WRITTEN QUESTION E-2856/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(10 October 2002)

Subject: Use by the municipality of Rome of funding for the benefit of refugees and migrant workers

The social services committee of the province of Rome has recently carried out checks on refugee camps and reception centres in Rome and noted the severe deterioration in facilities, owing to the excessive number of people accommodated and the lack of sanitation, drinking water and electricity. Furthermore, health care is almost non-existent and this has led to the spread of some diseases, such as tuberculosis and scabies. Finally, the standard of education and schooling is minimal.

Since there are Community programmes such as the one for the benefit of refugees, the aims of which include analysing problems connected with their reception, or the fund for the benefit of migrant workers, which promotes their integration by building housing and improving their legal status, can the Commission say:

1. whether the municipality of Rome has submitted projects for the benefit of refugees and migrant workers;

2. whether the municipality of Rome has obtained funding for such projects;

3. whether the funding has been used?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 2002)

As far as asylum seekers and refugees are concerned it is relevant to make reference to the European Refugee Fund (ERF)(1). The Fund was established by Council Decision 2000/596/EC to promote solidarity between Member States in matters of asylum, by supporting and encouraging the efforts made by the Member States to receive and bear the financial consequences of accepting asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons. The Fund, in its present form, runs from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004, with an indicative financial amount of EUR 216 million, including emergency measures.

Resources are distributed in proportion to the burden of expenditure in each Member State resulting from receiving refugees and displaced persons. From 2000-2002, Italy's allocation from the European Refugee Fund has amounted to EUR 8 158 928,55 or 7,82 % of the Fund.

It is for each Member State, and not for the Commission, to select the projects to be co-financed by the allocation from the European Refugee Fund they are entitled to. The Commission is responsible for direct management of 5 % of the Fund for innovatory action or action of interest to the Community as a whole (Community actions).

In Italy the authority managing the allocation from the European Refugee Fund is the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry of the Interior informed the Commission that it is running a programme for the reception of asylum seekers and refugees Piano Nazionale Asilo (PNA) financed by several sources, including the European Refugee Fund. The Municipality of Rome is part of the PNA and in this framework has benefited of financing from sources different from the ERF. Further information on this issue should be addressed to the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

With regard to Community actions, in 2002 the Municipality of Rome has presented a project for the co-financing concerning the institution (by local authorities from Berlin, Rome and London) of an observatory with the specific aim of monitoring and closely analysing the reception and integration of asylum seekers and refugees at a local level. This request for co-financing (EUR 318 396) is still under scrutiny.

The Community Initiative Equal seeks to combat exclusion and inequality in the labour market. Equal concerns both asylum seekers and migrants who have the right to have access to the labour market. It is funded through the European Social Fund, which provides EUR 2 973 million for 2000-2006, which must be matched by contributions from the Member States. The initiative is co-ordinated across the

Union and has been developed on a thematic basis, which relate to the European Employment Strategy and the need to improve: employability; entrepreneurship; adaptability and gender equality. It also has a theme which seeks to test innovative ways to improve the social and vocational integration of asylum seekers.

Although the Initiative is co-ordinated across the Union, it is managed by each Member State, and they are responsible for the selection of the development partnerships. In Italy the Managing Authority responsible for the implementation of EQUAL is the Ministry of Labour (Ministero del Lavoro e della Previdenza Sociale), and they have approved funds for two Development Partnerships (DPs) under the theme which addresses the needs of Asylum Seekers. The Municipality of Rome is involved in one of these DPs (Integ.R.A. Integrazione Richiedenti Asilo). Further information about the DP itself, or the financing should be addressed to the Italian Authorities who is responsible for the implementation of EQUAL in Italy. Information about the each DP, objectives, working programme is also available at the EQUAL website http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/equal/index_en.html.

(1) OJ L 252, 6.10.2000.