The European Return Fund (RF) is one of the four funds under the General Programme Solidarity and of Migration Flows. Its main purpose is to financially support third country individuals to return, either voluntarily or enforced, to their country of origin. Up to €676 million have been made available for the period 2008-2013 to cover such area.
Click
here to access Decision 575/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 May 2007 establishing the European Return Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General Programme 'Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows'.
The fund is operated through shared management - in essence the European Commission allocates funds to the National Responsible Authority of participating Member States (including Malta) on an annual basis. The Responsible Authority would consequently issue calls for proposals, adjudicate projects, monitor their implementation and effect payments to the beneficiaries. Subject to the availability of funds, up to a maximum of 75% of the projects' eligible costs can be co-financed out of the Fund.
A control mechanism is in place to ensure that funds are managed properly - expenditure is certified by the Certifying Authority and audited by the Audit Authority.
The funds allocated to Malta to date are as follows:
| |
|
| 2013 |
820,511 |
| 2012 |
824,717 |
| 2011 |
781,804.51 |
| 2010 |
735,720.76 |
| 2009 |
688,817.39 |
| 2008 |
641,337.61 |
DOCUMENTATION
The transparency obligations laid down in the regulatory framework for the European Return Fund require Member States to make publicly available the Multi-Annual Programme, the Annual Programmes and also details of final beneficiaries, names of projects and the amount of public and EU funding allocated to them under each Annual Programme.
In this regard, follow the below links to access the indicated documentation:
ANNUAL PROGRAMMES
Multi Annual Programme
Legislation
Strategic Guidelines
BENEFICIARIES
To date a number of calls, covering the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 have been issued and adjudicated in Malta. Details of beneficiaries, project names and financing received can be found
here.