Article 1 Purpose and scope
1. This Regulation establishes the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (‘the Fund’) for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020. 2. This Regulation lays down: (a) the objectives of financial support and the eligible actions; (b) the general framework for the implementation of eligible actions; (c) the available financial resources and their distribution; (d) the principles and mechanism for the establishment of common Union resettlement priorities; and (e) the financial assistance provided for the activities of the European Migration Network. 3. This Regulation provides for the application of the rules set out in Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, without prejudice to Article 4 of this Regulation.
Article 2 Definitions
For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (a) ‘resettlement’ means the process whereby, on a request from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (‘UNHCR’) based on a person’s need for international protection, third-country nationals are transferred from a third country and established in a Member State where they are permitted to reside with one of the following statuses: (i) ‘refugee status’ within the meaning of point (e) of Article 2 of Directive 2011/95/EU; (ii) ‘subsidiary protection status’ within the meaning of point (g) of Article 2 of Directive 2011/95/EU; or (iii) any other status which offers similar rights and benefits under national and Union law as those referred to in points (i) and (ii); (b) ‘other humanitarian admission programmes’ means an ad hoc process whereby a Member State admits a number of third-country nationals to stay on its territory for a temporary period of time in order to protect them from urgent humanitarian crises due to events such as political developments or conflicts; (c) ‘international protection’ means refugee status and subsidiary protection status within the meaning of Directive 2011/95/EU; (d) ‘return’ means the process of a third-country national going back, whether in voluntary compliance with an obligation to return or enforced, as defined in Article 3 of Directive 2008/115/EC; (e) ‘third-country national’ means any person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20(1) TFEU. Reference to third-country nationals shall be understood to include stateless persons and persons with undetermined nationality; (f) ‘removal’ means the enforcement of the obligation to return, namely the physical transportation out of the Member State, as defined in Article 3 of Directive 2008/115/EC; (g) ‘voluntary departure’ means compliance with the obligation to return within the time-limit fixed for that purpose in the return decision, as defined in Article 3 of Directive 2008/115/EC; (h) ‘unaccompanied minor’ means a third-country national below the age of 18 years, who arrives or arrived on the territory of a Member State unaccompanied by an adult responsible for him/her whether by law or the national practice of the Member State concerned, and for as long as he/she is not effectively taken into the care of such a person; it includes a minor who is left unaccompanied after he/she entered the territory of a Member State; (i) ‘vulnerable person’ means any third-country national who complies with the definition under Union law relevant to the policy area of action supported under the Fund; (j) ‘family member’ means any third-country national who complies with the definition under Union law relevant to the policy area of action supported under the Fund; (k) ‘emergency situation’ means a situation resulting from: (i) heavy migratory pressure in one or more Member States characterised by a large and disproportionate inflow of third-country nationals, which places significant and urgent demands on their reception and detention facilities, asylum systems and procedures; (ii) the implementation of temporary protection mechanisms within the meaning of Directive 2001/55/EC; or (iii) heavy migratory pressure in third countries where refugees are stranded due to events such as political developments or conflicts.
Article 3 Objectives
1. The general objective of the Fund shall be to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and to the implementation, strengthening and development of the common policy on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection and the common immigration policy, while fully respecting the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 2. Within its general objective, the Fund shall contribute to the following common specific objectives: (a) to strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension; (b) to support legal migration to the Member States in accordance with their economic and social needs, such as labour market needs, while safeguarding the integrity of the immigration systems of Member States, and to promote the effective integration of third-country nationals; (c) to enhance fair and effective return strategies in the Member States which contribute to combating illegal immigration, with an emphasis on sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin and transit; (d) to enhance solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows, including through practical cooperation. The achievement of the specific objectives of the Fund shall be evaluated in accordance with Article 55(2) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 using common indicators as set out in Annex IV to this Regulation and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes. 3. Measures taken to achieve the objectives referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be fully coherent with measures supported through the external financing instruments of the Union and with the principles and general objectives of the Union’s external action. 4. The objectives referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be achieved with due regard to the principles and objectives of the Union’s humanitarian policy. Consistency with the measures funded by the Union’s external financing instruments shall be ensured in accordance with Article 24.
Article 4 Partnership
For the purposes of the Fund, the partnership referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 shall include relevant international organisations, non-governmental organisations and social partners.
Article 5 Reception and asylum systems
1. Within the specific objective laid down in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes laid down in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall support actions focusing on one or more of the following categories of third-country nationals: (a) those who enjoy refugee status or subsidiary protection status within the meaning of Directive 2011/95/EU; (b) those who have applied for one of the forms of international protection referred to in point (a) and have not yet received a final decision; (c) those who enjoy temporary protection within the meaning of Directive 2001/55/EC; (d) those who are being or have been resettled in or transferred from a Member State. As regards reception conditions and asylum procedures, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions focusing on the categories of persons referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph: (a) the provision of material aid, including assistance at the border, education, training, support services, health and psychological care; (b) the provision of support services such as translation and interpretation, education, training, including language training, and other initiatives which are consistent with the status of the person concerned; (c) the setting-up and improvement of administrative structures, systems and training for staff and relevant authorities to ensure effective and easy access to asylum procedures for asylum seekers and efficient and high-quality asylum procedures, in particular, where necessary, to support the development of the Union acquis ; (d) the provision of social assistance, information or help with administrative and/or judicial formalities and information or counselling on the possible outcomes of the asylum procedure, including on aspects such as return procedures; (e) the provision of legal assistance and representation; (f) the identification of vulnerable groups and specific assistance for vulnerable persons, in particular in accordance with points (a) to (e); (g) the establishment, development and improvement of alternative measures to detention. Where deemed appropriate, and where the national programme of a Member State provides for them, the Fund may also support integration-related measures, such as those referred to in Article 9(1), concerning the reception of persons referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph. 2. Within the specific objective defined in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2), and in line with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19, as regards accommodation infrastructure and reception systems, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions: (a) the improvement and maintenance of existing accommodation infrastructure and services; (b) the strengthening and improvement of administrative structures and systems; (c) information for local communities; (d) the training of the staff of authorities, including local authorities, who will be interacting with the persons referred to in paragraph 1 in the context of their reception; (e) the establishment, running and development of new accommodation infrastructure and services, as well as administrative structures and systems, in particular, where necessary, to address the structural needs of Member States. 3. Within the specific objectives laid down in points (a) and (d) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2), and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19, the Fund shall also support actions similar to those listed in paragraph 1 of this Article, where such actions are related to persons who are temporarily staying: — in transit and processing centres for refugees, in particular to support resettlement operations in cooperation with the UNHCR, or — on the territory of a Member State in the context of other humanitarian admission programmes.
Article 6 Member States’ capacity to develop, monitor and evaluate their asylum policies and procedures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, as regards actions relating to the enhancement of Member States’ capacity to develop, monitor and evaluate their asylum policies and procedures, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions: (a) actions enhancing the capacity of Member States — including in relation to the mechanism for early warning, preparedness and crisis management established in Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 19 ) — to collect, analyse and disseminate qualitative and quantitative data and statistics on asylum procedures, reception capacities, resettlement and the transfer of applicants for and/or beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another; (b) actions enhancing the capacity of Member States to collect, analyse and disseminate country-of-origin information; (c) actions directly contributing to the evaluation of asylum policies, such as national impact assessments, surveys amongst target groups and other relevant stakeholders, and to the development of indicators and benchmarking.
Article 7 Resettlement, transfer of applicants for, and beneficiaries of, international protection and other ad hoc humanitarian admission
1. Within the specific objective laid down in points (a) and (d) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions related to resettlement of any third country national who is being resettled or has been resettled in a Member State, and other humanitarian admission programmes: (a) the establishment and development of national resettlement programmes and strategies and other humanitarian admission programmes, including needs analysis, improvement of indicators and evaluation; (b) the establishment of appropriate infrastructure and services to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of resettlement actions and actions concerning other humanitarian admission programmes, including language assistance; (c) the setting up of structures, systems and training of staff to conduct missions to the third countries and/or other Member States, to carry out interviews and to conduct medical and security screening; (d) the assessment of potential resettlement cases and/or cases of other humanitarian admission by the competent Member States’ authorities, such as conducting missions to the third country, carrying out interviews and conducting medical and security screening; (e) pre-departure health assessment and medical treatment, pre-departure material provisions, pre-departure information and integration measures and travel arrangements, including the provision of medical escort services; (f) information and assistance upon arrival or shortly thereafter, including interpretation services; (g) actions for family reunification purposes for persons being resettled in a Member State; (h) the strengthening of infrastructure and services relevant to migration and asylum in the countries designated for the implementation of Regional Protection Programmes; (i) creating conditions conducive to the integration, autonomy and self-reliance of resettled refugees on a long-term basis. 2. Within the specific objective laid down in point (d) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of the Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall also support actions similar to those listed in paragraph 1 of this Article, where deemed appropriate in the light of policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund or where the national programme of a Member State makes such provisions, in relation to the transfer of applicants for and/or beneficiaries of international protection. Such operations shall be carried out with their consent from the Member State which granted them international protection or is responsible for examining their application to another interested Member State where they will be granted equivalent protection or where their application for international protection will be examined.
Article 8 Immigration and pre-departure measures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall support actions taking place in a third country which focus on third-country nationals who comply with specific pre-departure measures and/or conditions set out in national law and in accordance with Union law where applicable, including those relating to the ability to integrate in the society of a Member State. In this context, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions: (a) information packages and campaigns to raise awareness and promote intercultural dialogue, including via user-friendly communication and information technology and websites; (b) the assessment of skills and qualifications, as well as enhancement of transparency and compatibility of skills and qualifications in a third country with those of a Member State; (c) training enhancing employability in a Member State; (d) comprehensive civic orientation courses and language tuition; (e) assistance in the context of applications for family reunification within the meaning of Council Directive 2003/86/EC ( 20 ) .
Article 9 Integration measures
1. Within the specific objective laid down in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall support actions which take place in the framework of consistent strategies, taking into account the integration needs of third-country nationals at local and/or regional level. In this context, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions focusing on third-country nationals who are residing legally in a Member State or, where appropriate, who are in the process of acquiring legal residence in a Member State: (a) setting up and developing such integration strategies with the participation of local or regional actors, where appropriate, including needs analysis, the improvement of integration indicators, and evaluation, including participatory assessments, in order to identify best practices; (b) providing advice and assistance in areas such as housing, means of subsistence, administrative and legal guidance, health, psychological and social care, child care and family reunification; (c) actions introducing third-country nationals to the receiving society and actions enabling them to adapt to it, to inform them about their rights and obligations, to participate in civil and cultural life and to share the values enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; (d) measures focusing on education and training, including language training and preparatory actions to facilitate access to the labour market; (e) actions designed to promote self-empowerment and to enable third-country nationals to provide for themselves; (f) actions that promote meaningful contact and constructive dialogue between third-country nationals and the receiving society, and actions to promote acceptance by the receiving society, including through the involvement of the media; (g) actions promoting both equality of access and equality of outcomes in relation to third-country nationals’ dealings with public and private services, including adaptation of those services to dealing with third-country nationals; (h) capacity-building of beneficiaries, as defined in point (g) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, including through exchanges of experience and best practices, and networking. 2. The actions referred to in paragraph 1 shall, wherever necessary, take into account the specific needs of different categories of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of international protection, resettled or transferred persons and, in particular, vulnerable persons. 3. National programmes may allow for the inclusion in the actions referred to in paragraph 1 of immediate relatives of persons covered by the target group referred to in that paragraph, to the extent that it is necessary for the effective implementation of such actions. 4. For the purpose of programming and implementation of the actions referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the partnership referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 shall include the authorities designated by Member States for the purpose of the management of the interventions of the European Social Fund.
Article 10 Practical cooperation and capacity-building measures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of the Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, the Fund shall support actions focusing on one or more of the following: (a) building up strategies promoting legal migration with a view to facilitating the development and implementation of flexible admission procedures; (b) supporting cooperation between third countries and the recruitment agencies, the employment services and the immigration services of Member States, as well as supporting Member States in their implementation of Union migration law, consultation processes with relevant stakeholders and expert advice or information exchanges on approaches which target specific nationalities or categories of third-country nationals with respect to the needs of the labour markets; (c) reinforcing the capacity of Member States to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate their immigration strategies, policies and measures across the different levels and departments of administrations, in particular enhancing their capacity to collect, analyse and disseminate detailed and systematic data and statistics on migration procedures and flows and residence permits, and develop monitoring tools, evaluation schemes, indicators and benchmarking for measuring the achievement of those strategies; (d) training of beneficiaries as defined in point (g) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and of staff providing public and private services, including educational institutions, promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, cooperation and networking, and intercultural capacities, as well as improving the quality of services provided; (e) building sustainable organisational structures for integration and diversity management, in particular through cooperation between different stakeholders enabling officials at various levels of national administrations to swiftly acquire information about experiences and best practices elsewhere and, where possible, to pool resources between relevant authorities as well as between governmental and non-governmental bodies to provide services to third-country nationals more effectively, inter alia, through one-stop-shops (i.e. coordinated integration-support centres); (f) contributing to a dynamic two-way process of mutual interaction, underlying integration strategies at local and regional level by developing platforms for the consultation of third-country nationals, exchanges of information among stakeholders and intercultural and religious dialogue platforms between third-country nationals’ communities, between those communities and the receiving society and/or between those communities and policy and decision-making authorities; (g) actions to promote and reinforce the practical cooperation between the relevant authorities of Member States, with a focus on, inter alia, exchanges of information, best practices and strategies, and the development and implementation of joint actions, including with a view to safeguarding the integrity of the immigration systems of Member States.
Article 11 Measures accompanying return procedures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, as regards measures accompanying return procedures, the Fund shall focus on one or more of the following categories of third-country nationals: (a) third-country nationals who have not yet received a final negative decision in relation to their request to stay, their legal residence and/or international protection in a Member State, and who may choose to make use of voluntary return; (b) third-country nationals enjoying the right to stay, legal residence and/or international protection within the meaning of Directive 2011/95/EU, or temporary protection within the meaning of Directive 2001/55/EC in a Member State, and who have chosen to make use of voluntary return; (c) third-country nationals who are present in a Member State and do not or no longer fulfil the conditions for entry and/or stay in a Member State, including those third-country nationals whose removal has been postponed in accordance with Article 9 and Article 14(1) of Directive 2008/115/EC. In this context, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions focusing on the categories of persons referred to in the first subparagraph: (a) the introduction, development and improvement of alternative measures to detention; (b) the provision of social assistance, information or help with administrative and/or judicial formalities and information or counselling; (c) the provision of legal aid and language assistance; (d) specific assistance for vulnerable persons; (e) the introduction and improvement of independent and effective systems for monitoring enforced return, as laid down in Article 8(6) of Directive 2008/115/EC; (f) the establishment, maintenance and improvement of accommodation, reception or detention infrastructure, services and conditions; (g) the setting-up of administrative structures and systems, including IT tools; (h) the training of staff to ensure smooth and effective return procedures, including their management and implementation.
Article 12 Return measures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, as regards return measures the Fund shall support actions focusing on the persons referred to in Article 11 of this Regulation. In this context, the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions: (a) measures necessary for the preparation of return operations, such as those leading to the identification of third-country nationals, to the issuing of travel documents and to family tracing; (b) cooperation with the consular authorities and immigration services of third countries with a view to obtaining travel documents, facilitating repatriation and ensuring readmission; (c) assisted voluntary return measures, including medical examinations and assistance, travel arrangements, financial contributions and pre- and post-return counselling and assistance; (d) removal operations, including related measures, in accordance with the standards laid down in Union law, with the exception of coercive equipment; (e) measures to launch the progress of reintegration for the returnee’s personal development, such as cash-incentives, training, placement and employment assistance and start-up support for economic activities; (f) facilities and services in third countries ensuring appropriate temporary accommodation and reception upon arrival; (g) specific assistance for vulnerable persons.
Article 13 Practical cooperation and capacity-building measures
Within the specific objective laid down in point (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of this Regulation, in the light of the outcome of the policy dialogue as provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and in accordance with the objectives of the national programmes defined in Article 19 of this Regulation, as regards practical cooperation and capacity-building measures the Fund shall support, in particular, the following actions: (a) actions to promote, develop and reinforce operational cooperation and information exchange between the return services and other authorities of Member States involved in return, including as regards cooperation with the consular authorities and immigration services of third countries and joint return operations; (b) actions to support cooperation between third countries and the return services of Member States, including measures aiming to strengthen third countries’ capacities to conduct readmission and reintegration activities, in particular in the framework of readmission agreements; (c) actions enhancing the capacity to develop effective and sustainable return policies, in particular by exchanging information on the situation in countries of return, best practices, sharing experiences and pooling resources between Member States; (d) actions enhancing the capacity to collect, analyse and disseminate detailed and systematic data and statistics on return procedures and measures, reception and detention capacities, enforced and voluntary returns, monitoring and reintegration; (e) actions directly contributing to the evaluation of return policies, such as national impact assessments, surveys amongst target groups, the development of indicators and benchmarking; (f) information measures and campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of the appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration.
Article 14 Global resources and implementation
1. The global resources for the implementation of this Regulation shall be EUR 3 137 million in current prices. 2. The annual appropriations for the Fund shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework. 3. The global resources shall be implemented through the following means: (a) national programmes, in accordance with Article 19; (b) Union actions, in accordance with Article 20; (c) emergency assistance, in accordance with Article 21; (d) the European Migration Network, in accordance with Article 22; (e) technical assistance, in accordance with Article 23. 4. The budget allocated under this Regulation to Union actions referred to in Article 20 of this Regulation, to the emergency assistance referred to in Article 21 of this Regulation, to the European Migration Network referred to in Article 22 of this Regulation and to the technical assistance referred to in Article 23 of this Regulation shall be implemented under direct management in accordance with point (a) of Article 58(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 and, where appropriate, under indirect management in accordance with point (c) of Article 58(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. The budget allocated to national programmes referred to in Article 19 of this Regulation shall be implemented under shared management in accordance with point (b) of Article 58(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. 5. The Commission shall remain responsible for the implementation of the Union budget in accordance with Article 317 TFEU and shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of the operations carried out by entities other than Member States. 6. Without prejudice to the prerogatives of the European Parliament and of the Council, the prime reference financial envelope shall be used indicatively as follows: (a) EUR 2 752 million for national programmes of Member States; (b) EUR 385 million for Union actions, emergency assistance, the European Migration Network and technical assistance of the Commission, of which at least 30 % shall be used for Union actions and the European Migration Network.
Article 15 Resources for eligible actions in the Member States
1. The amount of EUR 2 752 million shall be allocated to the Member States indicatively as follows: (a) EUR 2 392 million shall be allocated as indicated in Annex I. Member States shall allocate at least 20 % of those resources to the specific objective referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2), and at least 20 % to the specific objective referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2). Member States may depart from those minimum percentages only where a detailed explanation is included in the national programme as to why allocating resources below this level does not jeopardise the achievement of the objective. As far as the specific objective referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) is concerned, those Member States faced with structural deficiencies in the area of accommodation, infrastructure and services shall not fall below the minimum percentage laid down in this Regulation; (b) EUR 360 million shall be allocated on the basis of the distribution mechanism for specific actions as referred to in Article 16, for the Union Resettlement Programme as referred to Article 17, and for the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another as referred to in Article 18. 2. The amount referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 shall support: (a) specific actions listed in Annex II; (b) the Union Resettlement Programme in accordance with Article 17 and/or transfers of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another in accordance with Article 18. 3. In the event that an amount remains available under point (b) of paragraph 1 of this Article or that another amount is available, it will be allocated in the framework of the mid-term review laid down in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 pro-rata to the basic amounts for national programmes established in Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 16 Resources for specific actions
1. An additional amount as referred to in point (a) of Article 15(2) may be allocated to the Member States, provided that it is earmarked as such in the programme and that it is used to implement the specific actions listed in Annex II. 2. To take into account new policy developments, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 of this Regulation to revise Annex II in the context of the mid-term review referred to in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. On the basis of the revised list of specific actions, Member States may receive an additional amount as laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article, subject to available resources. 3. The additional amounts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be allocated to the Member States in the individual financing decisions approving or revising their national programmes in the context of the mid-term review according to the procedure laid down in Articles 14 and 15 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. Those amounts shall only be used for the implementation of the specific actions listed in Annex II to this Regulation.
Article 17 Resources for the Union Resettlement Programme
1. Member States shall, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 15(1), receive every two years an additional amount as set out in point (b) of Article 15(2) based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each resettled person. 2. The lump sum referred to in paragraph 1 shall be increased to EUR 10 000 for each person resettled in accordance with the common Union resettlement priorities established pursuant to paragraph 3 and listed in Annex III and for each vulnerable person as laid down in paragraph 5. 3. The common Union resettlement priorities shall be based on the following general categories of persons: (a) persons from a country or region designated for the implementation of a Regional Protection Programme; (b) persons from a country or region which has been identified in the UNHCR resettlement forecast and where Union common action would have a significant impact on addressing the protection needs; (c) persons belonging to a specific category falling within the UNHCR resettlement criteria. 4. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 to amend Annex III, on the basis of the general categories set out in paragraph 3 of this Article, where there is a clear justification for doing so or in the light of any recommendations from the UNHCR. 5. The following vulnerable groups of persons shall also qualify for the lump sum provided for in paragraph 2: (a) women and children at risk; (b) unaccompanied minors; (c) persons having medical needs that can be addressed only through resettlement; (d) persons in need of emergency resettlement or urgent resettlement for legal or physical protection needs, including victims of violence or torture. 6. Where a Member State resettles a person belonging to more than one of the categories referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, it shall receive the lump sum for that person only once. 7. Where appropriate, Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons referred to in paragraphs 1, 3 and 5, provided that those family members have been resettled in accordance with this Regulation. 8. The Commission shall establish, by way of implementing acts, the timetable and other implementation conditions related to the allocation mechanism of resources for the Union Resettlement Programme. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 27(2). 9. The additional amounts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be allocated to the Member States every two years, for the first time in the individual financing decisions approving their national programme in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, and later in a financing decision to be annexed to the decisions approving their national programme. Those amounts shall not be transferred to other actions under the national programme. 10. To effectively pursue the objectives of the Union Resettlement Programme and within the limits of available resources, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 to adjust, if deemed appropriate, the lump sums referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, in particular 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 sums.
Article 18 Resources for the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection
1. With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility and in the light of Union policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund, Member States shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 15(1), an additional amount as set out in point (b) of Article 15(2) based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each 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 of this Article shall be allocated to the Member States for the first time in the individual financing decisions approving their national programme in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and later in a financing decision to be annexed to the decision approving their national programme. Those amounts shall not be transferred to other actions under the national programme. 4. To effectively pursue the objectives of solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States referred to in Article 80 TFEU, and within the limits of available resources, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 of this Regulation to adjust the lump sum referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, in particular taking into account the current rates of inflation, relevant developments in the field of transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another, as well as factors which can optimise the use of the financial incentive brought by the lump sums.
Amendment rationale: CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL Reasons for and objectives of the proposal To support the implementation of the Council Decisions establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece 1 and of the Council Decision on legal admission from Turkey 2 , funding was committed to Member States' national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The two Council Decisions 3 have enabled the effective relocation of 34,705 applicants in need of international protection from Greece and Italy and the legal admission of 5,345 persons in need of international protection from Turkey. The timeframe and the applicability of these decisions have now come to an end. Out of the EUR 843 million committed in the course of 2016 to Member States' national programmes under AMIF, approximately EUR 567 million is still available. According to the decommitment rule set out in the Regulation laying down general provisions for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 4 , payments should be made on these commitments by the end of 2018, after which the funding will no longer be available for Member States' use under their Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund national programmes. In the light of discussions with the European Parliament and the Council in the course of 2018, the Commission proposes technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 516/2014 5 , to enable Member States to use the remaining committed funds to address Union priorities in the area of migration, including carrying out relocation after the end of the Council Decisions. The proposal would also enlarge the target group eligible for relocation under the current AMIF, namely the beneficiaries of international protection, in order to include also the transfer of applicants for international protection (as was the case in the aforementioned Council Decisions). With this amendment, Member States will be in the position to continue showing solidarity when implementing transfer decisions in practice. Moreover, this proposal would provide Member States with the possibility to use this funding for other actions defined in the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund Regulation, in addition to relocation and resettlement, when duly justified in the national programmes, which will need to be revised for that purpose 6 . T he mid-term review of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund has confirmed that Member States are confronted with varied and significant needs in the areas of asylum, integration and return. The proposal enables Member States to re-commit or transfer amounts within national programmes, by means of revisions of the national programme. The proposal also extends the deadline for decommitment of the remaining amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 by a maximum of six months, so as to ensure that Member States will have sufficient time to revise the national programmes in order to make the changes related to possible re-commitments or transfers of funding. To this effect, it is proposed to derogate from Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 7 . Furthermore, the proposal also contains a provision extending the deadline for the use of the funding concerned, by two additional years following the approval of the revisions of the national programmes by the Commission, to give Member States sufficient time to implement the actions to which the funding will be re-committed or transferred. In order for the amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 to remain available in the Member States' national programmes to support relocation and other Union's priorities in the area of migration and asylum, and for these not to be decommitted, it is essential that the proposed technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 are adopted and enter into force before the end of 2018.
Revised version (Article 18 Resources for the transfer of applicants for international protection or of beneficiaries of international protection):
1. With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility and in the light of Union policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund, Member States shall receive, in addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 15(1), an additional amount as set out in point (b) of Article 15(2) based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 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 of this Article shall be allocated to the Member States for the first time in the individual financing decisions approving their national programme in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 and later in a financing decision to be annexed to the decision approving their national programme. Recommitments of those amounts to the same action under the national programme or transfers of those amounts to other actions under the national programme shall be possible where duly justified in the revision of the relevant national programme. An amount may only be recommitted or transferred once. The Commission shall approve the recommitment or transfer through the revision of the national programme. In respect of amounts stemming from the provisional measures established by Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 ( 3 ) and (EU) 2015/1601 ( 4 ), with a view to enhancing solidarity and in accordance with Article 80 TFEU, Member States shall allocate at least 20 % of those amounts to actions under the national programmes for the transfer of applicants for international protection or of beneficiaries of international protection, for resettlement or other ad hoc humanitarian admissions, as well as for preparatory measures for the transfer of applicants for international protection following their arrival in the Union, including arrival by sea, or for the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection. Such measures shall not include any measures related to detention. Where a Member State recommits or transfers resources below that minimum percentage, it shall not be possible to transfer the difference between the recommitted or transferred amount and the minimum percentage to other actions under the national programme. 3a. For the purpose of Article 50(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, where amounts stemming from the provisional measures established by Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 are recommitted to the same action under the national programme or transferred to other actions under the national programme in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article, the amounts concerned shall be considered to have been committed in the year of the revision of the national programme that approves the recommitment or transfer in question. 3b. By way of derogation from Article 50(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, the deadline for the decommitment of the amounts referred to in paragraph 3a of this Article shall be extended by a period of six months. 3c. The Commission shall report annually to the European Parliament and to the Council on the application of this Article. 4. To effectively pursue the objectives of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States referred to in Article 80 TFEU, and within the limits of available resources, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 of this Regulation to adjust the lump sum referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, taking into account in particular 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 sums.
Article 19 National programmes
1. Under the national programmes to be examined and approved in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, Member States shall, within the objectives laid down in Article 3 of this Regulation, and taking account of the outcome of the policy dialogue referred to in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, pursue in particular the following objectives: (a) strengthening the establishment of the Common European Asylum System by ensuring the efficient and uniform application of the Union acquis on asylum and the proper functioning of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013. Such actions may also include the establishment and development of the Union Resettlement Programme; (b) setting up and developing integration strategies, encompassing different aspects of the two-way dynamic process, to be implemented at national/local/regional level where appropriate, taking into account the integration needs of third-country nationals at local/regional level, addressing specific needs of different categories of migrants and developing effective partnerships between relevant stakeholders; (c) developing a return programme, which includes a component on assisted voluntary return and, where appropriate, on reintegration. 2. Member States shall ensure that all actions supported under the Fund shall be implemented in full compliance with fundamental rights and respect for human dignity. In particular, such actions shall fully respect the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 3. Subject to the requirement to pursue the above objectives and taking into account their individual circumstances, Member States shall aim to achieve a fair and transparent distribution of resources among the specific objectives set out in Article 3(2).
Article 20 Union actions
1. At the Commission’s initiative, the Fund may be used to finance transnational actions or actions of particular interest to the Union (‘Union actions’), concerning the general and specific objectives referred to in Article 3. 2. To be eligible for funding, Union actions shall, in particular, support: (a) the furthering of Union cooperation in implementing Union law and in sharing best practices in the field of asylum, notably on resettlement and the transfer of applicants for and/or beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another, including through networking and exchanging information, on legal migration, on integration of third-country nationals, including arrival support and coordination activities to promote resettlement with the local communities that are to welcome resettled refugees, and on return; (b) the setting-up of transnational cooperation networks and pilot projects, including innovative projects, based on transnational partnerships between bodies located in two or more Member States designed to stimulate innovation and to facilitate exchanges of experiences and best practices; (c) studies and research on possible new forms of Union cooperation in the field of asylum, immigration, integration and return and relevant Union law, the dissemination and exchange of information on best practices and on all other aspects of asylum, immigration, integration and return policies, including corporate communication on the political priorities of the Union; (d) the development and application by Member States of common statistical tools, methods and indicators for measuring policy developments in the field of asylum, legal migration and integration and return; (e) preparatory, monitoring, administrative and technical support and the development of an evaluation mechanism required to implement the policies on asylum and immigration; (f) cooperation with third countries on the basis of the Union’s Global Approach to Migration and Mobility, in particular in the framework of the implementation of readmission agreements, Mobility Partnerships and Regional Protection Programmes; (g) information measures and campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration. 3. Union actions shall be implemented in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. 4. The Commission shall ensure a fair and transparent distribution of resources among the objectives referred to in Article 3(2).
Article 21 Emergency assistance
1. The Fund shall provide financial assistance to address urgent and specific needs in the event of an emergency situation, as defined in point (k) of Article 2. 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. 2. Emergency assistance shall be implemented in accordance with Articles 6 and 7 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014.
Article 22 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 the procedure referred to in point (a) of Article 4(5) of Decision 2008/381/EC. The decision of the Commission shall constitute a financing decision pursuant to Article 84 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. 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 public contracts as appropriate, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012. The assistance shall ensure appropriate and timely financial support to those National Contact Points. Costs incurred for the implementation of actions of those National Contact Points supported through grants awarded in 2014 may be eligible from 1 January 2014. 4. Decision 2008/381/EC is amended as follows: (a) point (a) of Article 4(5) is replaced by the following: ‘(a) prepare and approve the draft work programme of activities, notably with regard to the objectives, thematic priorities and indicative amounts of the budget for each National Contact Point to ensure the proper functioning of the EMN, on the basis of a draft from the Chair;’; (b) Article 6 is amended as follows: (i) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: ‘4. The Commission shall monitor the execution of the work programme of activities and regularly report on its execution and on the development of the EMN to the Steering Board.’; (ii) paragraphs 5 to 8 are deleted; (c) Article 11 is deleted; (d) Article 12 is deleted.
Article 23 Technical assistance
1. At the initiative and/or on behalf of the Commission, up to EUR 2,5 million of the Fund shall be annually used for technical assistance in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. 2. At the initiative of a Member State, the Fund may finance technical assistance activities, in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. The amount set aside for technical assistance shall not exceed, for the period 2014-2020, 5,5 % of the total amount allocated to a Member State plus EUR 1 000 000.
Article 24 Coordination
The Commission and the Member States, together with the European External Action Service where appropriate, shall ensure that actions in and in relation to third countries are taken in synergy and in coherence with other actions outside the Union supported through Union instruments. They shall, in particular, ensure that those actions: (a) are coherent with the Union’s external policy, respect the principle of policy coherence for development and are consistent with the strategic programming documents for the region or country in question; (b) focus on non-development-oriented measures; (c) serve the interests of the Union’s internal policies and are consistent with activities undertaken inside the Union.
Article 25 Specific provisions concerning lump sums for resettlement and transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another
By way of derogation from the rules on the eligibility of expenditure laid down in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, in particular as regards the lump sums and flat rates, the lump sums allocated to the Member States for resettlement and/or the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another pursuant to this Regulation shall be: (a) exempt from the obligation that they are to be based on statistical or historic data; and (b) granted provided that the person in respect of whom the lump sum is allocated was effectively resettled and/or transferred in accordance with this Regulation.
Amendment rationale: CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL Reasons for and objectives of the proposal To support the implementation of the Council Decisions establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece 1 and of the Council Decision on legal admission from Turkey 2 , funding was committed to Member States' national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The two Council Decisions 3 have enabled the effective relocation of 34,705 applicants in need of international protection from Greece and Italy and the legal admission of 5,345 persons in need of international protection from Turkey. The timeframe and the applicability of these decisions have now come to an end. Out of the EUR 843 million committed in the course of 2016 to Member States' national programmes under AMIF, approximately EUR 567 million is still available. According to the decommitment rule set out in the Regulation laying down general provisions for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 4 , payments should be made on these commitments by the end of 2018, after which the funding will no longer be available for Member States' use under their Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund national programmes. In the light of discussions with the European Parliament and the Council in the course of 2018, the Commission proposes technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 516/2014 5 , to enable Member States to use the remaining committed funds to address Union priorities in the area of migration, including carrying out relocation after the end of the Council Decisions. The proposal would also enlarge the target group eligible for relocation under the current AMIF, namely the beneficiaries of international protection, in order to include also the transfer of applicants for international protection (as was the case in the aforementioned Council Decisions). With this amendment, Member States will be in the position to continue showing solidarity when implementing transfer decisions in practice. Moreover, this proposal would provide Member States with the possibility to use this funding for other actions defined in the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund Regulation, in addition to relocation and resettlement, when duly justified in the national programmes, which will need to be revised for that purpose 6 . T he mid-term review of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund has confirmed that Member States are confronted with varied and significant needs in the areas of asylum, integration and return. The proposal enables Member States to re-commit or transfer amounts within national programmes, by means of revisions of the national programme. The proposal also extends the deadline for decommitment of the remaining amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 by a maximum of six months, so as to ensure that Member States will have sufficient time to revise the national programmes in order to make the changes related to possible re-commitments or transfers of funding. To this effect, it is proposed to derogate from Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 7 . Furthermore, the proposal also contains a provision extending the deadline for the use of the funding concerned, by two additional years following the approval of the revisions of the national programmes by the Commission, to give Member States sufficient time to implement the actions to which the funding will be re-committed or transferred. In order for the amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 to remain available in the Member States' national programmes to support relocation and other Union's priorities in the area of migration and asylum, and for these not to be decommitted, it is essential that the proposed technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 are adopted and enter into force before the end of 2018.
Revised version (Article 25 Specific provisions concerning lump sums for resettlement and transfer of applicants for international protection or of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another):
By way of derogation from the rules on the eligibility of expenditure laid down in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014, in particular as regards the lump sums and flat rates, the lump sums allocated to the Member States for resettlement and/or the transfer of applicants for international protection or of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another pursuant to this Regulation shall be: (a) exempt from the obligation that they are to be based on statistical or historic data; and (b) granted provided that the person in respect of whom the lump sum is allocated was effectively resettled and/or transferred in accordance with this Regulation.
Article 26 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 Article 16(2), Article 17(4) and (10) and Article 18(4) shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of seven years from 21 May 2014. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the seven-year period. The delegation of powers shall be tacitly extended for a period of three years, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of the seven-year period. 3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 16(2), Article 17(4) and (10) and Article 18(4) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke 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. 4. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. 5. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 16(2), Article 17(4) and (10) and Article 18(4) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council 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 of the Council.
Article 27 Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the ‘Asylum, Migration and Integration and Internal Security Funds Committee’ established by Article 59(1) of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Article 28 Review
The European Parliament and the Council shall, on the basis of a proposal of the Commission, review this Regulation by 30 June 2020.
Article 29 Applicability of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014
The provisions of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 shall apply to the Fund, without prejudice to Article 4 of this Regulation.
Article 30 Repeal
Decisions No 573/2007/EC, No 575/2007/EC and 2007/435/EC are repealed with effect from 1 January 2014.
Article 31 Transitional provisions
1. This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification, including the total or partial cancellation, of the projects and annual programmes concerned, until their closure, or of the financial assistance approved by the Commission on the basis of Decisions No 573/2007/EC, No 575/2007/EC and 2007/435/EC or any other legislation applying to that assistance on 31 December 2013. This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification, including the total or partial cancellation, of financial support approved by the Commission on the basis of Decision 2008/381/EC or any other legislation applying to that assistance on 31 December 2013. 2. When adopting decisions on co-financing under this Regulation, the Commission shall take account of measures adopted on the basis of Decisions No 573/2007/EC, No 575/2007/EC, 2007/435/EC and 2008/381/EC before 20 May 2014 which have financial repercussions during the period covered by that co-financing. 3. Sums committed for co-financing approved by the Commission between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2014 for which the documents required for closure of the actions have not been sent to the Commission by the deadline for submitting the final report shall be automatically decommitted by the Commission by 31 December 2017, giving rise to the repayment of amounts unduly paid. 4. Amounts relating to actions which have been suspended due to legal proceedings or administrative appeals having suspensive effect shall be disregarded in calculating the amount to be automatically decommitted. 5. By 30 June 2015, Member States shall submit to the Commission evaluation reports on the results and impact of actions co-financed under Decisions No 573/2007/EC, No 575/2007/EC and 2007/435/EC concerning the period 2011-2013. 6. By 31 December 2015, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions ex-post evaluation reports under Decisions No 573/2007/EC, No 575/2007/EC and 2007/435/EC concerning the period 2011-2013.
Article 32 Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . It shall apply from 1 January 2014.
Amendment rationale: CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL Reasons for and objectives of the proposal To support the implementation of the Council Decisions establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece 1 and of the Council Decision on legal admission from Turkey 2 , funding was committed to Member States' national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The two Council Decisions 3 have enabled the effective relocation of 34,705 applicants in need of international protection from Greece and Italy and the legal admission of 5,345 persons in need of international protection from Turkey. The timeframe and the applicability of these decisions have now come to an end. Out of the EUR 843 million committed in the course of 2016 to Member States' national programmes under AMIF, approximately EUR 567 million is still available. According to the decommitment rule set out in the Regulation laying down general provisions for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 4 , payments should be made on these commitments by the end of 2018, after which the funding will no longer be available for Member States' use under their Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund national programmes. In the light of discussions with the European Parliament and the Council in the course of 2018, the Commission proposes technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 516/2014 5 , to enable Member States to use the remaining committed funds to address Union priorities in the area of migration, including carrying out relocation after the end of the Council Decisions. The proposal would also enlarge the target group eligible for relocation under the current AMIF, namely the beneficiaries of international protection, in order to include also the transfer of applicants for international protection (as was the case in the aforementioned Council Decisions). With this amendment, Member States will be in the position to continue showing solidarity when implementing transfer decisions in practice. Moreover, this proposal would provide Member States with the possibility to use this funding for other actions defined in the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund Regulation, in addition to relocation and resettlement, when duly justified in the national programmes, which will need to be revised for that purpose 6 . T he mid-term review of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund has confirmed that Member States are confronted with varied and significant needs in the areas of asylum, integration and return. The proposal enables Member States to re-commit or transfer amounts within national programmes, by means of revisions of the national programme. The proposal also extends the deadline for decommitment of the remaining amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 by a maximum of six months, so as to ensure that Member States will have sufficient time to revise the national programmes in order to make the changes related to possible re-commitments or transfers of funding. To this effect, it is proposed to derogate from Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 7 . Furthermore, the proposal also contains a provision extending the deadline for the use of the funding concerned, by two additional years following the approval of the revisions of the national programmes by the Commission, to give Member States sufficient time to implement the actions to which the funding will be re-committed or transferred. In order for the amounts committed to support the implementation of the Council Decisions (EU) 2015/1523 and (EU) 2015/1601 to remain available in the Member States' national programmes to support relocation and other Union's priorities in the area of migration and asylum, and for these not to be decommitted, it is essential that the proposed technical amendments to Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 are adopted and enter into force before the end of 2018.
Revised version (Article 32 Entry into force and application):
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . It shall apply from 1 January 2014. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaties.