Subject: Expenditure on the refugee problem declared by the Greek authorities for 2018
Last year there were significant delays in the use by the Greek authorities of EU funds to tackle the refugee problem on the basis of the national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF).
The competent Greek authorities have stated that, out of a total of EUR 147 million certified by Greece to the corresponding Commission services, they have received some EUR 97 million, while meeting the remaining EUR 50 million from national resources, pending the repayment of these amounts by the Commission.
In its answer of 14 September 2017 to my question on the above funds, the Commission pointed out that, in its annual accounts submitted on 15 February 2017 for the period 16/10/2015 to 15/10/2016, Greece had declared payments to the Commission amounting to EUR 1.8 million under its national AMIF programme and EUR 42.1 million under the national ISF programme for purposes related to reception and border surveillance needs, respectively.
With this in mind, can the Commission say:
What is the exact amount that the Commission has so far granted to the Greek authorities under the national AMIF and ISF programmes to tackle the refugee problem?
What is the amount of expenditure declared by the Greek government in February 2018 for the period 16/10/2016 - 15/10/2017, respectively, and what actions does it cover?
Answer given by Mr Avramopoulos on behalf of the Commission
(24 May 2018)
Greece's allocation under its Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and Internal Security Fund (ISF) national programmes for the period 2014-2020 amounts to EUR 561 million (EUR 322.8 million from AMIF and EUR 238.2 million from ISF). In addition, since the beginning of 2015, more than EUR 393 million of emergency assistance under AMIF/ISF has been allocated for actions in Greece.
As regards the national programmes, the Commission has disbursed so far to the Greek authorities EUR 152 722 904.55, in the form of pre-financings and additional payments following the clearance of the 2016 annual accounts (1).
In accordance with Article 44 of Regulation 514/2014 (2), on 15 February 2018, the Commission received the annual accounts under the Greek AMIF and ISF national programmes for the 2017 financial year.
The amounts declared cover actions in the areas of reception, asylum, integration, return, border management, support to visa policy, crime prevention and management of risks and crisis. Overall, the Commission acknowledges the efforts made by the Greek authorities to improve implementation of EU funding under the national programmes.
The Commission services are currently assessing the information submitted and the related documents. Once this assessment is completed (3), the annual accounts, and consequently the expenditure declared, will be set out in annex of the Commission Decision on the clearance of the annual accounts.
⋅1∙ Commission Decision C(2017)4490 final of 23.06.2017 on the clearance of the annual accounts for national programmes concerning expenditure supported under
the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and Internal Security Fund for the 2016 financial year. ⋅2∙ Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 laying down general provisions on the Asylum, Migration and
Integration Fund and on the instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management. ⋅3∙ Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 514/2014.