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Budgets and funding

EU agrees terms of €4 billion loan to Egypt /// Additional €3 billion in EU border and immigration funding announced /// Joint Valletta Action Plan follow-up conducts latest evaluation exercise

EU agrees terms of €4 billion loan to Egypt

On 19 May the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached agreement on the terms of a €4 billion loan from the EU to Egypt. The loan is part of a larger, €7.4 billion financial support package that includes some €200 million for border and immigration control measures. The overall package was announced last year as part of the EU and Egypt upgrading their relationship to a “strategic” level.

Additional €3 billion in EU border and immigration funding announced

On 9 May the European Commission announced that it would provide an additional €3 billion for borders, immigration and support for Ukrainian refugees. It is not clear from the Commission's press release precisely how the money will be divided, but €1.2 billion of the total amount will be split between the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument. Funds from both these budgets can be distributed to non-EU states, under certain conditions.

Joint Valletta Action Plan follow-up conducts latest evaluation exercise

The 2015 Valletta Summit between European and African states was a pivotal moment in the current phase of border externalisation policies. It led to new political impetus and substantial financial backing, in particular the EU Trust Fund for Africa. The "Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP) follow-up" is currently conducting a data collection exercise to "strengthen evidence-informed policy-making." Those providing the data will be states; unsurprisingly, migrants and refugees are not being asked for their views. A "dashboard" detailing projects and initiatives is forthcoming.