekers and refugees. The following amounts were allocated to Greece under the ERF in recent years: Table 3: Overview of ERF funding for Greece, 2008‐2011 (€) Total budget EU contribution Public allocation Emergency measures* 2008 4,798,540.47 3,771,280.36 1,027,260.11 2,750,000.00 2009 10,525,670.77 8,269,487.88 2,256,182.89 6,195,000.00 2010 18,570,946.55 14,632,783.63 3,938,162.92 12,250,000.00 2011 6,723,025.69 5,100,191.96 1,622,833.73 ‐ Note: * Amounts shown include 20% national contributions by Greece. Source: Hellenic Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity However, slow processing times have reduced the impact of these funds. Funds envisaged for 2009 were in fact only transferred to the beneficiaries at the end of 2010. The following example concerning a project submitted for funding by the NGO Praksis illustrates such extreme 50 Communication of 6 April 2005 from the European 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, COM/2005/0123 final. 51 The final report on the implementation of the first annual programme (2007) were submitted to the Commission only very recently and is under examination, whereas the final reports for the 2008 annual programmes are only due by the end of March 2011. 52 Slightly different figures were provided to the FRA by the Ministry of Citizens Protection as concerns the revised budget. 37