There is equality among EU member states: whether poor or rich they all have to pay their share when it comes to solve pan-European problems like the Refugees and Migration Crisis. It makes no difference whether some countries like Greece or Italy have beard on their own means the burden of hosting more than a million people crossing their soil.
Apparently upon the recent pressure by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, the European Commission finally agreed to more transparency on the funds it asks from the EU member states to pay for the famous 3-billion euro package to Turkey so that it can stop sending refugees and migrants to Europe. Apologies! “In order to stem the flow of migrants to Europe” is the correct expression according to EU.
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, which is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU:
“We are working continuously to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.“
In press release issued by the European Commission yesterday Wednesday, the EC published the distribution of member states contributions to the Turkish package: a total of 2 billion euro will be contributed by the 28 member states and one billion euro will be provided from the EU budget.
The EU’s humanitarian assistance to refugees in Turkey “is mainly focused on meeting immediate needs by providing food, health services and education,” the statement notes, adding that “this agreement puts into practice the commitment made by the EU at its summit with Turkey on 29 November 2015 to provide €3 billion additional resources to assist Turkey in addressing the immediate humanitarian and development needs of refugees and their host communities. €1 billion of this will be financed from the EU budget and the remaining €2 billion by contributions from the member states according to their share in EU GNI”.
The distribution of member states’ contributions is set out in the following table and graphic:
[1] Contributions made by member states could be adjusted downwards in 2017 according to the final contribution from the EU budget, without prejudice to the total amount planned for the instrument and without prejudice to the prerogatives of the budgetary authority.
[2] National contributions for the Facility will not be taken into account for the calculation of a member state’s deficit under the Stability and Growth Pact.
[3] A contribution from Cyprus* in the amount of € 2.3 million will be made to the EU budget for Jordan and Lebanon.
The time frame for this Humanitarian Aid to Turkey is not very clear in the EC statement.
Neither is it clear, whether and how this will decrease the number of refugees and migrants to Europe.
“Next Steps: The agreement allows the Commission to adapt its decision establishing the Refugee Facility for Turkey and to prepare concrete measures for providing assistance to refugees in Turkey from early 2016,” the EC statement concludes.
*Cyprus cannot give money to Turkey due to the unsolved Cyprus conflict with Ankara illegally occupying part of the island Republic in the North and does not recognize Cyprus as a state.
PS there is not that the refugees and migrants Crisis has cost Greece 2 billion euro – but I cannot confirm this right now. I suppose for this 25 million debt-ridden Greece would feed some households suffering form long-time unemployment.
So 13 other EU states are actually contributing less than Greece is expected to contribute (14 if counting Cyprus). Plus the “hot spots” Greece is expected to establish and run according to Germany’s theory. Yet camps supposedly for refugees with Turkish Red Crescent Symbol on tents are being used by “moderate” beheaders in N. Syria…