COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION of the TEMPORARY SCHENGEN FACILITY CROATIA
Date: 2020-05-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: Croatia, EU financial instrument, Schengen Information System, border control, external border of the EU

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.5.2020  SWD(2020) 84 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION        of the        TEMPORARY SCHENGEN FACILITY CROATIA {SWD(2020) 86 final}  
 
 
Background to the evaluation 

The  main  objective  of  this  evaluation  is  to  examine  all  outcomes,  outputs,  results  and 
impacts  resulting  from  the  implementation  of  actions  and  measures  under  the  Schengen 
Facility in Croatia, in the period between 01 July 2013 and 21 January 2017. As a temporary 
financing instrument, the  Schengen Facility ensured  EUR  120  million to  finance  actions  at 
the  new  external  borders  of  the  Union  for  the  implementation  of  the  Schengen  acquis  and 
external border control.  

Main findings  

The  Schengen  Facility  had  a  significant  positive  impact  on  strengthening  the  control  at  the 
external borders by providing the necessary equipment, information systems, and trainings to 
prepare Croatia for joining the Schengen area and it has been designed and contributed to 
the broad European Union priorities on border and internal security. 

The  objectives  of  the  Schengen  Facility  were  relevant  both  to  the  needs  of  the  EU  and 
Croatia to a large extent. There was a strong link between the needs identified in national 
strategic  documents  and  the  objectives  of  the  Indicative  Programme  2013-2014.  Relevance 
was  ensured  by  the  active  participation  of  beneficiaries  in  the  drafting  of  the  Indicative 
Programme, in  line with  existing national  strategies. The objectives  setting of the  Schengen 
Facility showed flexibility in light of newly identified needs.  

The implementation of the Schengen Facility can overall be considered as effective and 
the  majority  of  the  objectives  have  been  fully  or  largely  achieved.  Both  internal  (limited 
administrative  capacity  and  insufficient  guidance  in  the  beginning  of  the  implementation  of 
the  Schengen  Facility)  and  external  factors  (complex  procurement  procedures  and  time 
required to acquire permits) have influenced the implementation of the Schengen Facility. 

On efficiency, the results of the Schengen Facility were achieved at a reasonable cost due 
to the conducting of competitive procurement procedures. Considering the achieved savings 
and future cost reductions (e.g. surveillance systems at the green border reduced the need for 
border  patrols)  the  outcomes  of  the  Schengen  Facility  for  Croatia  represent  good  value  for 
money.  

Concerning coherence, the implementation of the Schengen Facility has been to a large 
extent complementary to the overall border control measures in Croatia. The Schengen 
Facility has been  complementary with  national actions (investments in  police infrastructure, 
but also access roads and other communal infrastructure near the border crossing points), as 
well  as  to  measures  financed  by  other  EU  instruments.  The  measures/actions  implemented 
under the Schengen Facility were internally coherent (i.e. without overlapping and very often 
with significant synergies).  

The overall effects achieved under the Schengen Facility are likely to be sustainable in the 
long-run.  At  the  same  time,  problems  have  been  identified  due  to  decreasing  national 
funding resulting in inability to maintain and upgrade the acquired equipment and the need 
for continuation of training (in particular on how to use Border Crossing Point equipment).  

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The  actions  funded  by  the  Schengen  Facility  had  a  significant  positive  impact  on 
strengthening  the  control  at  the  external  borders  by  providing  the  necessary  equipment, 
information  systems  and  skills  to  prepare  Croatia  for  joining  the  Schengen  area.  There  is  a 
very  small  likelihood  that  outcomes  (in  terms  of  both  scope  and  speed)  similar  to  the 
Schengen Facility achievements would have occurred without the EU support.  

Based on the examinations of implemented measures, the evaluation provided elements which 
could  be  taken  into  consideration  for  any  future  EU  funded  interventions  with  similar 
features. 

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