COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION Mid-term Evaluation of the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI) 2021-2027
Date: 2025-09-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU migration policy, EU visa policy, Schengen Agreement, border control, external border of the EU, fund (EU)

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.9.2025  SWD(2025) 273 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION  Mid-term Evaluation of the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI) 2021-2027 {SEC(2025) 253 final} - {SWD(2025) 272 final}  
 
 
BACKGROUND TO THE EVALUATION 

The Regulation establishing the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management 
and Visa Policy (henceforward “the BMVI”) for 2021-2027 period, was adopted on 21 July 
2021. The BMVI was established as the successor of the 2014-2020 Internal Security Fund 
–  Instrument  for  financial  support  for  external  borders  and  visa  (ISF-BV).  The  BMVI 
benefits  from  a  significantly  larger  budget,  enabling  more  comprehensive  support  to 
Member States and Schengen Associated Countries. The initial allocation was EUR 6.4 
billion,  so  doubled  compared  to  the  initial  allocation  of  EUR  2.8  billion  for  ISF-BV. 
Moreover, the BMVI was submitted to the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), which 
sets the financial and implementation rules for most EU funds in shared management. This 
new 
improving  financial 
management and easing administrative burdens. BMVI’s Thematic Facility also offered 
greater flexibility for responding to crises, such as migration surges. 

introduced  more  flexible  payments, 

legal  framework 

The  BMVI,  as  its  predecessor,  has  one  overall  policy  objective:  “to  ensure  strong  and 
effective  European  integrated  border  management  at  the  external  borders,  thereby 
contributing  to  ensuring  a  high  level  of  internal  security  within  the  Union,  while 
safeguarding  the  free  movement  of  persons  within  it  and  fully  respecting  the  relevant 
Union acquis and the international obligations of the Union and the Member States arising 
from the international instruments to which they are party.” 

This policy objective is articulated through two specific objectives: 

1.  supporting  effective  European  integrated  border  management  at  the  external 
borders,  implemented  by  the  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard  as  a  shared 
responsibility of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the national 
authorities  responsible  for  border  management,  to  facilitate  legitimate  border 
crossings, to prevent and detect illegal immigration and cross-border crime and to 
effectively manage migratory flows; 

2.  supporting the common visa policy to ensure a harmonised approach with regard 
to the issuance of visas and to facilitate legitimate travel, while helping to prevent 
migratory and security risks. 

The implementation of the programmes in shared management started with some delay, 
due to the late approval of the Member States’ programmes. Moreover, the implementation 
context was considerably impacted by several crises, notably the Russian war of aggression 
in Ukraine, the instrumentalization of migrants by Belarus, and the COVID-19 pandemic. 
These events have had an influence in the initial implementation of the Instrument. 

According to Article 28(1) of the Regulation establishing the BMVI, by 31 December 2024 
the Commission should carry out a mid-term evaluation of the Instrument to assess:  

(a)  its effectiveness, including the progress made towards the achievement of its objectives; 

(b) the efficiency of the use of resources allocated to the instrument and the efficiency of 

the management and control measures put in place to implement it; 

(c)  the continued relevance and appropriateness of the implementation measures set out in 

the Regulation; 

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(d) the coordination, coherence and complementarity between the actions supported under 

the instrument and support provided by other Union funds; 

(e)  the Union added value of actions implemented under the Instrument. 

This document sums up the results of that evaluation. In general, figures and data used for 
the analysis had 30 June 2024 as a cut-off date. Later developments are in principle not 
covered by the evaluation. 

MAIN FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNED 

Effectiveness 

At different speeds, the interventions funded have been progressing in operational terms. 
Progress  in  implementation has been slower  for the objective of supporting visa policy 
than for the support to an effective European integrated border management. This is likely 
the result of the need to address in the first place the consequences of the Russian war of 
aggression against Ukraine, in terms of border management and reception capacities.  

Following the approval of the Member States programmes by the end of 2022, information 
on the actual performance was still limited at the end of 2024, insufficient for reaching 
conclusions in terms of effectiveness. Moreover, the need for the Member States to adapt 
to  a  new  reporting  and  monitoring  framework  explains  the  still  uneven  provision  of 
performance data on the implementation of BMVI programmes. 

Efficiency 

As the information on performance is still insufficient, it is too early to carry out a full 
cost-effectiveness analysis, but there are indications that financial progress is advancing 
efficiently. At mid-term, under the BMVI programmes Member States had committed an 
amount (EUR 1.591 billion) equivalent to the whole initial allocation for 2014-2020 ISF 
BV  for  national  programmes  of  Member  States  (EUR  1.551  billion).  However, 
adjustments are still needed to fully ensure an efficient delivery of the funding and reduce 
the administrative burden that is perceived as substantial by beneficiaries and Managing 
Authorities.  

With  the  move  to  the  common  frame  for  shared  management  under  the  Common 
Provisions Regulation, there has been a shift toward a more transparent, accountable, and 
performance-oriented reporting system, addressing inefficiencies identified in the earlier 
period.  Some  beneficiaries  and  Managing  Authorities  report  that  regulatory  and 
monitoring  requirements  are  cumbersome.  However,  stakeholders  indicated  that,  the 
administrative burden should be reduced, once they adapt to new regulatory and reporting 
requirements, as well as new ways of working.  

Elements for the promotion of cost-effective practices are embedded at all levels in the 
Member States’ programmes and the Work programmes developed by the Commission for 
the  BMVI  Thematic  Facility.  In  this  context,  based  on  the  available  information  is 
premature to draw conclusions on the BMVI operational efficiency.  

Some elements may have impacted the efficiency of implementation, notably the need to 
adapt to the new legal framework, under the Common Provisions Regulation. In addition, 
there is a limitation in human resources, which remained stable as compared to the previous 

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programming period, while facing increased available funding, workload, and complexity 
of the various tasks, as well as a learning process due to new reporting mechanisms and 
tools. 

The existing possibilities to simplify and reduce the administrative workload, in the form 
of simplified cost options and IT systems for the BMVI funding management, do not seem 
to have been fully used yet and should be further implemented by Member States.  

Relevance 

The Instrument is addressing the needs it was meant to address, and it proved its capacity 
to respond to new challenges and developments in the policy area. 

There is general agreement that the Instrument has continued to address the needs reflected 
in the policy objective of the BMVI: to ensure strong and effective European integrated 
border management at the external borders (specific objective 1) and support the common 
visa policy (specific objective 2) 

The BMVI has continued to address the most important needs at national and EU level in 
the border management  and common visa policy, even when these needs have  evolved 
during  the  implementation  of  the  Instrument.  The  architecture  of  BMVI,  with  its  four 
components and its combination of management modes (shared, direct and indirect) has 
been an asset in terms of flexibility and responsiveness. 

Coherence 

The Member State programmes and the Commission Work Programmes for the Thematic 
Facility are fit for purpose and coherent with other national and EU funds. The BMVI’s 
architecture enhances internal coherence by fostering complementarity across components. 

Complementarity  and  synergies  are 
informal 
mechanisms, which could still be strengthened. This is particularly so in the case of Union 
Actions, where a higher uptake of lessons learned could possibly reinforce other elements 
of implementation. 

through  formal  and 

implemented 

The  BMVI  is  also  coherent  with,  and  therefore  supports,  the  other  elements  in  the  EU 
integrated border management and visa policy. 

There is room for reinforcing the awareness of stakeholders regarding the coherence and 
complementarity of the three funds in the area of home affairs (AMIF, ISF and BMVI). 
This should contribute optimising the achievement of the respective policy objectives in 
the interrelated areas of border management, migration and security. 

As far as coherence with external spending programmes is concerned, notably the NDICI, 
enhanced cooperation and coordination on programming both between the Commission 
services  and  with  EU  Member  States  are  needed.  There  are  several  challenges  in  the 
current funding architecture that should be addressed, including notably: the insufficient 
alignment of the Union’s external migration and security funding with the Union policies 
in these areas; the persistent challenge to use all existing (policy, funding, investment and 
other) tools, both at the disposal of the EU and its Member States, in a Team Europe spirit, 
to use strategically and timely  leverage in relation to partner countries in order to improve 
cooperation on migration and security; the limitations for funding migration- and security-

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related actions in third countries, given that most of spending in the external dimension 
must comply with the criteria for development assistance1 eligibility. 

Finally,  the  evaluation  shows  that  there  is  room  for  reinforcing  the  potential  of  BMVI 
funding to increase the uptake of innovative technological solutions, developed with EU 
research funding (Horizon Europe) at the level of EU and national programmes. 

EU added value 

Member States are not excessively dependent on EU funding. National resources continue 
to  play  a  key  role,  with  BMVI  serving  as  a  complementary  source  of  funding.  The 
assessment of the EU added value of BMVI reveals significant contributions across various 
dimensions.  

The  BMVI’s  added  value  lies  in  its  ability  to  support  projects  extending  beyond  the 
financial and operational capacities of individual Member States. By fostering cooperation, 
ensuring compliance with EU standards, and complementing the effort from the national 
budget, it significantly enhances the EU’s collective border management and visa policy 
framework. 

1 Official development assistance eligibility criteria is set by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and 

Development. 

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