ER ®er. Arest202214635431 - 27706/2022

THE MOBILITY PARTNERSHIP FACILITY (MPF)

1°’ STEERING COMMITTEE (SC) MEETING
BRUSSELS - 1°’ MARCH 2016

 

MINUTES

PARTICIPANTS

‚DG HOME - Chair ofthe Committee

‚ DG DEVCO - member

‚DG NEAR - member

‚DG HOME — member

,‚ EEAS—- member

‚ DG HOME -— observer

‚DG HOME - observer

‚ DG HOME - observeı

ICMPD/Secretariat of the SC:

‚ Project Director, ICMPD

‚ Programme Manager, ICMPD

‚ Project Officer, ICMPD

‚Junior Project Officer, ICMPD

, Deputy Head of Mission — Operations Manager, ICMPD
‚ Junior Operations Support Officer, ICMPD

[Discussions

    
   
   
  
   
   
   
 

Opening Remarks

Tour de Table

1. Presentation of the MPF
2. Rules of Procedures -discussions

3. The MPF Annual Work Plan — presentation and discussions
4.  Priorities ofthe upcoming call for proposals — brainstorming

. Chair of the Steering Committee, opened the discussions by presenting the context in which
the MPF had been framed. The MPF, being one of the first DG HOME-funded external actions, is financed
through all three HOME funds (AMIF, ISF-police, ISF-borders) and this complex architecture should allow
covering multiple migration aspects that fall under MPs and CAMM1s. The idea of the MPF is to have a
flexible instrument supporting the MPs and CAMMs by complementing activities envisaged under other
available instruments and external funds. The experience and expertise of ICMPD positions the organisation
as the most suitable partner to manage this facility. The Delegation Agreement between DG HOME and
ICMPD was signed at the end of 2015

1. PRESENTATION OF THE MPF ICMPD presented the MPF and its modalities. The main objective of the MPF is to provide targeted, flexible and tailor-made assistance to MPs and CAMMs countries. For the moment, there are 10 concrete partners: 8 MPs and 2 CAMMs. Different scenarios are foreseen under the MPF: -   Scenario A1: EU MS act as lead applicants and submit their project proposals to ICMPD through a Call for proposals (that will be launched at the beginning of April 2016) with an open deadline. Each proposal will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee, set up by ICMPD. -   Scenario B1: in case a particular need arises but no EU Member State is in a position or available to implement a specific action, ICMPD can be tasked by the SC for the direct implementation of that action. On the basis of the request by the SC, ICMPD will submit a proposal, using the same standard templates as used under the Call for proposals. -   Scenario B2: ICMPD will also support additional horizontal activities such as: knowledge management activities, outreach, communication and visibility, awareness raising activities as well as background and context analysis (see Annual Work Plan 2016). Conclusion: The SC mentioned the importance of monitoring the evolution and development of priorities of partner countries and MS both after a MP or a CAMM declaration signature and during the implementation of multiple actions that can also derive from other commitments between the EU and partner countries. 2. RULES OF PROCEDURES The SC commented on the document “Draft Rules of Procedures”: Ö On point 3: ICMPD will set up the Grant Evaluation Committee that shall assess the project proposals received. DG HOME representatives will be systematically invited at the meetings and the Chair can suggest other EC DGs or EEAS representatives to participate as members or observers. ICMPD will share project proposals to be evaluated with all members of the SC. Ö On point 5: representatives from DG HOME will participate in the meetings of the Grant Evaluation Committee, depending on the proposals per partner country. The suggestion to add “as members or observers” will be included. Ö On point 8: the SC shall function and take decisions via e-mail exchange but also in meetings. This would be added to the final document. Ö On point 9: clarification has been made on the collaboration with the EU MS. They will be consulted, through their MPF Focal Points (FPs), representing the EU MS that signed the respective MP in order to ensure complementarities with possible bilateral actions not included in the scoreboards. The entire project proposal will not be shared, just the topic. The formulation will be therefore changed in the final version of the Rules of Procedures. CAMM will be included on top of page 4. It will also be added that ICMPD shall be invited, `whenever possible`, to the MPs local cooperation platforms. It was agreed that projects will be evaluated upon their receipt due to the short implementation period of the MPF. Ö On point 10: the SC agreed to be copied only to important exchanges, in order to avoid very heavy communication lines. 2

Conclusion: Following the discussion, the Rules of Procedures will be reviewed and distributed to the SC members for final endorsement. 3. THE MPF ANNUAL WORK PLAN 2016 The MPF Annual Work Plan 2016 was presented and SC the members highlighted the following elements: Under the actions implemented by ICMPD – B1 - B1-4.4: Morocco and Armenia should be added to the support to and establishment of platforms. These activities (under B1) can be triggered by the SC or EUDs. Under the actions implemented by ICMPD – B2 - B2-5.3: the idea here is to have updated scoreboards visible online. - B2-7: communication and the question of a MPF webpage – the question if a separate one or under the web page of DG HOME will be clarified with the DG HOME communication unit. - B2-7.5: Cyprus has already nominated an MPF Focal Point. - B2-7.8: the workshop with the Eastern partners may take place in Moldova or in Georgia around May or June (tbc). The workshop with the Southern partners requires further conceptualisation and buy-in given the political sensitiveness and uneasy cooperation with some partner countries. - B2-7.9: the Annual Conference on MPs and CAMMs - the plan to hold the conference still in 2016 was found useful in order to give the opportunity to showcase positive examples and benefits of MP to partner countries not yet having enough experience with MP. Also this conference will present the results of the two geographical workshops organised earlier. Conclusion: The MPF Annual Work Plan 2016 was adopted. 4. PRIORITIES OF THE UPCOMING CALL FOR PROPOSALS The Call for Proposals is planned to be launched at the beginning of April. The SC members pointed to some aspects related to its modalities and discussed a number of practical aspects. Ö A part of the funds should be temporarily put aside for the countries that are in the process of signing a MP (e.g. Belarus, Lebanon). It is essential that the EU/EU MS are able to provide quick support upon the signature of the Joint Declarations. Ö The “first come – first served” principle shall be rather regarded as “first come – first evaluated”. Geographical and thematic balance and absorption capacities of partner countries are important factors. The MPF shall deploy an open and rather strategic approach encompassing a balance between topics and regions, considering the priorities and interests to EU and EU MS, also in order to trigger interest once the call is launched. Ö Concerning the political context in some countries (e.g. the relations between Morocco and the EU), the evolution of the current situation is to be taken into account. Ö The Call for Proposals should not require a too complicated application modality, taking however into account necessary formal requirements. The applicants should be aware of the fact that the time frame is short, and hence the guidelines shall highlight this element. All MPs and CAMM countries can benefit. In terms of topics, the guidelines of the call shall be broad and flexible. Ö Regarding the co-funding obligation, the EU MS could provide co-funding by mobilising expertise/human resources, i.e. covering a part of the necessary human resources costs. 3

Ö Since there are other facilities at the disposal of the MPs or CAMMs partners, the MPF will need to ensure complementarities and synergies, taking into account the distinguishing features of each initiative and their added value. Ö The possible disinterest or incapability of EU MS to manage/implement projects may be a challenge, given the existing structures and institutional limitations, despite their interest to be involved in projects. Ö Concerning other topics, such as trafficking in human beings or migration and development that are not explicitly mentioned in the Delegation Agreement, they can be envisaged within the limits of the scope of the HOME funds. However, in case of possible actions under the migration and development cluster, it should be taken into account the legal requirement that DG HOME funds should concentrate on non-development-related interventions. Hence, the guidelines of the call should not make an explicit reference to this subject. Ö As the MPF is a Union action, the activities that can be funded under its umbrella should either promote a transnational scope (involving more than one MS) or should be in the particular interest of the EU. In the guidelines of the Call, the transnational activities should thus be favoured, but without excluding bilateral actions in case they represent a particular interest for the EU (e.g. on legal migration, or specific innovative/pilot projects). Ö The EU MS shall be consulted and informed at various stages of the implementation and some concrete elements shall be presented to the MS at the GAMM experts meeting, on 07 March 2016, also taking into consideration the Annual Work Programmes 2014 that laid down the funding of the MPF. Conclusion: The SC will be consulted during the elaboration of the Guidelines for the Call for Proposals. 4