With the help of the Emergency Aid Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), which was launched almost nine years ago at the height of the refugee crisis, the EU aims to tackle the causes of flights and better manage migration flows. But the European Court of Auditors has once again given the fund a bad report. Most of the financial resources of the €5 billion fund are not targeted and therefore often have no effect.
The distribution of resources among the 27 partner countries in three regions of the continent (North Africa, Sahel and Horn of Africa, Anm. d. Red.) would often simply be done “according to the watering can principle” in too many channels, according to the current test report presented on Wednesday. “The projects have not solved the most urgent problems”, it emphasizes. There was similar criticism in the first special audit report on the EUTF in 2018.
“Fact-based” support
This time, the focus was mainly on projects in Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritania, Libya and Tunisia. And in these countries, it has been shown that the claim to provide “evidence-based” support does not work. More than 100 research reports on the causes of flights were funded. However, most of the results were published too late, when almost all the financial resources had already been allocated, the EU authority writes. The findings could no longer be integrated into the projects.
The Court also criticises the lack of a “formal procedure for reporting, recording and following up on suspected human rights violations in EU-funded projects”. There is also insufficient evidence that suspected cases are investigated at all. “As a result, the European Commission is still unable to assess which measures can best curb irregular migration and displacement in Africa”, is another point of criticism.
List of requirements of the European Court of Auditors
The Court therefore advocates, among other things, the creation of a central register in which all relevant documents on projects in the partner countries are stored, so that they become more transparent. In addition, fact-based targeting of specific areas and groups of people will be strengthened and the accuracy of reporting on successes will be increased. Ultimately, the aim should be to gain insights from each project that will help improve future projects.
That’s how much Austria contributes
Where does the fund actually come from? The largest share of the contributions (€4.4 billion or 88 percent) came from the European Development Fund (EDF) and the EU budget – that is, in effect, membership fees from EU states, customs and import duties on imports from non-EU countries, and other revenues such as contributions from non-EU countries to certain programmes or late payment interest and fines. Austria contributed a total of €9.2 million to the EU Migration Fund for Africa, a large part of which (€5 million) is earmarked for the North Africa region.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
