P8_TA(2019)0175 Establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund ***I European Parliament legislative resolution of 13 March 2019 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund (COM(2018)0471 — C8-0271/2018 — 2018/0248(COD)) P8_TC1-COD(2018)0248 Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 13 March 2019 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/… of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund [Am. 1]
Date: 2019-03-13
Institutions: Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: EU migration policy, EU visa policy, aid to refugees, area of freedom, security and justice, cross-border cooperation, external border of the EU, fund (EU), migration control, return migration, right of asylum




C_2021023EN.01035601.xml










21.1.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 23/356






P8_TA(2019)0175
Establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund ***I
European Parliament legislative resolution of 13 March 2019 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund (COM(2018)0471 — C8-0271/2018 — 2018/0248(COD))
(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)
(2021/C 23/62)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2018)0471),










—


having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 78(2) and 79(2) and (4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C8-0271/2018),










—


having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposed legal basis,










—


having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,










—


having regard to Rules 59 and 39 of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Development and the Committee on Budgets (A8-0106/2019),












1.


Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;












2.


Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;












3.


Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.








P8_TC1-COD(2018)0248
Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 13 March 2019 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/… of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum, and Migration and Integration Fund [Am. 1]
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 78(2), and Article 79(2) and (4) 
and Article 80
 thereof, [Am. 2]

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (2),
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (*1),
Whereas:






(1)


In the context of the evolving migratory challenges characterised by the need to support strong reception, asylum, integration and migration systems of Member States, prevent and adequately handle 
in solidarity
 situations of pressure and replace irregular and unsafe arrivals with legal and safe pathways, investing in efficient and coordinated migration management in the Union is key to realising the Union’s objective of constituting an area of freedom, security and justice pursuant to Article 67(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. [Am. 3]











(2)


The importance of a coordinated approach by the Union and the Member States is reflected in the European Agenda on Migration of May 2015, which stressed the need for a consistent and clear common policy to restore confidence in the Union’s ability to bring together European and national efforts to address migration and work together in an effective way, in accordance with the principles

principle
 of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility 
between the Member States as established in Article 80 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
, and was confirmed in its mid-term review of September 2017 and the progress report of March and May 2018. [Am. 4]











(3)


In its conclusions of 19 October 2017, the European Council reaffirmed the need to pursue a comprehensive, pragmatic and resolute approach to migration management that aims to restore control of external borders and reduce irregular arrivals and the number of deaths at sea, and should be based on a flexible and coordinated use of all available Union and Member State instruments. The European Council further called to ensure significantly enhanced returns through actions at both EU and Member States level, such as effective readmission agreements and arrangements. 
The European Council called moreover for voluntary resettlement programmes to be implemented and developed. [Am. 5]











(4)


In order to support efforts to ensure a comprehensive approach to management of migration grounded on mutual trust, solidarity and responsibility sharing among Member States and Union institutions, with the objective of ensuring a common sustainable Union policy on asylum and immigration, Member States should be supported by adequate financial resources in the form of the Asylum, and Migration 
and Integration
 Fund (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Fund’). [Am. 6]













(4a)






The Fund should fully respect human rights, comply with Agenda 2030, the principle of policy coherence for development, as set out in Article 208 TFEU, and the commitments at the international level in relation to migration and asylum, notably the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). [Am. 7]













(4b)






Managing the Fund from a development perspective should take into account the various root causes of migration such as conflict, poverty, lack of agricultural capacity, education and inequality. [Am. 8]











(5)




Actions supported by
 the Fund should be implemented in full compliance with the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
, including the right to the protection of personal data,
 and with the Union’s 
and Member States
 international obligations as regards fundamental rights
, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, as supplemented by the Protocol of 31 January 1967
. [Am. 9]













(5a)






The principles of gender equality and of non-discrimination, which are among the Union’s core values, should be respected and promoted when implementing the Fund. The Fund should not support any action that contributes to any form of segregation or social exclusion. [Am. 10]













(5b)






In the implementation of the Fund, priority should be given to actions which address the situation of unaccompanied and separated minors through early identification and registration and to actions carried out in the best interests of the child. [Am. 11]











(6)


The Fund should build on the results and investments achieved with the support of its predecessors: the European Refugee Fund established by the Decision 573/2007/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals established by the Council Decision 2007/435/EC, the European Return Fund established by the Decision 575/2007/EC of the European Parliament and the Council for the period 2007-2013 and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for the period 2014-2020, as established by Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. It should at the same time take into account all relevant new developments.










(7)


The Fund should support 
solidarity between Member States and
 the efficient management of migration flows, inter alia by promoting common measures in the area of asylum, including Member States’ efforts in receiving persons in need of international protection through resettlement and 
humanitarian admission and
 the transfer of applicants for or beneficiaries of international protection between Member States, 
enhancing the protection of vulnerable asylum seekers such as children,
 supporting integration strategies and a more effective legal migration policy, so as

creating safe and legal pathways to the Union which should also help
 to ensure the Union’s long-term competitiveness and the future of its social model and reduce incentives for irregular migration through a sustainable return and readmission policy. 
As an instrument of internal Union policy and the only funding instrument for asylum and migration at Union level, the Fund should primarily support actions on asylum and migration within the Union. However, within defined limits and subject to the appropriate safeguards,
 the Fund should support the strengthening of cooperation with third countries to reinforce management of flows of persons applying for asylum or other forms of international protection, 
to establish
 avenues on legal migration and to counter irregular migration and 
networks of smugglers and traffickers in human beings and
 ensure 
the
 sustainability of 
safe and dignified
 return and effective readmission to 
as well as reintegration in
 third countries. [Am. 12]











(8)


The migration crisis 
and the rising number of deaths in the Mediterranean over the past years
 highlighted the need to reform the Common European Asylum System 
and to put in place a fairer and more effective system of determining Member States’ responsibility for applicants for international protection as well as a framework for Member States’ resettlement and humanitarian admission efforts with a view to increasing the overall number of available resettlement places globally. At the same time, reform is needed
 to ensure that efficient 
and rights based
 asylum procedures to prevent secondary movements,

are in place and accessible
, 
and
 to provide uniform and appropriate reception conditions for applicants for international protection, uniform standards for the granting of international protection and appropriate rights and benefits for beneficiaries of international protection,. At the same time, the reform was needed to put in place a fairer and more effective system of determining Member States’ responsibility for applicants for international protection as well as a Union framework for Member States’ resettlement efforts

effective and efficient return procedures for irregular migrants
. Therefore, it is appropriate for the Fund to provide increased support to Member States’ efforts to fully and properly implement the reformed Common European Asylum System. [Am. 13]











(9)


The Fund should also complement and reinforce the activities undertaken by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) established by Regulation (EU)../.. [EUAA Regulation] (3)

Support Office
 with a view to facilitating and improving the functioning of the common European asylum system, by coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation and 
coordinating
 information exchange 
on asylum, in particular on good practices
 between Member States, promoting Union 
and international
 law and 
contributing through relevant guidance, including
 operational standards
, to a uniform implementation of Union law
 on asylum in order to ensure a high degree of uniformity based on high protection standards as regards procedures for international protection, reception conditions and the assessment of protection needs across the Union, enabling a sustainable and fair distribution of applications for international protection, facilitate convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection across the Union, support

supporting
 the resettlement efforts of the Member States and provide

providing
 operational and technical assistance to Member States for the management of their asylum and reception systems, in particular those whose systems are subject to disproportionate pressure. [Am. 14]













(9a)






The Fund should support the efforts by the Union and the Member States relating to the enhancement of the Member States’ capacity to develop, monitor and evaluate their asylum policies in the light of their obligations under existing Union law. [Am. 15]











(10)


The Fund should support the efforts by the Union and the Member States relating to the enhancement

in the implementation
 of the Member States’ capacity to develop, monitor and evaluate their asylum policies in the light of their obligations under existing Union law
, ensuring full respect of fundamental rights, in particular Directives 2013/33/EU
 (4)

(Reception Conditions Directive), 2013/32/EU
 (5)

(Asylum Procedures Directive), 2011/95/EU
 (6)

(Qualification Directive) and 2008/115/EC
 (7)

(Return Directive) of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
 (8)

(Dublin Regulation)
. [Am. 16]












(11)




Partnerships and cooperation with third countries are an essential component of Union asylum policy to ensure the adequate management of flows of persons applying for asylum or other forms of international protection. With the aim of replacing the unsafe and irregular arrivals with legal and safe arrival to the territory of the Member States of third-country nationals or stateless persons in need of international protection, expressing solidarity with countries in regions to which or within which a large number of persons in need of international protection have been displaced by helping to alleviate the pressure on those countries, helping achieve the Union’s migration policy objectives by increasing the Union’s leverage

vis-à-vis

third countries, and of effectively contributing to global resettlement initiatives by speaking with one voice in international fora and with third countries, the Fund should provide financial incentives to the implementation of the Union Resettlement [and Humanitarian Admission] Framework.
[Am. 17]













(11a)






The Fund should support the efforts made by Member States to provide international protection and a durable solution in their territories to refugees and displaced persons identified as eligible for resettlement or under national humanitarian admission schemes, which should take into account UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs. To contribute in an ambitious and effective manner, the Fund should provide targeted assistance in the form of financial incentives for each person admitted or resettled. [Am. 18]











(12)


Considering the high levels of migration flows to the Union in the last years and the importance of ensuring the cohesion of our societies, it is crucial to support Member States’ policies for early integration of legally staying third-country nationals, including in the priority areas identified in the Action Plan on Integration of third-country nationals adopted by the Commission in 2016. [Am. 19]











(13)


In order to increase efficiency, achieve the greatest Union added value and to ensure the consistency of the Union’s response to foster the integration of third-country nationals, actions financed under the Fund should be specific and complementary to actions financed under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Union's structural funds
. Measures financed under this Fund should support measures tailor-made to the needs of third-country nationals that are generally implemented in the early stage

stages
 of integration, and horizontal actions supporting Member States’ capacities in the field of integration, whereas

complemented by
 interventions for

to promote the social and economic inclusion of
 third-country nationals with a longer-term impact should be financed under the ERDF and ESF+

structural funds
. [Am. 20]













(13a)






The scope of the integration measures should also include beneficiaries of international protection in order to ensure a comprehensive approach to integration, taking into account the specificities of that target group. Where integration measures are combined with reception, actions should, where appropriate, also allow asylum seekers to be included. [Am. 21]











(14)


In this context, the authorities of the Member States responsible for the implementation of the Fund should be required to cooperate and establish coordination mechanisms with the authorities identified by Member States for the purpose of the management of the interventions of the ESF+ and of the ERDF

structural funds,
 and wherever necessary with their managing authorities and with the managing authorities of other Union funds contributing to the integration of third-country nationals. 
Through these coordination mechanisms, the Commission should assess the coherence and complementarity between the funds, and the extent to which measures implemented through each fund contribute to the integration of third country nationals. [Am. 22]











(15)


The implementation of the Fund in this area should be consistent with the Union’s common basic principles on integration, as specified in the common programme for integration.










(16)


It is appropriate to allow those Member States that so wish to provide in their programmes that integration actions may include immediate relatives of third-country nationals
, thus supporting family unity in the best interests of the child
, to the extent that this is necessary for the effective implementation of such actions. The term ‘immediate relative’ should be understood as meaning spouses, partners and any person having direct family links in descending or ascending line with the third-country national targeted by the integration action, and who would otherwise not be covered by the scope of the Fund. [Am. 23]











(17)


Considering the crucial role played by local and regional authorities and civil society organisations

their representative associations
 in the field of integration and to facilitate the 
direct
 access of these entities to funding at Union level, the Fund should facilitate the implementation of actions in the field of integration by local and regional authorities or civil society organisations, including through the use of the thematic facility and through a higher co-financing rate for these actions 
and the use of a dedicated component of the thematic facility where those local and regional authorities have the competence to carry out integration measures
. [Am. 24]











(18)


Considering the long-term economic and demographic challenges faced by the Union 
and the increasingly globalised nature of migration
, it is crucial to establish well-functioning legal migration channels to the Union to maintain the Union as an attractive destination for migrants

regular migration, in accordance with Member States’ economic and social needs,
 and ensure the sustainability of welfare systems and growth of the Union economy
, while protecting migrant workers from labour exploitation
. [Am. 25]











(19)


The Fund should support Member States in setting up strategies organising 
and expanding
 legal migration 
pathways
, enhancing their capacity to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate in general all immigration and integration strategies, policies and measures for legally staying third-country nationals, including

in particular
 Union legal instruments 
for legal migration
. The Fund should also support the exchange of information, best practices and cooperation between different departments of administration and levels of governance, and between Member States. [Am. 26]











(20)


An efficient 
and dignified
 return policy is an integral part of the comprehensive migration approach the Union and its Member States pursue. The Fund should support and encourage efforts by the Member States with a view to the effective implementation and further development of common standards on return, 
with an emphasis on voluntary returns,
 in particular as set out in Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (9), and of an integrated and coordinated approach to return management. For sustainable return policies, The Fund should equally support related measures in third countries, such as the

to facilitate and guarantee safe and dignified return and readmission as well as sustainable
 reintegration, of returnees

as enshrined in the GCM
. [Am. 27]











(21)


Member States should give preference to voluntary return 
and ensure effective, safe and dignified return of irregular migrants. Therefore, the Fund should give preferential support to actions related to voluntary return
. In order to promote voluntary return

this
, Member States should envisage incentives such as preferential treatment in the form of enhanced return assistance should be envisaged for the voluntary return of persons

and long-term reintegration support
. This kind of voluntary return is in the interests of both returnees and the authorities in terms of its cost-effectiveness. 
The best interests of the child should be a primary consideration in all actions or decisions concerning children in migration, including returns, taking full account of the right of the child to express his or her views. [Am. 28]











(22)




While
 voluntary and

returns should take priority over
 enforced returns
, they
 are nevertheless interlinked, with mutually reinforcing effect, and Member States should therefore be encouraged to reinforce the complementarities between these two forms of return. The possibility of removals is an important element contributing to the integrity of the asylum and legal migration systems. The Fund should therefore support actions of Member States to facilitate and carry out removals in accordance with the standards laid down in Union law, where applicable, and with full respect for the fundamental rights and dignity of returnees. 
The Fund should support actions related to return of children only where such return is based on a positive assessment of the best interests of the child. [Am. 29]











(23)


Specific support measures for returnees
, with a particular attention to their humanitarian and protection needs,
 in the Member States and in the countries of return can improve conditions of return and enhance their reintegration. 
Particular attention should be paid to vulnerable groups. Return decisions should be based on a comprehensive and careful assessment of the situation in the country of origin, including an evaluation of the absorption capacity at the local level. Specific measures and actions supporting countries of origin, and in particular vulnerable people, contribute to ensure the sustainability, safety and effectiveness of returns. These measures should be implemented with the active participation of local authorities, civil society and diasporas. [Am. 30]











(24)




Formal
 readmission agreements and other arrangements are an integral 
and crucial
 component of the Union return policy and a central tool for the efficient management of migration flows, as they facilitate the swift return of irregular migrants. Those agreements and arrangements are an important element in the framework of the dialogue and cooperation with third countries of origin and transit of irregular migrants and 
the Fund should support
 their implementation in third countries should be supported in the interests of effective
, safe and dignified
 return policies at national and Union level

within defined limits and subject to the appropriate safeguards
. [Am. 31]











(25)


In addition to supporting the return of persons as provided for in this Regulation

integration of third country nationals or stateless persons within Member States
, the Fund should also support other measures to counter irregular migration, address incentives for illegal migration or the circumventing of existing

trafficking of migrants, to encourage and facilitate the establishment of
 legal migration rules, thereby safeguarding the integrity of Member States’ immigration systems 
in the countries of origin, in full compliance with the Principle of Coherence for Sustainable Development
. [Am. 32]











(26)


The employment of irregular migrants creates a pull factor for illegal migration and undermines the development of a labour mobility policy built on legal migration schemes 
and endangers the rights of migrant workers, making them vulnerable to rights violations and abuse
. The Fund should therefore support Member States, either directly or indirectly, in their implementation of Directive 2009/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (10) which prohibits the employment of illegally staying third-country nationals
, provides for a complaints and wage recuperation mechanism for exploited workers
 and provides for sanctions against employers who infringe that prohibition. [Am. 33]













(26a)






The Member States should support the requests of civil society and workers' associations, such as that concerning the establishment of a European network of reception workers of both genders, in order to connect all workers in Europe operating in the field of migration, to foster a decent welcome and an approach to migration based on human rights and the exchange of good practices in terms of reception and employment opportunities for migrants. [Am. 34]











(27)


The Fund should support Member States, either directly or indirectly, in their implementation of Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (11), which sets forth provisions on assistance, support and protection of victims of trafficking in human beings. 
These measures should take into account the gender-specific nature of trafficking in human beings. When implementing the Fund, Member States should take into consideration that persons who are obliged to leave their habitual homes for reasons of sudden or progressive climate-related change in the environment that adversely affects their lives or living conditions, have a high risk of falling victims to trafficking in human beings. [Am. 35]













(27a)






The Fund should support in particular the identification and measures addressing the needs of vulnerable asylum seekers — such as unaccompanied minors, or victims of torture or of other serious forms of violence — as set out in the Union asylum acquis. [Am. 36]













(27b)






In order to achieve a fair and transparent distribution of resources among the objectives of the Fund, a minimum level of expenditure should be ensured for certain objectives, whether under direct, indirect, or shared management. [Am. 37]











(28)


The Fund should complement and reinforce the activities undertaken in the field of return by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency established by Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12)
, therefore contributing to effective

without providing an additional funding stream to the
 European Integrated Border Management, as defined in Article 4 of that Regulation

and Coast Guard Agency, for which the budgetary authority decides on an annual budget which should enable it to carry out all of its tasks
. [Am. 38]











(29)


Synergies, consistency
, complementarity
 and efficiency should be sought with other Union funds and 
any
 overlap 
or contradiction
 between actions should be avoided. [Am. 39]











(30)




The Fund should prioritise financing for actions within the Union itself. The Fund may finance
 measures in and in relation to third countries supported through the Fund 
which should be limited in financial terms, while adequate to reach the objectives of the Fund as laid down in Article 3 of this Regulation, and subject to appropriate safeguards. Such measures
 should complement other actions outside the Union supported through the Union’s external financing instruments. In particular, in implementing such actions, full coherence 
and complementarity
 should be sought with the principles and general objectives of the Union’s external action and foreign policy in respect of the country or region in question and the Union international commitments. In relation to the external dimension, the Fund

The principle of policy coherence for development
, 
as set out in paragraph 35 of the European Consensus on Development,
 should target support to enhance cooperation with third countries and to reinforce key aspects of migration management in areas of interest to the Union's migration policy

be respected. Coherence with the humanitarian principles as set out in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid should be ensured during the implementation of emergency assistance
. [Am. 40]











(31)


Funding from the Union budget should concentrate on activities where Union intervention can bring added value compared to action undertaken by Member States alone. Financial support provided under this Regulation should contribute, in particular, to 
Member State solidarity on asylum and migration in accordance with Article 80 TFEU, and to
 strengthening national and Union capabilities in the areas of asylum and migration. [Am. 41]











(32)


A Member State may be deemed not to be compliant with the relevant Union acquis, including as regards the use of operating support under this Fund, if it has failed to fulfil its obligations under the Treaties in the area of asylum and return, if there is a clear risk of a serious breach by the Member State of the Union’s values when implementing the acquis on asylum and return or if an evaluation report under the Schengen or the European Union Agency for Asylum evaluation and monitoring mechanism has identified deficiencies in the relevant area.










(33)


The Fund should reflect the need for increased 
transparency,
 flexibility and simplification while respecting requirements in terms of predictability, and ensuring a fair and transparent distribution of resources to meet the policy and specific objectives laid down in this Regulation. 
The implementation of the Fund should be guided by the principles of efficiency, effectiveness and quality of spending. Furthermore, the implementation of the Fund should be as user-friendly as possible. [Am. 43]











(34)


This Regulation should establish the initial amounts to Member States consisting of a fixed amount and an amount calculated on the basis of criteria laid down in Annex I, which reflect the needs and pressure experienced by different Member States in the areas of asylum, 
migration,
 integration and return. 
Particular attention should be given to insular societies facing disproportionate migration challenges. [Am. 44]











(35)


These initial amounts should form a basis for Member States’ long-term investments. To take account of changes in migration flows and to address needs in the management of asylum and reception systems and integration of legally staying third-country nationals, 
to develop legal migration
 and counter irregular migration through efficient
, rights compliant
 and sustainable return policy, an additional amount should be allocated to the Member States at mid-term taking into account the absorption rates. This amount should be based on the latest available statistical data as set out in Annex I to reflect the changes in the baseline situation of Member States. [Am. 45]











(36)


To contribute to the achievement of the policy objective of the Fund, Member States 
and the Commission
 should ensure that their

Member States’
 programmes include actions addressing

which contribute to achieving each of
 the specific objectives of this Regulation
. They should ensure furthermore that the allocation of funding to the specific objectives serves those objectives in the best possible way and is based on the most up-to-date needs, that the programmes include a minimum level of expenditure with respect to those objectives, that the sharing of resources to objectives is in proportion to the challenges faced
, that the priorities chosen are in line with the implementation measures as set out in Annex II and that the allocation of resources between the objectives ensures that the overall policy objective can be met. [Am. 46]











(37)


As challenges in the area of migration are constantly evolving, there is a need to adapt the allocation of funding to the changes in migration flows. To respond to pressing needs and changes in policy and Union priorities, and to steer funding towards actions with a high level of Union added value, part of the funding will be periodically allocated to specific actions, Union actions, 
actions of local and regional authorities,
 emergency assistance, resettlement and to provide additional support for Member States contributing to solidarity and responsibility efforts via a thematic facility. [Am. 47]











(38)


Member States should be encouraged to use part of their programme allocation to fund the actions listed in Annex IV by benefiting from a higher Union contribution.












(38a)






Efforts made by Member States to fully and properly implement the Union asylum acquis, including to grant appropriate reception conditions to applicants for, and beneficiaries of, international protection, to ensure the correct determination of status, in accordance with Directive 2011/95/EU, to apply fair and effective asylum procedures, should be supported by the Fund, in particular when those efforts are directed to unaccompanied minors for whom costs are higher. Member States should therefore receive a lump sum for each unaccompanied minor who is granted international protection, however this lump sum should not be cumulative to additional funding provided under this Regulation for resettlement. [Am. 48]











(39)


Part of the available resources under the Fund could also be allocated to Member States’ programmes for the implementation of specific actions in addition to the initial allocation. These specific actions should be identified at Union level and should concern actions which require cooperative effort or actions necessary to address developments in the Union which require additional funding to be made available to one or more Member States.










(40)


The Fund should contribute to supporting operating costs related to asylum and return

immigration
 and enable Member States to maintain capabilities which are crucial for that service for the Union as a whole. Such support consists of full reimbursement of specific costs related to the objectives under the Fund and should form an integral part of the Member States’ programmes. [Am. 49]











(41)


To complement the implementation of the policy objective of this Fund at national level through Member States’ programmes, the Fund should also provide support for actions at Union level. Such actions should serve overall strategic purposes within the scope of intervention of the Fund relating to policy analysis and innovation, transnational mutual learning and partnerships and the testing of new initiatives and actions across the Union 
while respecting the need to provide adequate funding, in a fair and transparent manner, to achieve the objectives of the Fund. Through these actions the protection of fundamental rights in the implementation of the Fund should be ensured
. [Am. 50]











(42)


In order to strengthen the Union’s capacity to immediately address unforeseen or disproportionate heavy migratory pressure in one or more Member States characterised by a large or disproportionate inflow of third-country

third country
 nationals, 
in one or more Member States
 which places significant and urgent demands on their reception and detention facilities, asylum and migration management systems and procedures, heavy

or
 migratory pressures

challenges or significant resettlement needs
 in third countries due to political developments, or conflicts 
or natural disasters
, it should be possible to provide emergency assistance in accordance with the framework set out in this Regulation. [Am. 51]











(43)


This Regulation should ensure the continuation of the European Migration Network set up by Council Decision 2008/381/EC (13) and should provide financial assistance in accordance with its objectives and tasks.











(44)




The policy objective of this Fund will be also addressed through financial instruments and budgetary guarantee under the policy windows of the InvestEU. Financial support should be used to address market failures or sub-optimal investment situations, in a proportionate manner and actions should not duplicate or crowd out private financing or distort competition in the Internal market. Actions should have a clear European added value.
[Am. 52]











(45)


This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for the entire Asylum and Migration Fund which is to constitute the prime reference amount, within the meaning of [reference to be updated as appropriate according to the new inter-institutional agreement: point 17 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (14)], for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure.










(46)


Regulation (EU) No …/… [Financial Regulation] applies to this Fund. It lays down rules on the implementation of the Union budget, including the rules on grants, prizes, procurement, indirect implementation, financial assistance, financial instruments and budgetary guarantees.










(47)


For the purpose of implementation of actions under shared management, the Fund should form part of a coherent framework consisting of this Regulation, Financial Regulation and Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation]. 
In the event of conflicting provisions, this Regulation should take precedence over Regulation(EU) No X [CPR]. [Am. 53]











(48)



Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation] establishes

Beyond
 the framework for action for ERDF, ESF+, the Cohesion Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF),

setting up financial rules common to several Union funds, including
 the Asylum, and Migration Fund (AMF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) as a part of the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF), and lays down, in particular, the rules concerning programming, monitoring and evaluation, management and control for Union funds implemented under shared management.

and Integration Fund
 (
AMIF
), it is therefore necessary to specify the objectives of AMF

AMIF
, and to lay down specific provisions concerning the type of activities that may be financed by AMF

AMIF
. [Am. 54]











(49)


The types of financing and the methods of implementation under this Regulation should be chosen on the basis of their ability to achieve the specific objectives of the actions and to deliver results, taking into account, in particular, the costs of controls, the administrative burden, and the expected risk of non-compliance. This should include consideration of the use of lump sums, flat rates and unit costs, as well as financing not linked to costs as referred to in Article 125(1) of the Financial Regulation.










(50)


In accordance with the Financial Regulation (15), Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (16), Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2988/95 (17), Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 (18) and Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 (19), the financial interests of the Union are to be protected through proportionate measures, including the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities and fraud, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, the imposition of administrative 
and/or criminal
 sanctions. In particular, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 and Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may carry out administrative investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office may investigate and prosecute fraud and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union as provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council (20). In accordance with the Financial Regulation, any person or entity receiving Union funds is to cooperate fully in the protection of the Union’s financial interests to grant the necessary rights and access to the Commission, OLAF and the European Court of Auditors and to ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds grant equivalent rights. 
Member States are to cooperate fully and give all the necessary assistance to the Union’s institutions, agencies and bodies in order to protect the Union’s financial interests. The results of investigations into irregularities or fraud in relation to the Fund should be made available to the European Parliament. [Am. 55]











(51)


Horizontal financial rules adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on the basis of Article 322 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union apply to this Regulation. These rules are laid down in the Financial Regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants, procurement, prizes, indirect implementation, and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. Rules adopted on the basis of Article 322 of the TFEU also concern the protection of the Union's budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States, as the respect for the rule of law is an essential precondition for sound financial management and effective EU funding.












(51a)






Where there is clear evidence that the legality of projects, or the legality and regularity of funding, or the performance of projects would be put in doubt as a result of a reasoned opinion by the Commission in respect of an infringement under Article 258 TFEU, the Commission should ensure that there is no funding available for these projects. [Am. 56]











(52)


Pursuant to Article 94 of Council Decision 2013/755/EU (21), persons and entities established in overseas countries and territories (OCTs) are eligible for funding subject to the rules and objectives of the Fund and possible arrangements applicable to the Member State to which the relevant overseas country or territory is linked.










(53)


Pursuant to Article 349 of the TFEU and in line with the Commission Communication ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU's outermost regions’ (22), endorsed by the Council in its conclusion of 12 April 2018, relevant Member States should ensure that their national strategies and programmes address the specific challenges the outermost regions face in managing migration. The Fund supports these Member States with adequate resources to help these regions manage migration sustainably and handle possible situations of pressure.












(53a)






Civil society organisations, local and regional authorities and national parliaments in the Member States and in third countries should be consulted during the process of programming, implementing and evaluating the programmes financed through the Fund. [Am. 57]











(54)


Pursuant to paragraph 22 and 23 of the Inter-institutional agreement for Better Law-Making of 13 April 2016, there is a need to evaluate this Fund on the basis of information collected through specific monitoring requirements, while avoiding overregulation and administrative burden, in particular on Member States. These requirements, where appropriate, can include measurable indicators, 
including qualitative and quantitative indicators,
 as a basis for evaluating the effects of the Fund on the ground. In order to measure the achievements of the Fund, common indicators and related targets should be established in relation to each specific objective of the Fund. Through these common indicators and financial reporting, the Commission and the Member States should monitor the implementation of the Fund, in accordance with the relevant provisions of Regulation (EU) …/2021 of

. To adequately fulfil its supervisory role, the Commission should be in a position to establish the amounts actually spent from the Fund in a given year. When reporting the annual accounts of their national programme to the Commission, Member States should therefore distinguish between recoveries, pre-financing payments to final beneficiaries and reimbursements of expenditure that was actually incurred. To facilitate the audit and the monitoring of the implementation of the Fund, the Commission should include these amounts in its annual implementation report for the Fund as well as monitoring results and implementation of actions of the Fund at local, regional, national and Union level, including specific projects and partners. The Commission should present a summary of the accepted annual performance reports to
 the European Parliament and of the Council [Common Provisions Regulation] and this Regulation

every year. Reports outlining monitoring results and implementation of actions under the Fund at both Member States and Union level should be made publicly available and presented to the European Parliament
. [Am. 58]











(55)


Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union's commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this Fund will contribute to mainstream climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 25 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives 
over the MFF 2021-2027 period and an annual target of 30 % as soon as possible and at the latest by 2027
. Relevant actions will be identified during the Fund's preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes. [Am. 59]











(56)


In order to supplement and amend certain non-essential elements of this Regulation, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission in respect of the

work programmes for the thematic facility, list of actions eligible for support by the instrument in Annex III,
 list of actions eligible for higher co-financing as listed in Annex IV, operating support 
provided for in Annex VII
 and in order to develop further the common monitoring and evaluation framework. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level 
and with civil society organisations, including migrants and refugees organisations
, and that these consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law Making of 13 April 2016. [Am. 60]











(57)


In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. These powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (23). The examination procedure should be used for implementing acts that lay down common obligations on Member States, in particular on the provision of information to the Commission, and the advisory procedure should be used for the adoption of implementing acts relating to the arrangements for providing information to the Commission in the framework of programming and reporting, given their purely technical nature.










(58)


Since the objective

objectives
 of this Regulation, namely to 
enhance solidarity between Member States
 contribute to an effective management of migration flows in the Union, in accordance with

and to the implementation, strengthening and development of
 the common policy on asylum, and international

subsidiary
 protection and 
temporary protection and of
 the common immigration policy, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States acting alone and can be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective. [Am. 61]











(59)


In accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of [the United Kingdom] and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and without prejudice to Article 4 of that Protocol, Ireland [is not taking part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application / has notified its wish to take part in the adoption and application of this Regulation].










(60)


In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application.










(61)


It is appropriate to align the period of application of this Regulation with that of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) …/2021 [Multiannual Financial Framework Regulation],




HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1
Subject matter

1.   This Regulation establishes the Asylum, and Migration 
and Integration
 Fund (‘the Fund’). [Am. 62]



2.   This Regulation lays down the objectives of the Fund, the budget for the period from 2021 to 2027, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.



Article 2
Definitions
For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:






(a)


‘applicant for international protection’ means an applicant as defined in point [x]

(c)
 of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Asylum Procedure Regulation] (24)

Directive 2013/32/EU
; [Am. 63]











(b)


‘beneficiary of international protection’ within the meaning of point (2)

(b)
 of Article [2] of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Qualification Regulation] (25)

2 of Directive 2011/95/EU
; [Am. 64]











(c)


‘blending operation’ means actions supported by the Union budget, including within blending facilities as defined in point (6) of Article 2 of the Financial Regulation, combining non-repayable forms of support or financial instruments from the Union budget with repayable forms of support from development or other public finance institutions, as well as from commercial finance institutions and investors;










(d)


‘family member’ means any third-country national as defined under the Union law relevant to the policy area of action supported under the Fund;










(e)


‘humanitarian admission’ within the meaning of Article [2] of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Union Resettlement [and Humanitarian Admission] Framework] (26)

scheme
’ 
means the admission to the territory of the Member States from a third country to which they have been displaced, following, where requested by a Member State, a referral from the UNHCR or another relevant international body, of third-country nationals or stateless persons who are granted international protection or a humanitarian status under national law that provides for rights and obligations equivalent to those of Articles 20 to 32 and Article 34 of Directive 2011/95/EU for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection
; [Am. 65]











(f)


‘removal’ means ‘removal’ as defined in point (5) of Article 3 of Directive 2008/115/EC;










(g)


‘resettlement’ means ‘resettlement’ as defined in Article [2] of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Union Resettlement [and Humanitarian

the
 admission, ] Framework]

following a referral from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (‘UNHCR’), of third-country nationals or stateless persons from a third country to which they have been displaced, to the territory of the Member States, and who are granted international protection and have access to a durable solution in accordance with Union and national law
; [Am. 66]











(h)


‘return’ means ‘return’ as defined in point (3) of Article 3 of Directive 2008/115/EC;










(i)


‘third-country national’ means any person who is not a citizen of the Union as defined in Article 20(1) of the TFEU. Reference to third-country nationals shall be understood to include stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality;










(j)


‘vulnerable person’ means any person as defined under the Union law relevant to the policy area of action supported under the Fund.












(ja)






‘unaccompanied minor’ means a minor who arrives on the territory of the Member States unaccompanied by an adult responsible for him or her whether by law or by the practice of the Member State concerned, and for as long as he or she is not effectively taken into the care of such an adult, including a minor who is left unaccompanied after he or she has entered the territory of the Member States. [Am. 67]







Article 3
Objectives of the Fund

1.   The policy objective of the Fund shall be to contribute to an efficient management of migration flows

implementation, strengthening and development of all aspects of the common European asylum policy under Article 78 TFEU and of the common European immigration policy under Article 79 TFEU
 in line with the relevant Union

acquis

and in compliance with

principle of solidarity and fair-sharing of responsibility, while fully respecting
 the Union’s commitments on

and the Member States’ obligations under international law and the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of
 Fundamental Rights 
of the European Union
. [Am. 68]



2.   Within the policy objective set out in paragraph 1, the Fund shall contribute to the following specific objectives:






(a)


to strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension;










(b)


to support

strengthen and develop
 legal migration to the

policies on the European and national level in accordance with
 Member States’ including to contribute to the integration of third-country nationals

economic and social needs
; [Am. 69]











(c)


to contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effectiveness of return and readmission in third countries.

and promote the effective integration and social inclusion of third-country nationals in complementarity with other Union funds; [Am. 70]













(ca)






to contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effective, safe and dignified return, readmission and reintegration in third countries; [Am. 71]













(cb)






to ensure solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration challenges, including through practical cooperation; [Am. 72]







3.   Within the specific objectives set out in paragraph 2, the Fund shall be implemented through the implementation measures listed in Annex II.





Article 3a




Partnership




For this Fund, partnerships shall include at least local and regional authorities or their representative associations, relevant international organisations, non-governmental organisations, in particular refugee and migrants organisations, national human rights institutions and equality bodies, and economic and social partners.




These partners shall be involved in a meaningful way in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes. [Am. 73]



Article 4
Scope of support

1.   Within the objectives referred to in Article 3, and in line

In accordance
 with the implementation measures listed in Annex II, the Fund shall in particular support the actions 
that contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in Article 3 and are
 listed in Annex III. 
The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to amend the list of actions eligible for support from the Fund in Annex III. [Am. 74]



2.   To achieve the objectives 
referred to in Article 3
 of this Regulation, the Fund may
, in exceptional cases, within defined limits and subject to appropriate safeguards,
 support the actions in line with the Union priorities as referred to in Annex III in relation to and in third countries, where appropriate, in accordance with Article 5 and 6. [Am. 75]





2a.
   
Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 16, the total amount of funding for supporting actions in or in relation to third countries under the thematic facility in accordance with Article 9 shall not exceed 5 % of the total amount allocated to the thematic facility under point (b) of Article 8(2). [Am. 76]





2b.
   
Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 16, the total amount of funding for supporting actions in or in relation to third countries under the Member States’ programmes in accordance with Article 13 shall not exceed, for each Member State, 5 % of the total amount allocated to that Member State in accordance with point (a) of Article 8(2), Article 11(1) and Annex I. [Am. 77]





2c.
   
Actions supported under this paragraph shall be fully coherent with measures supported through the external financing instruments of the Union and with the general principles and general objectives of the Union’s external action. [Am. 78]



3.   The objectives of this Regulation shall support actions focusing on one or more target groups within the scope of Articles 78 and 79 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.





Article 4a




Gender equality and non-discrimination




The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that gender equality and the integration of the gender perspective are an integral part of, and are promoted during, the various stages of the implementation of the Fund. The Commission and the Member States shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based on sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation in access to the Fund and during the various stages of the implementation of the Fund. [Am. 79]



Article 5
Third countries associated to the Fund
The Fund shall be open to 
Schengen Associated
 third countries in accordance with the conditions laid down in a specific agreement 
to be adopted in accordance with Article 218 TFEU
 covering the participation of the third country to the Asylum and Migration Fund, provided that the agreement: [Am. 80]







—


ensures a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the Fund;










—


lays down the conditions of participation in the Fund, including the calculation of financial contributions to the Fund and their administrative costs. These contributions shall constitute assigned revenues in accordance with Article [21(5)] of the Financial Regulation;










—


does not confer to the third country a decisional power on the Fund;










—


guarantees the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests.






When drawing up the specific agreement referred to in this Article, the Commission shall consult the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, in particular with regard to the fundamental rights aspects of the agreement. [Am. 81]



Article 6
Eligible entities

1.   The following entities may be eligible:






(a)


legal entities established in any of the following countries:






(1)


a Member State or an overseas country or territory linked to it;










(2)


third country associated to the Fund;










(3)




a
 third country listed in the work programme under the conditions specified therein
, and subject to the condition that all actions by, in, or in relation to that third country fully respect the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and the international obligations of the Union and the Member States
; [Am. 82]















(b)


any legal entity created under Union law or any 
relevant
 international organisation. [Am. 83]







2.   Natural persons are not eligible.



3.   Legal entities established in a third country are exceptionally eligible to participate where this is necessary for the achievement of the objectives of a given action.
[Am. 84]



4.   Legal entities participating in consortia of at least two independent entities, established in different Member States or overseas countries or territories linked to those states or in third countries are eligible 
when this contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Fund as laid down in Article 3 of this Regulation
. [Am. 85]



CHAPTER II
FINANCIAL AND IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
SECTION 1
COMMON PROVISIONS

Article 7
General principles

1.   Support provided under this Regulation shall complement national, regional and local intervention, and shall focus on adding

bringing Union added
 value to the objectives of this Regulation. [Am. 86]



2.   The Commission and the Member States shall ensure that the support provided under this Regulation and by the Member States is consistent with the relevant activities, policies and priorities of the Union and is complementary to 
and coordinated with national instruments and
 other Union instruments 
and measures funded under other Union funds, in particular the structural funds and external financing instruments of the Union
. [Am. 87]



3.   The Fund shall be implemented in shared, direct or indirect management in accordance with Articles [62(1) (a), (b) and (c)] of the Financial Regulation.



Article 8
Budget

1.   The financial envelope for the implementation of the Fund for the 2021-2027 period shall be EUR 
9 204 957 000 in 2018 prices (EUR
10 415 000 000 in current prices). [Am. 88]



2.   The financial resources shall be used as follows:






(a)




EUR 5 522 974 200 in 2018 prices (
EUR 6 249 000 000
in current prices)
 shall be allocated to the programmes implemented under shared management; [Am. 89]











(b)




EUR 3 681 982 800 in 2018 prices (
EUR 4 166 000 000
in current prices)
 shall be allocated to the thematic facility. [Am. 90]







3.   Up to 0,42 % of the financial envelope shall be allocated for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission as referred to in Article 29 of the Regulation EU ../.. [Common Provisions Regulation]. [Am. 91]




Article 9
General provisions on the implementation of the thematic facility

1.   The financial envelope referred to in Article 8(2)(b) shall be allocated flexibly through the thematic facility using shared, direct and indirect management as set out in work programmes. Funding from the thematic facility shall be used for its components:






a)


specific actions;










b)


Union actions;










c)


emergency assistance;










d)


resettlement;










e)


support to Member States, contributing

including to local and regional authorities, and to international and non-governmental organisations, which contribute
 to solidarity and responsibility efforts; and [Am. 92]











f)


European Migration Network.




Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission shall also be supported from the financial envelope for the thematic facility.


2.   Funding from the thematic facility shall address priorities with a high added value to the Union or be used to respond to urgent needs in line with agreed Union priorities as outlined in Annex II 
and through the eligible actions in Annex III
.


The Commission shall ensure regular engagement with civil society organisations in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of work programmes.




A minimum of 20 % of the funding from the thematic facility shall be allocated to the specific objective referred to in point (a) of Article 3(2).




A minimum of 10 % of the funding from the thematic facility shall be allocated to the specific objective referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2).




A minimum of 10 % of the funding from the thematic facility shall be allocated to the specific objective referred in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2).




A minimum of 10 % of the funding from the thematic facility shall be allocated to the specific objective referred to in point (cb) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2). [Am. 93]



3.   When funding from the thematic facility is granted in direct or indirect management to Member States, it

no funding
 shall be ensured that selected

available for
 projects are not affected by

where there is clear evidence that the legality of those projects, or the legality and regularity of that funding, or the performance of those projects, would be put in doubt as a result of
 a reasoned opinion by the Commission in respect of an infringement under Article 258 of the TFEU that puts at risk the legality and regularity of expenditure or the performance of projects. [Am. 94]



4.   When funding from the thematic facility is implemented in shared management, the Commission shall, for the purposes of Articles 18 and 19(2) of Regulation EU ../.. [Common Provisions Regulation], assess whether the foreseen actions are not affected by

ensure that no funding is available for projects where there is clear evidence that the legality of those projects, or the legality and regularity of that funding, or the performance of those projects would be put in doubt as a result of
 a reasoned opinion by the Commission in respect of an infringement under Article 258 of the TFEU that puts at risk the legality and regularity of expenditure or the performance of the projects. [Am. 95]



5.   The Commission shall establish the overall amount made available for the thematic facility under the annual appropriations of the Union budget. The Commission shall adopt financing decisions as referred to in

delegated acts in accordance with
 Article [110] of the Financial Regulation

32 to lay down work programmes
 for the thematic facility identifying objectives and actions to be supported and specifying the amounts for each of its components as referred to in paragraph 1. Financing decisions

The work programmes
 shall set out, where applicable, the overall amount reserved for blending operations

be made publicly available
. [Am. 96]



6.   The thematic facility shall in particular, support actions falling under the implementation measure 2(b)

2a
 of Annex II that are implemented by the local and regional authorities or civil society organisations. 
In that regard, a minimum of 5 % of the financial envelope of the thematic facility shall be granted under direct or indirect management to local and regional authorities implementing integration actions. [Am. 97]



7.   Following the adoption of a financing decision

work programmes
 as referred to in paragraph 5, the Commission may amend the programmes implemented under shared management accordingly. [Am. 98]



8.   These financing decisions

work programmes
 may be annual or multiannual and may cover one or more components of the thematic facility. [Am. 99]



SECTION 2
SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION UNDER SHARED MANAGEMENT

Article 10
Scope

1.   This section applies to the part of the financial envelope referred to in Article 8(2)(a), and additional resources to be implemented under shared management according to the Commission decision for the thematic facility referred to in Article 9.


2.   Support under this section shall be implemented under shared management in accordance with Article [63] of the Financial Regulation and the Regulation EU ../.. [

framework setting up financial rules
 common Provisions Regulation]

to several Union funds, including the AMIF
. [Am. 100]




Article 11
Budgetary resources

1.   Resources referred to in Article 8(2)(a) shall be allocated to the national programmes (the ‘programmes’) implemented by Member States under shared management indicatively as follows:






(a)


EUR 5 207 500 000 to the Member States in accordance with Annex I;










(b)


EUR 1 041 500 000 to the Member States for the adjustment of the allocations for the programmes as referred to in Article 14(1).






2.   Where the amount referred to in paragraph 1(b) is not allocated, the remaining amount may be added to the amount referred to in Article 8(2)(b).



Article 12
Co-financing rates

1.   The contribution from the Union budget shall not exceed 75 % of the total eligible expenditure of a project. 
Member States are encouraged to provide matching funds for activities supported by the Fund. [Am. 101]



2.   The contribution from the Union budget may be increased to 90 % of the total eligible expenditure for projects implemented under specific actions.


3.   The contribution from the Union budget 
shall be increased to a minimum of 80 % and
 may be increased to 90 % of the total eligible expenditure for actions listed in Annex IV. [Am. 102]



4.   The contribution from the Union budget may be increased to 100 % of the total eligible expenditure for operating support.


5.   The contribution from the Union budget may be increased to 100 % of the total eligible expenditure for emergency assistance.


6.   The Commission decision approving a programme shall set the co-financing rate and the maximum amount of support from this Fund for the types of actions referred to in paragraphs 1 to 5.


7.   For each specific objective, the Commission decision shall set out whether the co-financing rate for the specific objective is to be applied to:






(a)


the total contribution, including the public and private contributions; or










(b)


the public contribution only.







Article 13
Programmes

1.   Each Member State 
and the Commission
 shall ensure that the priorities addressed in its

the national
 programme are consistent with, and respond to, the Union priorities and challenges in the area of 
asylum and
 migration management, and are fully in line with the relevant Union acquis and agreed

the international obligations of the
 Union priorities

and Member States arising from international instruments to which they are signatories, in particular the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
. In defining the priorities of their programmes Member States shall ensure that the implementation measures set out in Annex II are adequately addressed. 
In that regard, Member States shall allocate a minimum of 20 % of their allocated funding to the specific objective referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2).




Member States shall allocate a minimum of 10 % of their allocated funding to the specific objectives referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2).




Member States shall allocate a minimum of 10 % of their allocated funding to the specific objectives referred to in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2).




Member States shall allocated a minimum of 10 % of their allocated funding to the specific objective referred to in point (cb) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2). [Am. 103]





1a.
   
Member States shall, in addition, ensure that their programmes include actions addressing all the specific objectives of the Fund referred to in Article 3(2) and that the allocation of resources among the objectives ensures that those objectives can be met. When evaluating Member State programmes, the Commission shall ensure that no funding is available for projects where there is clear evidence that the legality of those projects, or the legality and regularity of that funding, or the performance of those projects, would be put in doubt as a result of a reasoned opinion of the Commission in relation to infringement proceedings under Article 258 TFEU. [Am. 104]



2.   The Commission shall ensure that the European 
Asylum Support Office, the European
 Union Agency for Asylum

Fundamental Rights
 and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency are associated to the process of developing the programmes at an early stage, as regards the areas of their competence. The Commission shall consult the European Border and Coast Guard Agency
, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
 and the European Asylum 
Support Office
 on the draft programmes to ensure consistency and complementarity of the actions of the agencies and those of the Member States. [Am. 105]



3.   The Commission may associate the European 
Asylum Support Office, the European
 Union Agency for Asylum and

Fundamental Rights, the
 European Border and Coast Guard Agency 
and the UNHCR
 in monitoring and evaluation tasks as referred to in Section 5 where appropriate in particular in view of ensuring that the actions implemented with the support of the Fund are compliant with the relevant Union acquis and agreed Union priorities. [Am. 106]



4.   Further to a

any
 monitoring exercise as carried out, in accordance with Regulation (EU) [../..] [EUAA Regulation] or the adoption of recommendations in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013 which are within the scope of this Regulation, the Member State concerned shall examine, together with the Commission, and where relevant with the European 
Asylum Support Office, the European
 Union Agency for Asylum

Fundamental Rights
 and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, how to address the findings, including any shortcomings or issues of capacity and preparedness, and shall implement the recommendations through its programme. [Am. 107]



5.   Where necessary, the programme in question shall be amended to take into account the recommendations referred to in paragraph 4 
and the progress in achieving the milestones and targets as assessed in the annual performance reports referred to in point (a) of Article 30(2)
. Depending on the impact of the adjustment, the revised programme may be approved by the Commission. [Am. 108]



6.   In cooperation and consultation with the Commission and the relevant agencies in accordance with their competence, as applicable, resources under the programme may be reallocated with the aim of addressing recommendations, as referred to in paragraph 4 that have financial implications.


7.   Member States shall in particular pursue the actions eligible for higher co-financing as listed in Annex IV. In the event of unforeseen or new circumstances or in order to ensure the effective implementation of funding, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to amend the list of actions eligible for higher co-financing as listed in Annex IV.




7a.
   
National programmes may allow for the inclusion in the actions referred to in point 3a of Annex III of immediate relatives of persons covered by the target group referred to in that point, to the extent that it is necessary for the effective implementation of such actions. [Am. 109]



8.   
Without prejudice to the second subparagraph of Article 4(2),
 whenever a Member State decides to implement projects with or in a third country with the support of the Fund, the Member State concerned shall consult

request the approval of
 the Commission prior to the start of the project. 
The Commission shall ensure the complementarity and coherence of the planned projects with other Union and Member State actions taken in or in relation to the third country concerned and shall verify that the conditions set out in point (3) of point (a) of Article 6(1) are met. [Am. 110]



9.   Programming as referred to in Article 17(5) of Regulation EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation],

Each national programme
 shall be based on

set out for each specific objective
 the types of intervention set out in 
accordance with
 Table 1 of Annex VI 
and provide an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources by type of intervention or area of support
. [Am. 111]





9a.
   
Each Member State shall publish its programme on a dedicated website and forward it to the European Parliament and to the Council. That website shall specify the actions supported in the implementation of the programme and list the beneficiaries. It shall be updated regularly, at least at the same time as the publication of the Annual Performance Report referred to in Article 30. [Am. 112]




Article 14
Mid-term review



-1.
   
The programmes shall be subject to a mid-term review and evaluation in accordance with Article 29 of this Regulation. [Am. 113]



1.   In 2024

By the end of 2024, and after informing the European Parliament
, the Commission shall allocate to the programmes of Member States concerned the additional amount referred to in Article 11(1)(b) in accordance with the criteria referred to in paragraphs 1(b) to 5 of Annex I. Funding shall be effective for the period as of the calendar year 2025. [Am. 114]



2.   If at least 10

30
 % of the initial allocation of a programme referred to in Article 11(1)(a) has not been covered by payment applications submitted in accordance with Article [85] of Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation], the Member State concerned shall not be eligible to receive the additional allocation for the programme referred to in paragraph 1. [Am. 115]



3.   The allocation of the funds from the thematic facility as of 2025 shall, where appropriate, take into account the progress made in achieving milestones of the performance framework as referred to in Article [12] of Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation] and identified implementation shortcomings. [Am. 116]




Article 15
Specific actions

1.   Specific actions are transnational or national projects 
bringing Union added value
 in line with the objectives of this Regulation for which one, several or all Member States may receive an additional allocation to their programmes. [Am. 117]



2.   Member States may in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1), receive an additional amount, provided that it is earmarked as such in the programme and is used to contribute to the implementation of the objectives of this Regulation.


3.   The funding shall not be used for other actions in the programme except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the amendment of the programme.




Article 16


Resources for the Union Resettlement [and Humanitarian Admission] Framework



1.   Member States shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1)(a), a contribution of EUR 10 000 for each resettled person in accordance with the targeted Union resettlement scheme. That contribution shall take the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article [125] of the Financial Regulation.




2.   The amount referred to in paragraph 1 shall be allocated to the Member States through the amendment of their programme provided that the person in respect of whom the contribution is allocated was effectively resettled in accordance with the Union Resettlement [and Humanitarian Admission] Framework.




3.   The funding shall not be used for other actions in the programme except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the amendment of the programme.




4.   Member States shall keep the information necessary to allow the proper identification of the resettled persons and of the date of their resettlement.
[Am. 118]






Article 16a




Resources for resettlement and humanitarian admission





1.
   
Member States shall, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1), receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each person admitted through resettlement.






2.
   
Member States shall, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1), receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each person admitted through humanitarian schemes.






3.
   
Where appropriate, Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons referred to in paragraph 1 to ensure family unity.






4.
   
The additional amount referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be allocated to the Member States every two years, for the first time in the individual financing decisions approving their national programme and later in a financing decision to be annexed to the decisions approving their national programme.






5.
   
Taking into account the current rates of inflation, relevant developments in the field of resettlement, as well as factors which can optimise the use of the financial incentive brought by the lump sum, and within the limits of available resources, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to adjust, if deemed appropriate, the lump sum referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article. [Am. 119]





Article 17


Resources to support the implementation of Regulation ../.. [Dublin Regulation]



1.   A Member State shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1)(a), a contribution of EUR [10 000] for each applicant for international protection for whom that Member State becomes responsible as from when that Member State is in challenging circumstances as defined in Regulation (EU) ../.. [Dublin Regulation].




2.   A Member State shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1)(a), a contribution of EUR [10 000] for each applicant for international protection allocated to that Member State who is above the benefitting Member State's fair share.




3.   A Member State referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall receive an additional contribution of EUR [10 000] per applicant who has been granted international protection for the implementation of integration measures.




4.   A Member State referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall receive an additional contribution of EUR [10 000] per person for whom the Member State can establish on the basis of the updating of the data set referred to in Article 11(d) of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Eurodac Regulation] that the person has left the territory of the Member State, on either a compulsory or voluntarily basis in compliance with a return decision or a removal order.




5.   A Member State shall receive, in addition to its allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1)(a), a contribution of EUR [500] for each applicant of international protection transferred from one Member State to another, for each applicant transferred pursuant to point (c) of the first paragraph of Article 34(i) of Regulation (EU) ../… [Dublin Regulation] and, where applicable, for each applicant transferred pursuant to point (g) of Article 34 (j) of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Dublin Regulation].




6.   The amounts referred to in this Article shall take the form of financing not linked to costs in accordance with Article [125] of the Financial Regulation.




7.   The additional amounts referred to in paragraphs 1 to 5 shall be allocated to the Member States in their programmes provided that the person in respect of whom the contribution is allocated was, as applicable, effectively transferred to a Member State, effectively returned or registered as an applicant in the Member State responsible in accordance with Regulation (EU) ../.. [Dublin Regulation].




8.   This funding shall not be used for other actions in the programme except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the amendment of the programme.
[Am. 120]






Article 17a




Resources to support the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013





1.
   
The determining Member State shall receive, in addition to its allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1) of this Regulation, refunding of the costs of reception of an applicant for international protection from the time when the application is made until the transfer of the applicant to the Member State responsible, or until the determining Member State assumes responsibility for the applicant in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 604/2013.






2.
   
The transferring Member State shall receive, in addition to its allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1) of this Regulation, refunding of the costs necessary to transfer an applicant or another personas referred to in points (c) and (d) of Article 18(1) of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013.






3.
   
Each Member State shall, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1) of this Regulation, receive a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each unaccompanied minor who is granted international protection in that Member State, provided that the Member State is not eligible for a lump sum payment for that unaccompanied minor under Article 16(1).






4.
   
The refunding referred to in this Article shall take a form of financing in accordance with Article 125 of the Financial Regulation.






5.
   
The refunding referred to in paragraph 2 shall be allocated to the Member States in their programmes provided that the person in respect of whom the refunding is allocated was effectively transferred to a Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 604/2013. [Am. 121]






Article 17b




Resources for the transfer of applicants for international protection or beneficiaries of international protection





1.
   
With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, Member States shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 11(1), an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each applicant for international protection or beneficiary of international protection transferred from another Member State.






2.
   
Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons referred to in paragraph 1, where appropriate, provided that those family members have been transferred in accordance with this Regulation.






3.
   
The additional amounts referred to in paragraph 1 shall be allocated to the Member States for the first time in the individual financing decisions approving their national programme and later in a financing decision to be annexed to the decision approving their national programme. This funding shall not be used for other actions in the programme except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the amendment of the programme.






4.
   
To effectively pursue the objectives of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States referred to in Article 80 TFEU, and taking into account the current rates of inflation, relevant developments in the field of transfer of applicants for international protection and of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another and in the field of resettlement and other ad hoc humanitarian admission, as well as factors which can optimise the use of the financial incentive brought by the lump sum, and within the limits of available resources, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to adjust, if deemed appropriate, the lump sum referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. [Am. 122]




Article 18
Operating support

1.   Operating support is a part of a Member State’s allocation which may be used as support to the public authorities responsible for accomplishing the tasks and services which constitute a public service for the Union;


2.   A Member State may use up to 10 % of the amount allocated under the Fund to its programme to finance operating support under objectives in Article 3(2)(a) and (c). [Am. 123]



3.   The Member States using operating support shall comply with the Union acquis on asylum and return

immigration and fully respect the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
. [Am. 124]



4.   Member States shall justify in the programme and in the annual performance report as referred to in Article 30 the use of operating support to achieve the objectives of this Regulation. Before the approval of the programme, the Commission shall, with the European 
Asylum Support Office, the European
 Union Agency for Asylum

Fundamental Rights
 and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in line with Article 13, assess the baseline situation in the Member States which have indicated their intention to use operating support. The Commission shall take into account the information provided by those Member States and, where relevant, the information available in the light of the monitoring exercises, as carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) ../.. [EUAA Regulation]

by the European Asylum Support Office
 and Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013, which are within the scope of this Regulation. [Am. 125]



5.   Operating support shall be concentrated on specific tasks and services

eligible actions
 as laid down in Annex VII. [Am. 126]



6.   To address unforeseen or new circumstances or to ensure the effective implementation of funding, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to amend the list of specific tasks and services

eligible actions
 in Annex VII. [Am. 127]



SECTION 3
SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION UNDER DIRECT AND INDIRECT MANAGEMENT

Article 19
Scope
Support under this section Union shall be implemented either directly by the Commission in accordance with point (a) of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation, or indirectly in accordance with point (c) of that Article.


Article 20
Union actions

1.   Union actions are transnational projects or projects of particular interest to the Union implemented in line with the objectives of this Regulation.


2.   At the Commission’s initiative, the Fund may be used to finance Union actions concerning the objectives of this Regulation as referred to in Article 3 and in accordance with Annex III.


3.   Union actions may provide funding in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation in particular grants, prizes and procurement. They may also provide financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations.


4.   Grants implemented under direct 
and indirect
 management shall be awarded and managed in accordance with [Title VIII] of the Financial Regulation. [Am. 128]





4a.
   
The Commission shall ensure flexibility, fairness and transparency in the distribution of resources among the objectives referred to in Article 3(2). [Am. 129]



5.   The evaluation committee assessing the proposals may be composed of external experts.


6.   Contributions to a mutual insurance mechanism may cover the risk associated with the recovery of funds due by recipients and shall be considered a sufficient guarantee under the Financial Regulation. The provisions laid down in [Article X of] Regulation (EU) ../.. [successor of the Regulation on the Guarantee Fund] shall apply.
[Am. 130]




Article 21
European Migration Network

1.   The Fund shall support the European Migration Network and provide the financial assistance necessary for its activities and its future development.


2.   The amount made available for the European Migration Network under the annual appropriations of the Fund and the work programme laying down the priorities for its activities shall be adopted by the Commission, after approval by the Steering Board in accordance with Article 4(5)(a) of Decision 2008/381/EC (as amended). The decision of the Commission shall constitute a financing decision pursuant to Article [110] of the Financial Regulation. To ensure the timely availability of resources, the Commission may adopt the work programme for the European Migration Network in a separate financing decision. [Am. 131]



3.   Financial assistance provided for the activities of the European Migration Network shall take the form of grants to the national contact points referred to in Article 3 of Decision 2008/381/EC and procurements as appropriate, in accordance with the Financial Regulation.





Article 21a




Amendment of Decision 2008/381/EC




The following point is added in Article 5(5) of Decision 2008/381/EC:










‘(da)






act as a contact point for potential beneficiaries of funding under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund Regulation and provide impartial guidance, practical information and assistance regarding all aspects of the Fund, including in relation to applications for funding under the relevant national programme or the thematic facility.’. [Am. 132]







Article 22
Blending operations
Blending operations decided under this Fund
, as referred to in point (c) of Article 2(1)
 shall be implemented in accordance with the [InvestEu regulation] and Title X of the Financial Regulation. [Am. 133]



Article 23
Technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission
The Fund may support technical assistance measures implemented at the initiative of, or on behalf of, the Commission. Those measures may be financed at the rate of 100 %.


Article 24
Audits
Audits on the use of the Union contribution carried out by persons or entities, including by other than those mandated by the Union institutions or bodies, shall form the basis of the overall assurance pursuant to Article 127 of Regulation (EU) [Regulation on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union].


Article 25
Information, communication and publicity

1.   The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting

promote
 the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted

meaningful
 information to multiple 
relevant
 audiences, including the 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
. [Am. 134]



2.   
To reach the widest possible audience,
 the Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the Fund and its actions and results. 
In particular, the Commission shall publish information concerning the development of the annual and multiannual programmes of the thematic facility. The Commission 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.
 Financial resources allocated to the Fund shall also contribute to the corporate communication on the 
implementation of
 political priorities of the Union, as far as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation. 
In particular, the Commission may promote best practices and exchange information as regards to the implementation of the instrument. [Am. 135]





2a.
   
The Commission shall publish the information referred to in paragraph 2 in open, machine readable formats, as set out in Article 5(1) of Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
 (27)

, which allows data to be sorted, searched, extracted, compared and reused. It shall be possible to sort the data by priority, specific objective, total eligible cost of operations, total cost of projects, total cost of procurement procedures, name of beneficiary, and name of contractor. [Am. 136]



SECTION 4
SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION UNDER SHARED, DIRECT AND INDIRECT MANAGEMENT

Article 26
Emergency assistance

1.   The Fund shall

Commission may decide to
 provide financial assistance to address urgent and specific needs in the event of an emergency situation resulting from one or more of the following: [Am. 137]







(a)



heavy migratory pressure in one or more Member States characterised by a

an unforeseen
 large or disproportionate inflow of third-country nationals 
in one or more Member States
, which places significant and urgent demands on their reception and detention facilities, 
child protection systems, and
 asylum and migration management systems and procedures; [Am. 138]













(aa)






voluntary relocation; [Am. 139]











(b)


the implementation of temporary protection mechanisms within the meaning of Directive 2001/55/EC (28);










(c)



heavy migratory pressure

an unforeseen large or disproportionate inflow of persons
 in third countries, including where persons in need of protection may be stranded due to political developments, or conflicts 
or natural disasters
, notably where it might have an impact on migration flows towards the EU. [Am. 140]









1a.
   
Measures implemented in third countries in accordance with this Article shall be consistent with, and, where relevant, complementary to the Union humanitarian policy and respect humanitarian principles as set out in the Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. [Am. 141]





1b.
   
In cases as described under points (a), (aa), (b) and (c) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council without delay. [Am. 142]



2.   Emergency assistance may take the form of grants awarded directly to the decentralised agencies

European Asylum Support Office, UNHCR, and local and regional authorities subject to unforeseen large or disproportionate inflows of third country nationals, and in particular those responsible for the reception and integration of unaccompanied child migrants
. [Am. 143]



3.   Emergency assistance may be allocated to Member States’ programmes in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with Article 11(1) and Annex I, provided that it is earmarked as such in the programme. This funding shall not be used for other actions in the programme except in duly justified circumstances and as approved by the Commission through the amendment of the programme.


4.   Grants implemented under direct management shall be awarded and managed in accordance with [Title VIII] of the Financial Regulation. [Am. 144]





4a.
   
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. [Am. 145]




Article 27
Cumulative, complementary and combined funding

1.   An action

operation
 that has received a contribution under the Fund may also receive a contribution from any other Union programme, including Funds under shared management, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. The 
programmes presented by the Commission shall interact and complement each other and be drawn up with the necessary degree of transparency to avoid any duplication. The
 rules of each contributing Union programme shall apply to its respective contribution to the action

operation
. The cumulative funding shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the action

operation
 and the support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support. [Am. 146]



2.   Actions

Operations
 awarded a seal of Excellence certification, or which comply with the following cumulative comparative conditions: [Am. 147]







(a)


they have been assessed in a call for proposals under the instrument;










(b)


they comply with the minimum quality requirements of that call for proposals;










(c)


they may not be financed under that call for proposals due to budgetary constraints.




may receive support from the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Social Fund+ or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Article [67] of Regulation (EU) ../.. [Common Provisions Regulation] and Article [8] or Regulation (EU) ../.. [Financing, management and monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy], provided that such actions are consistent with the objectives of the programme concerned. The rules of the Fund providing support shall apply.


SECTION 5
MONITORING, REPORTING AND EVALUATION
SUB SECTION 1
COMMON PROVISIONS

Article 28
Monitoring and reporting

1.   In compliance with its reporting requirements pursuant to Article [43(3)(h)(i)(iii)] of the Financial Regulation, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament and the Council
, at least annually,
 information on performance in accordance with Annex V. [Am. 148]



2.   The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to amend Annex V in order to make the necessary adjustments to the information on performance to be provided to the European Parliament and the Council.


3.   The indicators to report on progress of the Fund towards the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation are set in Annex VIII. For output indicators, baselines shall be set at zero. The milestones set for 2024 and targets set for 2029 shall be cumulative. 
Upon request, the data received by the Commission on output and result indicators shall be made available to the European Parliament and to the Council. [Am. 149]



4.   The performance reporting system shall ensure that data for monitoring programme implementation and results are collected efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner. To that end, proportionate reporting requirements shall be imposed on recipients of Union funds and where relevant Member States.


5.   In order to ensure effective assessment of the progress of the Fund towards the achievement of its objectives, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 32 to amend Annex VIII to review and complement the indicators where necessary and to supplement this Regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework, including for project information to be provided by the Member States.




Article 29


Evaluation



1.   The Commission shall carry out a mid-term and a retrospective evaluation of this Regulation, including the actions implemented under the Fund.




2.   The mid-term and the retrospective evaluation shall be carried out in a timely manner to feed into the decision-making process.
[Am. 150]






Article 29a




Evaluation





1.
   
By 31 December 2024, the Commission shall present a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of this Regulation. The mid-term evaluation shall examine the effectiveness, efficiency, simplification and flexibility of the Fund. More specifically, it shall include an assessment of:










(a)






progress towards the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation, taking into account all relevant information available, in particular the annual performance reports submitted by the Member States under Article 30 and the output and result indicators set out in Annex VIII;














(b)






the Union added value of the actions and operations implemented under the Fund;














(c)






the contribution to Union solidarity in the field of asylum and migration;














(d)






the continued relevance of the implementation measures set out in Annex II and the actions set out in Annex III;














(e)






the complementarity, coordination and coherence between the actions supported under this Fund and the support provided by other Union funds, such as the structural funds, and external financing instruments of the Union;














(f)






the longer term impacts and the sustainability effects of the Fund.








The midterm evaluation shall take into account retrospective evaluation results on the long-term impact of the predecessor fund — the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020 — and shall, where appropriate, be accompanied by a legislative proposal for the revision of this Regulation.






2.
   
By 31 January 2030, the Commission shall carry out a retrospective evaluation. By the same date, the Commission shall submit an evaluation report to the European Parliament and to the Council. The retrospective evaluation shall include an assessment of all of the elements set out in paragraph 1. In that regard, the longer-term impacts and the sustainability of effects of the Fund shall be evaluated with a view to feeding into a decision on a possible renewal or modification of a subsequent fund.




The mid-term and retrospective evaluation reports referred to in the first paragraph and the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be conducted with meaningful participation of social partners, civil society organisations, including migrants and refugees’ organisations, equality bodies, national human rights institutions and other relevant organisations in accordance with the partnership principle as laid down in Article 3a.






3.
   
In its mid-term and retrospective evaluation, the Commission shall pay particular attention to the evaluation of actions by, in or in relation to third countries in accordance with in Article 5, Article 6 and Article 13(8). [Am. 151]



SUB SECTION 2
RULES FOR SHARED MANAGEMENT

Article 30
Annual performance reports

1.   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 as referred to in Article 36(6) of Regulation (EU)…/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation]. The report submitted in 2023 shall cover the implementation of the programme in the period to 30 June 2022. 
Member States shall publish these reports on a dedicated website and forward them to the European Parliament and the Council. [Am. 152]



2.   The annual performance report shall in particular set out information on:






(a)


progress in the implementation of the programme and in achieving the milestones and targets, taking into account the latest 
cumulative
 data as required by Article [37] of Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation]

transmitted to the Commission
; [Am. 153]













(aa)






a breakdown of the annual accounts of the national programme into recoveries, pre-financing to final beneficiaries and expenditure actually incurred; [Am. 154]











(b)


any issues affecting the performance of the programme and the action taken to address them
, including reasoned opinions issued by the Commission in respect of an infringement procedure under Article 258 TFEU
; [Am. 155]











(c)


the complementarity
, coordination and coherence
 between the actions supported by the

under this
 Fund and 
the
 support provided by other Union funds, in particular those in or in relation to third countries

such as the structural funds, and external financing instruments of the Union
; [Am. 156]











(d)


contribution of the programme to the implementation of the relevant Union acquis and action plans 
and to cooperation and solidarity between Member States in the field of asylum
; [Am. 157]













(da)






compliance with fundamental rights requirements; [Am. 158]











(e)


the implementation of communication and visibility actions;










(f)


the fulfilment of the applicable enabling conditions and their application throughout the programming period;










(g)


the number of persons resettled 
or admitted
 with the help of the Fund in line with the amounts referred to in Article 16(1) 
and (2)
; [Am. 159]











(h)


the number of applicants for or beneficiaries of international protection transferred from one Member State to another in line with Article 17

17b
. [Am. 160]













(ha)






the number of vulnerable persons assisted through the programme, including children and those granted international protection; [Am. 161]







3.   The Commission may make observations on the annual performance report within two months of the date of its receipt. Where the Commission does not provide observations by that deadline, the report shall be deemed to have been accepted. 
Once accepted, the Commission shall make summaries of annual performance reports available to the European Parliament and to the Council, and shall publish them on a dedicated website. If not forwarded by the Member States in accordance with paragraph 1, the full text of the annual performance report shall be made available to the European Parliament and the Council on request. [Am. 162]



4.   In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Article, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act establishing the template for the annual performance report. This implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 33(2).



Article 31
Monitoring and reporting

1.   Monitoring and reporting in accordance with Title IV of Regulation (EU) …/… [Common Provisions Regulation] shall be based on the types of intervention set out in Tables 1, 2 and 3 in Annex VI. To address unforeseen or new circumstances or to ensure the effective implementation of the funding, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts to amend the types of intervention in accordance with Article 32.


2.   These indicators shall be used in accordance with Articles 12(1), 17 and 37 of Regulation (EU) …/2021 [Common Provisions Regulation].


CHAPTER III
TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 32
Exercise of the delegation

1.   The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.


2.   The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Articles 
4, 9,
 13, 
16, 17b
, 18, 28 and 31 shall be conferred on the Commission until 31 December 2028. [Am. 163]



3.   The delegation of powers referred to in Articles 
4
, 
9,
 13, 
16, 17b
, 28 and 31 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision of revocation shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force. [Am. 164]



4.   Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 2016.


5.   As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall simultaneously notify the European Parliament and to the Council thereof.


6.   A delegated act adopted pursuant to Articles 
4
, 
9,
 13, 
16, 17b
, 18, 28 and 31 shall enter into force only if neither the European Parliament nor the Council has expressed an objection within two months of being notified of it or if, before the expiry of that period, they have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council. [Am. 165]




Article 33
Committee procedure

1.   The Commission shall be assisted by the Coordination Committee for the Asylum and Migration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument. That Committee shall be a Committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.


2.   Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.


3.   Where the Committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act. This shall not apply to the implementing act referred to in Article 30(4).



Article 34
Transitional provisions

1.   This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification of the actions concerned under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for the period 2014-2020 established by Regulation (EU) No 516/2014, which shall continue to apply to the actions concerned until their closure.


2.   The financial envelope for the Fund may also cover technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the Fund and the measures adopted under its predecessor, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund established by Regulation (EU) No 516/2014.



Article 35
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2021.


This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaties.
Done at …,


For the European Parliament


The President




For the Council


The President





(1)  OJ C , , p. .

(2)  OJ C , , p. .

(*1)  Position of the European Parliament of 13 March 2019.

(3)  Regulation (EU) No ../.. of the European Parliament and of the Council of [EUAA Regulation] (OJ L …, [date], p. ..).


(4)  
Directive 2013/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 96).



(5)  
Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection (OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 60).



(6)  
Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 9).



(7)  
Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98).



(8)  
Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person (OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 31).



(9)  Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98).

(10)  Directive 2009/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 providing for minimum standards on sanctions and measures against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 168, 30.6.2009, p. 24).

(11)  Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA (OJ L 101, 15.4.2011, p. 1).

(12)  Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on the European Border and Coast Guard amending Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EC) No 863/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 and Council Decision 2005/267/EC (OJ L 251, 16.9.2016, p. 1).

(13)  2008/381/EC: Council Decision of 14 May 2008 establishing a European Migration Network (OJ L 131, 21.5.2008, p. 7).

(14)  OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1;
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2013.373.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2013:373:TOC

(15)  OJ C , , p. .

(16)  OJ C , , p. .

(17)  Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests (OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1).

(18)  OJ C , , p. .

(19)  Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1371

2017/1939
 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) (OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1).

(20)  Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2017 on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law (OJ L 198, 28.7.2017, p. 29).

(21)  Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union (Overseas Association Decision) (OJ L 344, 19.12.2013, p. 1).

(22)  COM(2017)0623.

(23)  Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).

(24)  OJ C , , p. .


(25)  OJ C , , p. .


(26)  OJ C , , p. .


(27)  
Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the re-use of public sector information (OJ L 345, 31.12.2003, p. 90).



(28)  Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12).



ANNEX I
Criteria for the allocation of funding to the programmes under shared management








1.


The available resources referred to in Article 11 shall be broken down between the Member States as follows:






(a)


Each Member State shall receive a fixed amount of EUR 5 000 000

10 000 000
 from the Fund at the start of the programming period only; [Am. 166]











(b)


The remaining resources referred to in Article 11 shall be distributed based on the following criteria:






—


30 % for asylum;










—


30 % for legal migration and integration;










—


40 % for countering irregular migration including returns.




















2.


The following criteria in the area of asylum will be taken into account and shall be weighted as follows:






(a)


30 % in proportion to the number of persons who fall into one of the following categories:






—


Any third-country national or stateless person having been granted the status defined by the Geneva Convention;










—


Any third-country national or stateless person enjoying a form of subsidiary protection with the meaning of recast Directive 2011/95/EU (1);










—


Any third-country national or stateless person enjoying temporary protection within the meaning of Directive 2001/55/EC (2)















(b)


60 % in proportion to the number of third-country nationals or stateless persons who have applied for international protection.










(c)


10 % in proportion to the number of third-country nationals or stateless persons who are being or have been resettled in a Member State.
















3.


The following criteria in the area of legal migration and integration will be taken into account and shall be weighted as follows:






(a)


40 % in proportion to the total number of legally residing third-country nationals in a Member State.










(b)


60 % in proportion to the number of third-country nationals who have obtained a first residence permit.










(c)


However, for the purpose of the calculation referred to in paragraph 3(b), the following categories of persons shall not be included:






—


Third country nationals being issued a work-related first residence permits valid for less than 12 months;










—


Third-country nationals admitted for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service in accordance with Council Directive 2004/114/EC (3) or when applicable the Directive (EU) 2016/801 (4);










—


Third-country nationals admitted for purposes of scientific research in accordance with Council Directive 2005/71/EC (5) or when applicable the Directive (EU) 2016/801.




















4.



The following criteria In the area of countering irregular migration including returns
, the following criterion
 will be taken into account and shall be weighted as follows: [Am. 167]







(a)



50 % in proportion to The number of third-country nationals who do not or no longer fulfil the conditions for entry and stay in the territory of the Member State and who are subject to a 
final
 return decision under national and / or Community

Union
 law, i.e. an administrative or judicial decision or act, stating or declaring the illegality of stay and imposing an obligation to return; [Am. 168]












(b)




50 % in proportion to the number of third-country nationals who have actually left the territory of the Member State following an administrative or judicial order to leave, whether undertaken voluntarily or under coercion.
[Am. 169]

















5.


For initial allocation the reference figures shall be the latest annual statistical data produced by the Commission (Eurostat) covering the preceding three calendar years on the basis of data provided by Member States on the date of the applicability of this Regulation in accordance with Union law
. Data should be disaggregated by age and sex, by specific vulnerabilities and by asylum status, including those on children
. For the mid-term review, the reference figures shall be the latest annual statistical data produced by the Commission (Eurostat) covering the preceding three calendar years available at the time of the mid-term review in 2024 on the basis of data provided by Member States in accordance with Union law. Where Member States have not supplied the Commission (Eurostat) with the statistics concerned, they shall provide provisional data as soon as possible. [Am. 170]













6.


Before accepting these data as reference figures, the Commission (Eurostat) shall evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information in accordance with normal operational procedures. At the request of the Commission (Eurostat), Member States shall provide it with all the necessary information to do so.






(1)  Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 9).

(2)  Data to be taken into account only in case of the activation of the Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12).

(3)  Council Directive 2004/114/EC of 13 December 2004 on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service (OJ L 375, 23.12.2004, p. 12).

(4)  Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (OJ L 132, 21.5.2016, p. 21).

(5)  Council Directive 2005/71/EC of 12 October 2005 on a specific procedure for admitting third-country nationals for the purposes of scientific research (OJ L 289, 3.11.2005, p. 15).




ANNEX II
Implementation measures








1.


The Fund shall contribute to the specific objective set out in Article 3(2)(a) by focusing on the following implementation measures:






(a)


ensuring a uniform application of the Union acquis and of the priorities related to the Common European Asylum System;










(b)


supporting the capacity of Member States’ asylum systems
, including at local and regional level,
 as regards infrastructures

infrastructure, such as adequate reception conditions, in particular for minors,
 and services
, such as legal assistance and representation and interpretation
 where necessary; [Am. 171]












(c)




enhancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migratory flows, as well as providing support to Member States contributing to solidarity efforts;
[Am. 172]











(d)


enhancing solidarity and cooperation with third countries affected by migratory flows

to which a large number of persons in need of international protection has been displaced
, including 
by fostering those countries’ capacity to improve reception and international protection conditions and
 through resettlement and other legal avenues to protection in the Union 
in particular for vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents facing protection risks
 as well as partnership and cooperation with third countries for the purpose of managing migration

in the context of global cooperation efforts in the area of international protection
. [Am. 173]













(da)






implementing technical and operational assistance to one or several other Member States in cooperation with the European Asylum Support Office. [Am. 174]

















2.


The Fund shall contribute to the specific objective set out in Article 3(2)(b), by focusing on the following implementation measures:






(a)


supporting the development and implementation of policies promoting legal migration
, including family reunification,
 and the implementation of the Union legal migration acquis
, in particular the legal labour migration instruments in line with applicable international standards on migration and the protection of migrant workers
; [Am. 175]













(aa)






promoting and developing structural and supporting measures facilitating regular entry to and residence in the Union; [Am. 176]













(ab)






enhancing partnership and cooperation with third countries affected by migratory flows including through legal avenues of entry to the Union for the purpose of global cooperation efforts in the area of migration; [Am. 177]












(b)




promoting early integration measures for the social and economic inclusion of third-country nationals, preparing their active participation in and their acceptance by the receiving society, in particular with the involvement of local or regional authorities and civil society organisations.
[Am. 178]



















2a.






The Fund shall contribute to the specific objective set out in point (c) of Article 3(2), by focusing on the following implementation measures:










(a)






promoting integration measures for the social and economic inclusion of third country nationals, facilitating family reunification, preparing their active participation in and their acceptance by the receiving society, in particular with the involvement of local or regional authorities, non-governmental organisations, including refugees and migrants organisations and social partners; and














(b)






promoting and implementing protection measures for vulnerable persons in the context of integration measures. [Am. 179]

















3.


The Fund shall contribute to the specific objective set out in 
point (ca) of
 Article 3(2)(c)

3(2)
, by focusing on the following implementation measures: [Am. 180]







(a)


ensuring a uniform application of the Union acquis and policy priorities regarding infrastructure, procedures and services;










(b)


supporting an integrated and coordinated approach to return management at the Union and Member States’ level, to the development of capacities for effective
, dignified
 and sustainable return and reducing incentives for irregular migration; [Am. 181]











(c)


supporting assisted voluntary return
, family tracing
 and reintegration
, while respecting the best interests of minors
; [Am. 182]











(d)


strengthening cooperation with third countries and their capacities to implement readmission agreements and other arrangements, and

including reintegration to
 enable sustainable return. [Am. 183]



















3a.






The Fund shall contribute to the specific objective set out in point (cb) of Article 3(2) by focusing on the following implementation measures:










(a)






promoting and implementing the respect of international law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in asylum and migration policies and measures;














(b)






enhancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States, in particular solidarity towards those most affected by migratory flows, as well as providing support to Member States at central, regional or local level, to international organisations, to non-governmental organisations and to social partners in their solidarity efforts;














(c)






supporting transfers of applicants for international protection or beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another. [Am. 184]













ANNEX III

Scope of support

Eligible actions to be supported by the instrument in accordance with Article 3 [Am. 185]









1.


Within the policy objective referred to in Article 3(1), the Fund shall in particular support the following: [Am. 186]







(a)


the establishment and development of national
, regional and local
 strategies in

for the implementation of the Union acquis relating to
 asylum, legal migration, integration, 
in particular local integration strategies,
 return and irregular migration; [Am. 187]











(b)


the setting up of administrative structures, systems and tools and training of staff, including local authorities and other relevant stakeholders 
in cooperation with relevant Union agencies, where appropriate
; [Am. 188]











(c)


the development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and procedures including on

the development,
 collection and exchange of information and data, 
analysis, dissemination of qualitative and quantitative data and statistics on migration and international protection and the
 development and application of common statistical tools, methods and indicators for measuring progress and assessing policy developments; [Am. 189]











(d)


the exchanges of information, best practices and strategies, mutual learning, studies and research, the development and implementation of joint actions and operations and the setting-up of transnational cooperation networks;










(e)




gender-sensitive
 assistance and support services consistent with the status and the needs of the person concerned, in particular the vulnerable groups

persons
; [Am. 190]













(ea)






the effective protection of children in migration, including the implementation of best interests of the child assessments before decisions are taken, all measures listed in the Commission Communication of 12 April 2017 on the Protection of Children in Migration, such as providing appropriate housing for, and a timely appointment of guardians to, all unaccompanied minors, contributions to the European Network of Guardianship Institutions, and the development, monitoring and evaluation of child safeguarding policies and procedures, including a child-rights based compliant mechanism; [Am. 191]











(f)


actions aimed at enhancing awareness of asylum, integration, legal migration and return policies 
with specific attention to vulnerable groups, including minors,
 among stakeholders and the general public; [Am. 192]

















2.


Within the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(a), the Fund shall in particular support the following actions: [Am. 193]







(a)


providing material aid, including assistance at the border
, child-friendly and gender-sensitive facilities, emergency services provided by local authorities, education, training, support services, legal assistance and representation, health and psychological care
; [Am. 194]











(b)


conducting asylum procedures
, including family tracing and ensuring access to legal assistance and representation and interpretation for asylum applicants at all stages of the procedure
; [Am. 195]











(c)


identifying applicants with special procedural or reception needs
, including the early identification of victims of trafficking, minors and other vulnerable persons such as victims of torture and gender-based violence, and referral to specialised services
; [Am. 196]













(ca)






providing qualified psycho-social and rehabilitation services to victims of violence and torture, including gender-based violence; [Am. 197]











(d)


establishing or improving reception accommodation infrastructure, 
such as housing in small units and small-scale infrastructure addressing the needs of families with minors, including those provided by local and regional authorities and
 including the possible joint use of such facilities by more than one Member State; [Am. 198]













(da)






providing alternative forms of care that are integrated into existing national child protection systems and address the needs of all children in accordance with international standards; [Am. 199]











(e)


enhancing the capacity of Member States to collect, analyse and disseminate

share among themselves
 country of origin information; [Am. 200]











(f)


actions related to the conducting of procedures for the implementation of the Union

national
 resettlement [and

or
 humanitarian admission] Framework or national resettlement schemes that are compatible with the Union Resettlement Framework

as set out in this Regulation
; [Am. 201]











(g)


transfers of 
applicants and
 beneficiaries of international protection; [Am. 202]











(h)


enhancing capacities of third countries to improve the protection of persons in need of protection
, including through supporting the development of strong child protection mechanisms in third countries, ensuring that children are protected in all areas from violence, abuses and neglect and have access to education and health care
; [Am. 203]











(i)


establishing, developing and improving effective alternatives to detention 
and institutional care
, in particular in relation to unaccompanied minors and 
children with
 families 
in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
. [Am. 204]

















3.


Within the specific objective referred to in Article 3(2)(b), the Fund shall in particular support the following: [Am. 205]







(a)


information packages and campaigns to raise awareness of legal migration channels to the Union, including on the Union legal migration acquis;










(b)


development of mobility schemes to the Union, such as

including but not limited to
 circular or temporary migration schemes, including 
vocational and other
 training to enhance employability; [Am. 206]











(c)


cooperation between third countries and the recruitment agencies, the employment services and the immigration services of Member States;










(d)


the assessment 
and recognition
 of skills and qualifications
, including professional experience,
 acquired in a third country, as well as their transparency and compatibility with those of a Member State 
and the development of common evaluation standards
; [Am. 207]











(e)


assistance in the context of applications for family reunification within the meaning

to ensure a harmonised implementation
 of Council Directive 2003/86/EC (1); [Am. 208]











(f)


assistance
, including legal assistance and representation,
 in relation to a change of status for third-country nationals already legally residing in a Member State, in particular in relation to the acquisition of a legal residence status defined at Union level; [Am. 209]













(fa)






assistance in relation to the exercise of the rights of third country nationals legally staying in the Union, notably relating to mobility within the Union and to access to employment; [Am. 210]












(g)




early integration measures such as tailored support in accordance with the needs of third-country nationals and integration programmes focusing on education, language and other training such as civic orientation courses and professional guidance;
[Am. 211]












(h)




actions promoting equality in the access and provision of public and private services to third-country nationals, including adapting them to the needs of the target group;
[Am. 212]












(i)




cooperation between governmental and non-governmental bodies in an integrated manner, including through coordinated integration-support centres, such as one-stop shops;
[Am. 213]












(j)




actions enabling and supporting third-country nationals’ introduction to and active participation in the receiving society and actions promoting acceptance by the receiving society;
[Am. 214]












(k)




promoting exchanges and dialogue between third-country nationals, the receiving society and public authorities, including through the consultation of third-country nationals, and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.
[Am. 215]



















3a.






Within the specific objective referred to in point (c) of Article 3(2), the Fund shall in particular support the following:










(a)






integration measures such as tailored support in accordance with the needs of third-country nationals and integration programmes focusing on inclusive education and care, language, counselling, vocational training and other training such as civic orientation courses and professional guidance;














(b)






building capacity of integration services provided by local authorities;














(c)






actions promoting equality in the access and provision of public and private services to third-country nationals, including access to education, healthcare and psycho-social support and adapting them to the needs of the target group;














(d)






cooperation between governmental and non-governmental bodies in an integrated manner, including through coordinated integration-support centres, such as one-stop shops;














(e)






actions enabling and supporting third-country nationals’ introduction to and active participation in the receiving society and actions promoting acceptance by the receiving society;














(f)






promoting exchanges and dialogue between third-country nationals, the receiving society and public authorities, including through the consultation of third-country nationals, and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. [Am. 216]

















4.


Within the specific objective referred to in 
point (ca) of
 Article 3(2)(c), the Fund shall in particular support the following: [Am. 217]







(a)




improvement of
 infrastructure for 
open
 reception or

and improvement of existing infrastructure for
 detention, including the possible joint use of such facilities by more than one Member State; [Am. 218]











(b)


introduction, development
, implementation
 and improvement of effective alternative measures to detention, 
based on case management in the community,
 in particular in relation to unaccompanied minors and families; [Am. 219]













(ba)






identification and reception of victims of trafficking in accordance with Directive 2011/36/EU and Council Directive 2004/81/EC
 (2)
; [Am. 220]











(c)


introduction and reinforcement of independent and effective systems for monitoring forced return, as laid down in Article 8(6) of Directive 2008/115/EC (3);










(d)



countering

reducing
 incentives for irregular migration, including the employment of irregular migrants, through effective and adequate inspections based on risk assessment, the training of staff, the setting-up and implementation of mechanisms through which irregular migrants can claim back payments and lodge complaints against their employers, or information and awareness-raising campaigns to inform employers and irregular migrants about their rights and obligations pursuant to Directive 2009/52/EC (4); [Am. 221]











(e)


preparation of return, including measures leading to the issuing of return decisions, the identification of third-country nationals, the issuing of travel documents and family tracing;










(f)


cooperation with the consular authorities and immigration services or other relevant authorities and services of third countries with a view to obtaining travel documents, facilitating return and ensuring readmission including through the deployment of third-country liaison officers;










(g)


return assistance, in particular assisted voluntary return and information about assisted voluntary return programmes
, including by providing specific guidance for children in return procedures and ensuring child-rights based return procedures
; [Am. 222]











(h)


removal operations, including related measures, in accordance with the standards laid down in Union law, with the exception of coercive equipment;










(i)


measures to support the returnee’s durable return and reintegration;










(j)


facilities and 
support
 services in third countries ensuring appropriate temporary accommodation and reception upon arrival, including for unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable groups in line with international standards

and a fast transition to community based accommodation
; [Am. 223]











(k)


cooperation with third countries on countering irregular migration and on effective return and readmission, including in the framework of the implementation of readmission agreements and other arrangements; [Am. 224]











(l)


measures aimed at raising awareness of the appropriate legal channels for immigration

migration
 and the risks of illegal

irregular
 immigration; [Am. 225]












(m)




support for and actions in third countries, including on infrastructure, equipment and other measures, provided these contribute to enhancing effective cooperation between third countries and the Union and its Member States on return and readmission.
[Am. 226]



















4a.






Within the specific objective referred to in point (cb) of Article 3(2), the Fund shall support the following:










(a)






the implementation of transfers of either applicants for international protection or beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another, including those measures referred to in Article 17b of this Regulation;














(b)






operational support in terms of seconded staff or financial assistance provided by a Member State to another Member State affected by migration challenges;














(c)






actions related to the conducting of procedures for the implementation of national resettlement or humanitarian admission schemes. [Am. 227]











(1)  Council Directive 2003/86/EC of 22 September 2003 on the right to family reunification, (OJ L 251, 03.10.2003, p. 12).

(2)  
Council Directive 2004/81/EC of 29 April 2004 on the residence permit issued to third-country nationals who are victims of trafficking in human beings or who have been the subject of an action to facilitate illegal immigration, who cooperate with the competent authorities (OJ L 261, 6.8.2004, p. 19).



(3)  Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98).

(4)  Directive 2009/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 providing for minimum standards on sanctions and measures against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 168, 30.6.2009, p. 24).




ANNEX IV
Actions eligible for higher co-financing in line with Articles 12(2) and 13(7)






—


Integration measures implemented by local and regional authorities and civil-society organisations
, including refugee and migrant organisations
; [Am. 228]











—


Actions to develop and implement effective alternatives to detention 
and institutional care
; [Am. 229]











—


Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programmes and related-activities;










—


Measures targeting vulnerable persons and applicants for international protection with special reception and/or procedural needs, including measures to ensure effective protection of children in migration, in particular those unaccompanied 
minors
. [Am. 230]









ANNEX V
Core performance indicators referred to in Article 28(1)

Specific objective 1: To strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension:








-1.






All the core performance indicators listed below shall be disaggregated by sex and age. [Am. 231]











1.


Number of persons resettled with the support of the Fund.












1a.






Number of persons admitted through humanitarian admission schemes; [Am. 232]











2.


Number of persons in the reception system as compared to the number of asylum applicants.










3.


Convergence of protection recognition rates for asylum seekers from the same country.












3a.






Number of applicants for international protection transferred from one Member State to another with support of the Fund; [Am. 233]













3b.






Number of beneficiaries for international protection transferred from one Member State to another with support of the Fund; [Am. 234]







Specific objective 1a: To support legal migration to the Member States:










1.






Number of Blue Cards issued with the support of the Fund.














2.






Number of intra-corporate transferees granted that status with the support of the Fund.














3.






Number of applicants for family reunification effectively reunited with their family with the support of the Fund.














4.






Number of third-country nationals granted long-term residence permits with the support of the Fund. [Am. 235]






Specific objective 2: To support legal migration to the Member States including to contribute to the integration of third-country nationals: [Am. 236]







1.


Number of persons who participated in pre-departure measures supported by the Fund.










2.


Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund reporting that the measures were beneficial for their early integration as compared to the total number of persons who participated in the integration measures supported by the Fund. [Am. 237]













2a.






Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund who have subsequently obtained a job. [Am. 238]













2b.






Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund and who have had their qualification recognised or have obtained a diploma in one of the Member States. [Am. 239]






Specific objective 3: To contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effectiveness of return and readmission in third countries:






1.


Number of returns 
supported by the Fund
 following an order to leave compared to the number of third-country nationals ordered to leave. [Am. 240]











2.


Number of returnees who have received pre or post-return reintegration assistance co-financed by the Fund, as compared to the total number of returns supported by the Fund.






Specific objective 3a: To ensure solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility:










1.






Number of transfers of applicants for international protection carried out under Article 17b of this Regulation.














1a.






Number of transfers of beneficiaries of international protection carried out under Article 17b of this Regulation.














2.






Number of staff seconded or financial support provided to Member States subject to migration challenges.














3.






Number of persons resettled or admitted under humanitarian schemes with the support of the Fund. [Am. 241]









ANNEX VI
Types of intervention

TABLE 1: CODES FOR THE INTERVENTION FIELD DIMENSION














I.



CEAS








001


Reception conditions




002


Asylum procedures




003


Implementation of the Union acquis




004


Children in migration




005


Persons with special reception and procedural needs




006


Resettlement




007


Solidarity efforts between Member States




008


Operating support











II.



Legal migration and integration








001


Development of integration strategies




002


Victims of trafficking in human beings




003


Integration measures — information and orientation, one stop shops




004


Integration measures — language training




005


Integration measures — civics and other training




006


Integration measures — Introduction, participation, exchanges host society




007


Integration measures — basic needs




008


Pre-departure measures




009


Mobility schemes




010


Acquisition of legal residence











III.



Return








001


Alternatives to detention




002


Reception/detention conditions




003


Return procedures




004


Assisted voluntary return




005


Reintegration assistance




006


Removal/Return operations




007


Forced-return monitoring system




008


Vulnerable persons/UAMs




009


Measures addressing incentives for irregular migration




010


Operating support











IV.



Technical assistance








001


Information and communication




002


Preparation, implementation, monitoring and control




003


Evaluation and studies, data collection




004


Capacity building








TABLE 2: CODES FOR THE TYPE OF ACTION DIMENSION







001


Development of national strategies




002


Capacity building




003


Education and training for third-country nationals




004


Development of statistical tools, methods and indicators




005


Exchange of information and best practices




006


Joint actions/operations (between MS)




007


Campaigns and information




008


Exchange and secondment of experts




009


Studies, pilot projects, risk assessments




010


Preparatory, monitoring, administrative and technical activities




011


Provision of assistance and support services to TCN




012


Infrastructure




013


Equipment








TABLE 3: CODES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES DIMENSION







001


Specific action




002


Emergency assistance




003


Cooperation with third countries




004


Actions in third countries




005


Strategic Union priorities








ANNEX VII
Eligible actions for operating support
Within the specific objective to strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension, and the specific objective to contribute to countering irregular migration, ensuring effectiveness of return and readmission in third countries, operating support shall cover:






—


staff costs;










—


service costs, such as maintenance or replacement of equipment;










—


service costs, such as maintenance and repair of infrastructure.








ANNEX VIII
Output and result indicators referred to in Article 28(3)








-1.






All the core performance indicators listed below shall be disaggregated by sex and age. [Am. 242]






Specific objective 1: To strengthen and develop all aspect of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension:






1.


Number of target group persons provided with assistance with the support of the Fund:






(a)


Number of target group persons benefiting from information and assistance throughout the asylum procedures;










(b)


Number of target group persons benefiting from legal assistance and representation;










(c)


Number of vulnerable persons, victims of trafficking in human beings, and unaccompanied minors benefiting from specific assistance.














2.


Capacity (number of places) in new reception accommodation infrastructure set up in line with the common requirements for reception conditions set out in the Union acquis and of existing reception accommodation infrastructure, improved in accordance with the same requirements as a result of the projects supported by the Fund and percentage in the total reception accommodation capacity;










3.


Number of places adapted for unaccompanied minors (UAM) supported by the Fund as compared to the total number of places adapted for unaccompanied minors;










4.


Number of persons trained in asylum-related topics with the assistance of the Fund, and that number as a percentage of the total number of staff trained in those topics;










5.


Number of applicants for international protection transferred from one Member State to another with support of the Fund;










6.


Number of persons resettled with the support of the Fund.






Specific objective 1a: To support legal migration to the Member States:










1.






Number of Blue Cards issued with the support of the Fund.














2.






Number of intra-corporate transferees granted that status with the support of the Fund.














3.






Number of applicants for family reunification effectively reunited with their family with the support of the Fund.














4.






Number of third-country nationals granted long-term residence permits with the support of the Fund. [Am. 243]






Specific objective 2: To support legal migration to the Member States including to contribute to the integration of third-country nationals: [Am. 244]







1.


Number of persons who participated in pre-departure measures supported by the Fund.










2.


Number of local and regional authorities that have implemented integration measures with the support of the Fund.












2a.






Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund who have subsequently obtained a job. [Am. 245]













2b.






Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund and who have subsequently obtained a diploma in one of the Member States. [Am. 246]











3.


Number of persons who participated in measures supported by the Fund focusing on:






(a)


education and training;










(b)


labour market integration;










(c)


access to basic services; and










(d)


active participation and social inclusion.














4.


Number of persons who participated in integration measures supported by the Fund reporting that the measures were beneficial for their early integration as compared to the total number of persons who participated in the integration measures supported by the Fund;












4a.






Number of third-country nationals having completed successfully either primary, secondary or tertiary education in the Member State with the support of the Fund. [Am. 247]






Specific objective 3: To contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effectiveness of return and readmission in third countries:






1.


Number of places in detention centres created/renovated with support from the Fund, as compared to the total number of created/renovated places in detention centres.










2.


Number of persons trained on return-related topics with the assistance of the Fund.










3.


Number of returnees whose return was co-financed by the Fund as compared to the total number of returns following an order to leave:






(a)


persons who returned voluntarily;










(b)


persons who were removed.














4.


Number of returnees who have received pre or post return reintegration assistance co-financed by the Fund, as compared to the total number of returns supported by the Fund.








(a)






persons who returned voluntarily;














(b)






persons who were removed; [Am. 248]











Specific objective 3a: To ensure solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility:










1.






Number of transfers of applicants for international protection carried out under Article 17b of this Regulation.














1a.






Number of transfers of beneficiaries of international protection carried out under Article 17b of this Regulation.














2.






Number of staff seconded or financial support provided to Member States subject to migration challenges.














3.






Number of persons resettled with the support of the Fund. [Am. 249]