In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Commission presents the results of the interim evaluation of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Internal Security Fund.

The report covers:

Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 (horizontal provisions) as well as:

the Specific Regulation (EU) No 513/2014 establishing as part of the Internal Security Fund the instrument for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime and crisis management (ISF-P); the Specific Regulation (EU) No 515/2014 establishing as part of the Internal Security Fund the instrument for external borders and visa (ISF-BV); and this Specific Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

The evaluation covers the period between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2017 and reports on all national programmes, Union actions and emergency assistance financed under the funds.

This summary concerns AMIF.

Recalling that AMIF was designed to promote the efficient management of migration flows , the report notes that migration conditions changed drastically during the implementation period under review, due to the sudden and unexpected increase in migratory pressure on the EU’s southern and south-eastern external borders.

Budget: the total resources for AMIF’s implementation period 2014-2020 were initially estimated at EUR 3 137 million, but due to the migration crisis, this increased to EUR 6 888 million of programmed commitments to support relocation and resettlement, integration and return and to prepare the implementation of the revision of the Dublin Regulation . The overall level of payments is at 25 % (EUR 1 068 million) of the global allocations, while the implementation rate amounts to 48 % (EUR 2 022 million).

Current resources are as follows:

EUR 5 391 million or 78 % programmed for the national programmes; EUR 462 million or 7 % for the Union actions other than emergency assistance; EUR 1 029 or 15 % for emergency assistance.

Main findings:

Relevance : AMIF corrected the shortcomings of the SOLID programme in terms of aligning priorities with needs , but the report notes that Member States faced changing needs during the implementation period that possibly call for the allocation arrangements to be adapted for instance, by adapting the allocation key and a stronger mid-term review. AMIF proved to be an important instrument in handling the difficult situation, by providing both short-term emergency support to and more long-term capacity building of the asylum, integration and return.

Effectiveness : with regard to AMIF’s objectives, the report notes the following:

AMIF has played an important role in improving asylum systems and strengthening reception capacity in Member States. It recalls that between 2013 and 2017, the number of people in target groups provided with Fund assistance increased from 18 944 to 184 122. In addition, the number of people trained by the Fund increased from less than 1 000 in 2015 to 7 031 in 2017. The number of places adapted for unaccompanied minors rose from a low 183 places in 2014 to 17 070 places in 2017; by the end of 2017, almost 26 000 people have been resettled under both the EU resettlement scheme and the EU – Turkey statement on legal admission (out of 74 000 in total). However, the Fund has only made a limited contribution towards implementing national resettlement programmes; on integration issues , the Commission notes that short-term integration measures (introductory courses on civic orientation, languages, etc.) have been prioritised over long-term measures (pre-vocational training, further education, etc.), which makes sustainability an issue; only limited progress has been made on legal migration , likely due to the contextual factors; with respect to return strategies , both the voluntary and forced return supported by the fund have steadily increased. The number of returnees whose return was co-financed by the Fund increased from 5 904 in 2014 to 39 888 in 2015, falling to 36 735 in 2017; the number of people who returned voluntarily assisted by the Fund increased tenfold, and the number of removals co-financed by the Fund increased from a low 10 in 2013 to a peak of 6 065 in 2016; AMIF emergency assistance has been an essential instrument in supporting Member States in the 2015 migratory crisis and its follow-up.

Coherence: whilst the Commission is satisfied with measures were taken during the fund’s design, planning and programming stages to ensure coherence, it notes that there is room for improved communication in relation to internal coherence (among AMIF instruments) because beneficiaries are not very aware of Union and emergency assistance actions.

EU added value : the main EU level benefit arises from the transnational dimension of certain actions (specific actions, Union actions and the European Migration Network) as well as EU level burden-sharing, supported by emergency assistance and the relocation mechanism under national programmes. AMIF brought significant EU added value in terms of ensuring the effective management of migratory flows at EU level and optimising procedures related to migration management. In terms of sustainability, the report notes that integration and asylum outcomes are likely to last if they address longer-term needs, while return outcomes are more sustainable if they are based on voluntary return schemes and are supported by efforts for reintegration.

The report goes on to make a number of general remarks about all three funds . It notes that due to the migratory and security crises, significant budget reinforcements were needed, with the available budget of EUR 6.9 billion for the 2014-2020 programming period being raised to EUR 10.8 billion. The emergency assistance (at a higher scale than originally intended) has helped ensure the funds’ relevance. It also notes that more flexibility is needed as far as the implementation of the national programmes is concerned. The main issue was found around the fragmentation of actions under multiple national objectives that prevented the pooling of resources around key priorities and made it difficult to implement cross-objective projects.

The Commission recommends that an emergency instrument should be maintained and its ability further strengthened so it can respond rapidly and efficiently to changing circumstances.

PURPOSE: to establish the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund taking over from the European refugee Fund , the European Return Fund and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country nationals from the previous programming period.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) N° 516/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, amending Council Decision 2008/381/EC and repealing Decisions No 573/2007/EC and No 575/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decision 2007/435/EC.

CONTENT: the Regulation sets up the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for the period 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020.

Objectives of the Fund: the general objective is 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.

Within its general objective, the Fund contributes to the following common specific objectives:

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

· 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;

· 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;

· 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 will be evaluated using common indicators as set out in Annex IV to the Regulation and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.

The objectives must be achieved with due regard to the principles and objectives of the Union’s humanitarian policy.

Eligible actions : the following actions will be eligible for financing:

· reception conditions and asylum procedures : provisions for support services targeting particular categories of third category nations, improvement of administrative structures, systems and training for staff and relevant authorities; assistance for vulnerable persons, the establishment of alternative measures to detention; and material aid, including health and psychological care;

· accommodation infrastructures : maintenance of existing accommodation infrastructure and services; strengthening and improvement of administrative structures and systems; development of new accommodation infrastructure;

· actions relating to Member States’ capacities : actions enhancing the capacity of Member States relating to analysis and monitoring for early warning, preparedness and crisis management;

· support for resettlement, transfer of applicants for, and beneficiaries of, international protection and other ad hoc humanitarian admission; development of national resettlement programmes and strategies;

· support for integration measures for legal migrant, such as development of integration strategies with local and regional actors; provision of advice regarding housing, means of subsistence, administrative and legal guidance, health, psychological and social care, child care and family reunification; actions introducing third-country nationals to the receiving society and other capacity-building measures;

· measures accompanying return procedures , targeting 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 (including the introduction of alternative measures to detention, improvement of return measures and operations in accordance with Union law but not including coercive equipment ; specific help for vulnerable people);

· information measures and campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of the appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration.

Resources: the global resources (2014 – 2020) for the implementation of the Regulation is EUR 3 137 million divided as follows:

· EUR 2 752 million for eligible actions in Member States;

· 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.

National programmes and resources allocated to Member States: within the amount allocated for national programmes:

· at least 20 % of the EUR 2 752 million to developing all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, and at least 20 % for legal migration to the Member States. Departure from those minimum percentages must only take place where a detailed explanation is included. Those Member States faced with structural deficiencies in the area of accommodation, infrastructure and services shall not fall below the minimum percentage;

· EUR 360 million more shall be allocated to Member States on the basis of the distribution mechanism for specific actions, for the Union Resettlement Programme, and for the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another.

In general terms, the Fund should create a flexible framework allowing Member States to receive financial resources under their national programmes to support the policy areas under the Fund according to their specific situation and needs, and in the light of the general and specific objectives of the Fund, for which the financial support would be the most effective and appropriate.

In the light of the European Council conclusions of 7-8 February 2013, which underlined that particular emphasis should be given to insular societies who face disproportional migration challenges, it is appropriate to increase the minimum amounts for Cyprus and Malta .

Resources for specific actions : apart from the amounts described above (listed in Annex I) an additional amount may be allocated to the Member States for joint actions on integration etc and used to implement the specific actions listed in Annex II.

Resources for the Union Resettlement Programme : in addition to Member States’ allocation, they will receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each resettled person . The lump sum will be increased to EUR 10 000 for each person resettled in the case of vulnerable persons.

With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, Member States shall receive an additional allocation based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each beneficiary of international protection transferred from another Member State .

Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons transferred as above.

A list of common Union resettlement priorities is set out in Annex III.

Other eligible actions : the Regulation also provides financing for the following actions:

· assistance for the activities of the European Migration Network

· Union actions (monitoring and preparatory actions by the Commission);

· emergency action as stated in the Regulation ;

· technical assistance up to EUR 2.5 million of the Fund annually.

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 are coherent with the Union’s external policy, and respect the principle of policy coherence for development.

Implementation : the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council will apply to the Fund, particularly with regard to programming, financial management, management and control, clearance of accounts, closure of programmes and reporting and evaluation.

Review: the European Parliament and the Council shall, on the basis of a proposal of the Commission, review this Regulation by 30 June 2020.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21.05.2014. The Regulation is applicable from 01.01.2014. Transitional provisions will ensure funding of actions undertaken during the course of the preceding Funds.

DELEGATED ACTS: the Commission may adopt delegated acts in order to supplement or amend provisions of this Regulation on lump sums for resettlement and transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another and on the definition of specific actions and of common Union resettlement priorities. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission for a period of seven years from 21.05.2014 . The European Parliament or the Council may raise objections to a delegated act within a period of two months from the date of notification (this may be extended by two months.) If the European Parliament or Council express objections, the delegated act will not enter into force.

The European Parliament adopted by 419 to 44 votes with 10 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund.

Parliament adopted its position at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council. They modify the proposal as follows:

Title and scope of the Fund : the Fund should not only focus on “asylum and migration” but also on “integration”.

Objectives of Funds : 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.

The common specific objectives of the Fund have been clarified, so that the latter aims to:

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

· to support legal migration to the Member States in line 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;

· 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;

· to enhance the 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 this Fund shall be evaluated using common indicators as set out in Annex IV and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.

Eligible actions : many changes have been introduced to detail the actions eligible for funding. Among other things, the following actions would be eligible for funding:

· support for reception and asylum systems : support for reception conditions and asylum procedures targeting in particular asylum seekers; improvement of administrative structures, systems and training for staff and authorities dealing with asylum procedures: assistance to vulnerable persons: support for alternative measures to detention; accommodation assistance.

· support for integration measures : when it is judged appropriate and the national programme of a Member State allows for it, the Fund may support integration measures especially the promotion and strengthening of cooperation between Member States, placing the focus on exchange of information, best practices as well as the development and establishment of joint actions by Member States.

· support for targeted resettlement measures , transfer of applicants and beneficiaries to international protection in another Member State with consent .

· support for measures accompanying return procedures , targeting in particular nationals of third countries who have not yet received a final negative decision with regard to their application for the grant of right of residence, legal residence and/or international protection in a Member State, and who choose to make use of voluntary return (including support for removal operations, including related measures, in accordance with the standards set in EU law, with the exception of coercive equipment );

· support for information campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration.

Resources : the global resources shall be EUR 3 137 million , used indicatively as follows:

· EUR 2 752 million for national programmes of Member States;

· EUR 385 million for Union actions, emergency assistance, European Migration Network and technical assistance of the Commission of which at least 30% shall be used for Union actions and European Migration Network.

Resources allocated to Member States shall be shared as follows:

· at least 20% of the EUR 2 392 million that Member States receive from the Fund will go to supporting all aspects of the common European asylum system and to support legal migration to Member States. If they wish to remain below these percentages, they must supply a detailed explanation. Moreover, those countries faced with structural deficiencies in the area of accommodation, infrastructure and service shall not go below the minimum percentage regarding asylum measures;

· Member States will receive EUR 360 millions for specific actions, for the Union Resettlement Programme and for transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another.

Union Resettlement Programme : Member States shall, in addition to their allocation, receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each resettled person . This shall be increased to EUR 10 000 for each vulnerable person resettled.

With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility and in light of EU policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund, Member States may receive an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each beneficiary of international protection transferred from another Member State.

Family members of such beneficiaries may also be eligible for lump sums where appropriate.

National programmes : in general, the Fund should create a flexible framework allowing the Member States to receive the financial resources under their national programmes to support the areas of action under the Fund, depending on their situation and their needs, and taking into account the general and specific objectives of the Fund, for which the financial support would be the most effective and appropriate. Taking into account the conclusions of the European Council of 7 and 8 February 2013, which stressed that special attention should be given to the island regions facing disproportionate migration difficulties, the minimum amounts for Cyprus and Malta have been increased.

European Migration Network : some new measures have also been added to provide assistance to the European Migration Network. The Commission made a unilateral statement in this area, indicating that it was supporting these changes without prejudice to its right of initiative with regard to a future more comprehensive revision of the set up and functioning of this network.

Coordination : the Commission and 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 coherence with other actions outside the Union supported through Union instruments.

They shall, in particular, ensure that those actions are coherent with the Union's external policy and development policy.

Indicators : in order to measure achievements of this Fund, common indicators should be established in relation to each specific objective of this Fund. A new annex has been added to this effect (outlining in particular the type of information to be relayed, for example, the number of target group persons provided with assistance or an integration measure).

Statements of the European Parliament : to note finally that the European Parliament made a unilateral statement on the text adopted in plenary stating that in the spirit of compromise and in order to enable the Fund to operate, it accepted its adoption after the end of discussions with the Council. Nevertheless, the European Parliament reiterates its view – which it has maintained throughout negotiations on this Regulation – that the correct legal basis for the Fund includes Article 80, second sentence, TFEU as a joint legal basis designed to give effect to the principle of solidarity between Member States.

It finally asks that with the aim of promoting relocation as a solidarity tool and improving the conditions pertaining to relocation, that the European Asylum Support Office (EASO develop a handbook and a methodology on relocation, following a mapping of relocation best practices in Member States, including internal organisation systems and reception and integration conditions.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Sylvie GUILLAUME (S&D, FR) the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund.

The committee recommended that Parliament’s position adopted in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Purpose of the Fund : 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.

Members stated that the Fund shall contribute to the following common specific objectives:

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

· to support legal migration to the Member States in line 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;

· 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;

to enhance the 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 this Fund shall be evaluated using common indicators as set out in Annex IV and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.

Union actions : to be eligible for funding, Union actions shall, in particular, support:

· the furthering of Union cooperation in implementing Union law and in sharing good practices in the field of asylum, notably on resettlement and transfer of applicants for and/or beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another including through networking and exchanging information, legal migration, 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 return;

· information measures and campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration.

Resources : the global resources for the implementation of this Regulation shall be EUR 3 137 million , used indicatively as follows:

· EUR 2 752 million for national programmes of Member States;

· EUR 385 million for Union actions, emergency assistance, European Migration Network and technical assistance of the Commission of which at least 30% shall be used for Union actions and European Migration Network.

EUR 2 752 million shall be allocated to the Member States indicatively as follows:

· EUR 2 392 million at least 20% of which will go to supporting legal migration and at least 20% to asylum measures . Member States may depart from these minimum percentages only where a detailed explanation is included in the national programme. Those Member States faced with structural deficiencies in the area of accommodation, infrastructure and service shall not go below the minimum percentage laid down in the Regulation regarding asylum measures;

EUR 360 million based on the distribution mechanism for specific actions, and for the Union Resettlement Programme and for transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another.

Union Resettlement Programme : Member States shall, in addition to their allocation, receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each resettled person . This shall be increased to EUR 10 000 for each vulnerable person resettled.

With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility and in light of EU policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund, Member States may receive an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each beneficiary of international protection transferred from another Member State.

Family members of such beneficiaries may also be eligible for lump sums where appropriate.

PURPOSE: to establish a Asylum and Migration Fund which takes over from the European Refugee Fund , the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals and the European Return Fund of the previous programming period.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: the policies relating to the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice have been growing steadily over the last years. Their importance has been confirmed by the Stockholm Programme and its Action Plan , the implementation of which is a strategic priority for the next five years and covers areas such as migration (legal migration and integration; asylum; irregular migration and return), security (prevention of and fight against terrorism and organised crime; police cooperation) and management of the external borders (including visa policy), as well as the external dimension of these policies.

The Commission adopted a proposal for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020 : a budget for delivering the Europe 2020 strategy. In the area of home affairs policies, covering security, migration and the management of external borders, the Commission proposed to simplify the structure of the expenditure instruments by reducing the number of programmes to a two pillar structure: an Asylum and Migration Fund and an Internal Security Fund.

This Regulation establishes the Asylum and Migration Fund which draws on the capacity building process developed with the assistance of the European Refugee Fund4, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals5 and the European Return Fund and extends it to cover more comprehensively different aspects of the common Union asylum and immigration policy .

Recent events at the Greek/Turkish border and in the Southern Mediterranean have also demonstrated how important it is for the Union to have a comprehensive approach to migration , covering various aspects such as:

strengthened border management and Schengen governance, better targeted legal migration, enhanced dissemination of best practices on integration, a reinforced Common European Asylum System, and a more strategic approach to relations with third countries on migration.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: in accordance with the greater emphasis placed on evaluation as a tool to inform policy making, this proposal is informed by evaluation results, stakeholder consultation and impact assessment.

Work on the preparation of the future financial instruments for home affairs started in 2010 and continued into 2011. It was completed in July 2011 and brought together available evaluation results for the existing financial instruments and informed the problems, objectives and policy options, including their likely impact, examined in the impact assessment.

On the basis of this study , the Commission drafted an impact assessment report . The main conclusion may be summarised as follows:

to broaden the scope of action for Union funding in the field of asylum and migration , including as regards its external dimension,

to work towards more simplification of delivery mechanisms and greater flexibility , notably to respond to emergencies.

In the area of asylum and migration, stakeholders considered that the broad thematic priorities have already been fixed by the Stockholm Programme and its Action Plan.

There was broad support to reduce the number of financial instruments to a two-Fund structure on the condition that this would actually lead to simplification.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 78(2) and 79(2) and (4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation establishes for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 the Asylum and Migration Fund.

General objective : the general objective of the Fund shall be to contribute to an effective management of migration flows in the Union as part of the area of freedom, security and justice, in accordance with the common policy on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection and the common immigration policy.

Specific objectives : within its general objective, the Fund shall contribute to the following specific objectives:

to strengthen and develop the Common European Asylum System , including its external dimension; to support legal migration to the Union in line with the economic and social needs of Member States and promote the effective integration of third-country nationals, including of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection; to enhance fair and effective return strategies in the Member States with emphasis on sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin; to enhance the solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States , in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows.

For each of these objectives, key indicators are defined.

Actions in or in relation to third countries : the Fund shall support actions catering primarily for Union interests, having a direct impact in the Union and its Member States and ensuring a necessary continuity with activities implemented in the territory of the Union. Actions that are directly development oriented shall not be supported through this Fund . In implementing such actions, full coherence will be sought with the principles and general objectives of the Union external action related to the country or region in question.

Implementation : the specific implementing measures are laid down in a separate Regulation ( Horizontal Regulation ).

Resources for Member States : t he most important part of the resources available under the Fund will be channelled through national programmes of Member States covering the whole period 2014-2020.

For this purpose, the amount of resources to be allocated to the Member States within the Fund will be composed of a basic amount and a variable amount .

Following a mid-term review an additional amount may be allocated as of budget year 2018.

(1) Basic amount : the b asic amount is established on the basis of latest available statistical data relating to the migration flows, such as the number of first asylum applications, positive decisions granting refugee or subsidiary protection, number of resettled refugees, stock and flows of legally residing third-country nationals, number of return decisions issued by the national authorities and the number of effected returns. Those data are the same as those used so far for the calculation of allocations under the European Refugee Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals and the European Return Fund. In order to ensure critical mass for the implementation of national programmes, EUR 5 million is added as a minimum amount to each Member State.

The basic amounts earmarked to individual Member States will serve as a basis to start the policy dialogue , followed by the multiannual programming, to support, on the hand, a limited number of compulsory objectives (e.g. strengthening the establishment of Common European Asylum System by ensuring the efficient and uniform application of the Union acquis on asylum or developing an assisted voluntary return programme including a component on reintegration) and, on the other hand, to address the specific needs of each Member State.

(2) Variable amount : the variable amount will be allocated following the policy dialogue mentioned above to those Member States willing to work in those operational fields which depend on their political commitment and willingness to act, or ability to cooperate with other Member States. This will be the case for the implementation of specific actions such as for:

instance joint processing of asylum applications, joint return operations, setting up of joint migration centres, the implementation of resettlement and relocation operations.

As regards resettlement : Member States will receive financial incentives (lump sums) every two years on the basis of their pledging which will follow the establishment of common Union resettlement priorities. These will be the result of a political process involving in particular the European Parliament and the Council and reflecting the policy developments at national and Union level. Through these financial incentives, two objectives are to be achieved: a quantitative one, i.e. to increase significantly the current resettlement figures which are too small, and a qualitative one, i.e. to strengthen the European dimension through the implementation of defined and dynamic common Union resettlement priorities.

Moreover, based on a similar pledging exercise and at regular intervals, Member States will receive financial incentives (lump sums) for relocation of beneficiaries of international protection.

Mid-term allocation : a part of available resources will be kept for mid-term review. This will, on the one hand, allow allocating additional amounts to those Member States undergoing significant changes in migration flows and presenting specific needs concerning their asylum and reception systems and, on the other hand, to allocate additional amounts to those Member States willing to implement specific actions. The latter may be revised in line with the most recent policy developments.

Union Agencies : to use more effectively the competence and expertise of relevant Union agencies in the home affairs field, the Commission also envisages to make use of the possibility offered by the Financial Regulation to entrust, within the resources available under this Regulation, the implementation of specific tasks to such agencies, in the framework of their missions and in complementarity with their work programmes.

For the tasks covered by this Regulation this concerns in particular the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex Agency) for activities in and outside the EU requiring operational expertise on issues related to asylum and irregular immigration, respectively.

DELEGATED ACTS: in order to supplement or amend provisions of this Regulation on the lump sums for resettlement and relocation, the definition of specific actions and of common Union resettlement priorities , 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. The

Commission, when preparing and drawing-up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and Council.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION : the Commission's proposal for a Multi-Annual Financial Framework includes a proposal of EUR 3 869 million (in current prices) for Asylum and Migration Fund for the period 2014-2020. Indicatively more than 80% of this amount (EUR 3 232 million) should be used for national programmes of Member States while EUR 637 million should be centrally managed by the Commission to fund Union actions, emergency assistance, European Migration Network, technical assistance and the implementation of specific operational tasks by Union agencies.

PURPOSE: to establish a Asylum and Migration Fund which takes over from the European Refugee Fund , the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals and the European Return Fund of the previous programming period.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: the policies relating to the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice have been growing steadily over the last years. Their importance has been confirmed by the Stockholm Programme and its Action Plan , the implementation of which is a strategic priority for the next five years and covers areas such as migration (legal migration and integration; asylum; irregular migration and return), security (prevention of and fight against terrorism and organised crime; police cooperation) and management of the external borders (including visa policy), as well as the external dimension of these policies.

The Commission adopted a proposal for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020 : a budget for delivering the Europe 2020 strategy. In the area of home affairs policies, covering security, migration and the management of external borders, the Commission proposed to simplify the structure of the expenditure instruments by reducing the number of programmes to a two pillar structure: an Asylum and Migration Fund and an Internal Security Fund.

This Regulation establishes the Asylum and Migration Fund which draws on the capacity building process developed with the assistance of the European Refugee Fund4, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals5 and the European Return Fund and extends it to cover more comprehensively different aspects of the common Union asylum and immigration policy .

Recent events at the Greek/Turkish border and in the Southern Mediterranean have also demonstrated how important it is for the Union to have a comprehensive approach to migration , covering various aspects such as:

strengthened border management and Schengen governance, better targeted legal migration, enhanced dissemination of best practices on integration, a reinforced Common European Asylum System, and a more strategic approach to relations with third countries on migration.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: in accordance with the greater emphasis placed on evaluation as a tool to inform policy making, this proposal is informed by evaluation results, stakeholder consultation and impact assessment.

Work on the preparation of the future financial instruments for home affairs started in 2010 and continued into 2011. It was completed in July 2011 and brought together available evaluation results for the existing financial instruments and informed the problems, objectives and policy options, including their likely impact, examined in the impact assessment.

On the basis of this study , the Commission drafted an impact assessment report . The main conclusion may be summarised as follows:

to broaden the scope of action for Union funding in the field of asylum and migration , including as regards its external dimension,

to work towards more simplification of delivery mechanisms and greater flexibility , notably to respond to emergencies.

In the area of asylum and migration, stakeholders considered that the broad thematic priorities have already been fixed by the Stockholm Programme and its Action Plan.

There was broad support to reduce the number of financial instruments to a two-Fund structure on the condition that this would actually lead to simplification.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 78(2) and 79(2) and (4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation establishes for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 the Asylum and Migration Fund.

General objective : the general objective of the Fund shall be to contribute to an effective management of migration flows in the Union as part of the area of freedom, security and justice, in accordance with the common policy on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection and the common immigration policy.

Specific objectives : within its general objective, the Fund shall contribute to the following specific objectives:

to strengthen and develop the Common European Asylum System , including its external dimension; to support legal migration to the Union in line with the economic and social needs of Member States and promote the effective integration of third-country nationals, including of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection; to enhance fair and effective return strategies in the Member States with emphasis on sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin; to enhance the solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States , in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows.

For each of these objectives, key indicators are defined.

Actions in or in relation to third countries : the Fund shall support actions catering primarily for Union interests, having a direct impact in the Union and its Member States and ensuring a necessary continuity with activities implemented in the territory of the Union. Actions that are directly development oriented shall not be supported through this Fund . In implementing such actions, full coherence will be sought with the principles and general objectives of the Union external action related to the country or region in question.

Implementation : the specific implementing measures are laid down in a separate Regulation ( Horizontal Regulation ).

Resources for Member States : t he most important part of the resources available under the Fund will be channelled through national programmes of Member States covering the whole period 2014-2020.

For this purpose, the amount of resources to be allocated to the Member States within the Fund will be composed of a basic amount and a variable amount .

Following a mid-term review an additional amount may be allocated as of budget year 2018.

(1) Basic amount : the b asic amount is established on the basis of latest available statistical data relating to the migration flows, such as the number of first asylum applications, positive decisions granting refugee or subsidiary protection, number of resettled refugees, stock and flows of legally residing third-country nationals, number of return decisions issued by the national authorities and the number of effected returns. Those data are the same as those used so far for the calculation of allocations under the European Refugee Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals and the European Return Fund. In order to ensure critical mass for the implementation of national programmes, EUR 5 million is added as a minimum amount to each Member State.

The basic amounts earmarked to individual Member States will serve as a basis to start the policy dialogue , followed by the multiannual programming, to support, on the hand, a limited number of compulsory objectives (e.g. strengthening the establishment of Common European Asylum System by ensuring the efficient and uniform application of the Union acquis on asylum or developing an assisted voluntary return programme including a component on reintegration) and, on the other hand, to address the specific needs of each Member State.

(2) Variable amount : the variable amount will be allocated following the policy dialogue mentioned above to those Member States willing to work in those operational fields which depend on their political commitment and willingness to act, or ability to cooperate with other Member States. This will be the case for the implementation of specific actions such as for:

instance joint processing of asylum applications, joint return operations, setting up of joint migration centres, the implementation of resettlement and relocation operations.

As regards resettlement : Member States will receive financial incentives (lump sums) every two years on the basis of their pledging which will follow the establishment of common Union resettlement priorities. These will be the result of a political process involving in particular the European Parliament and the Council and reflecting the policy developments at national and Union level. Through these financial incentives, two objectives are to be achieved: a quantitative one, i.e. to increase significantly the current resettlement figures which are too small, and a qualitative one, i.e. to strengthen the European dimension through the implementation of defined and dynamic common Union resettlement priorities.

Moreover, based on a similar pledging exercise and at regular intervals, Member States will receive financial incentives (lump sums) for relocation of beneficiaries of international protection.

Mid-term allocation : a part of available resources will be kept for mid-term review. This will, on the one hand, allow allocating additional amounts to those Member States undergoing significant changes in migration flows and presenting specific needs concerning their asylum and reception systems and, on the other hand, to allocate additional amounts to those Member States willing to implement specific actions. The latter may be revised in line with the most recent policy developments.

Union Agencies : to use more effectively the competence and expertise of relevant Union agencies in the home affairs field, the Commission also envisages to make use of the possibility offered by the Financial Regulation to entrust, within the resources available under this Regulation, the implementation of specific tasks to such agencies, in the framework of their missions and in complementarity with their work programmes.

For the tasks covered by this Regulation this concerns in particular the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex Agency) for activities in and outside the EU requiring operational expertise on issues related to asylum and irregular immigration, respectively.

DELEGATED ACTS: in order to supplement or amend provisions of this Regulation on the lump sums for resettlement and relocation, the definition of specific actions and of common Union resettlement priorities , 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. The

Commission, when preparing and drawing-up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and Council.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION : the Commission's proposal for a Multi-Annual Financial Framework includes a proposal of EUR 3 869 million (in current prices) for Asylum and Migration Fund for the period 2014-2020. Indicatively more than 80% of this amount (EUR 3 232 million) should be used for national programmes of Member States while EUR 637 million should be centrally managed by the Commission to fund Union actions, emergency assistance, European Migration Network, technical assistance and the implementation of specific operational tasks by Union agencies.