Preparation for legislation on new European Union Home Affairs Funds starting

National legislative work relating to the new European Union Home Affairs Funds has started at the Ministry of the Interior by setting a working group. The working group will review the implementation of the Home Affairs Funds in the current financial programming period and prepare legislation concerning the funds for the national implementation of the EU financial programming period 2021–2027.

The working group will prepare a proposal for an Act and a Government Decree on Home Affairs Funds. The legislation being prepared now concerns such issues as the conditions for financing granted from the funds and the national management and implementation of the funds. Preparation for the national programmes of the Home Affairs Funds will begin later, probably in the first half of 2020. The national programme will define which priorities and actions are supported through the funds in Finland.

For the European Union financial programming period 2021–2027, three funds will be established for home affairs, the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Instrument for financial support for border management and visa (BMVI) as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF).

The European Commission issued proposals for Regulations on Home Affairs Funds in June 2018. The proposals for Regulations have not yet been adopted but they are currently being discussed in Council working groups. The Commission issued a proposal for a Common Provisions Regulation in May 2018, which defines the financing rules applied to the funds. The Common Provisions Regulation significantly guides the legislation being drafted now.

The total level of Home Affairs financing will grow substantially from the present, as its significance and role on EU level has gained more weight in recent years due to changes in the operating environment. During the current programming period, over EUR 128 million have been used on financing projects from the present European Union Home Affairs Funds, or the Asylum, the Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF). The Funds support the development of asylum and reception systems, placement of quota refugees to municipalities, integration of third-country nationals, return procedure, border control and common visa policy, police cooperation, and preventing and combatting crime.

The Ministry of the Interior established a legislative project on 3 June 2019 and the term of the project will end on 31 December 2020. The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament during the autumn session 2020.

Inquiries:

Sanna Virtanen, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 300, sanna.virtanen@intermin.fi
Elina Sillanpää, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 266, elina.sillanpaa@intermin.fi
Nina Routti-Hietala, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 242, nina.routti-hietala@intermin.fi