Det Europæiske Råd i Bruxelles den 20.-21. oktober 2016 - Bilag 6: Brev fra kommissionsformanden til formanden for Det Europæiske Råd vedr. Tyrkiet faciliteten forud for mødet den 20-21/10-16

Europaudvalget 2016-17
Det Europæiske Råd 20-21/10-16 Bilag 6
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European

Commission

Jean-Claude JUNCKER

President of the European Commission

Rue de la Loi, 200

B-1049 Brussels

Tel. +32 2 295 50 33

Brussels,

ļ 4 to,

Ares s(2016) 6434241

Dear President,

We are now six months into the implementation of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey,

which was set up with € 2 billion in funding from the budgets of the Member Stales in

addition to € 1 billion from the EU budget.

Ahead of the European Council on 20/21 October, I am hereby providing you with an

overview of what the European Commission has achieved so far to secure livelihoods

and create opportunities for refugees in Turkey, in cooperation with partners on the

ground.

Operations under the Facility have reached cruising speed quickly, and recent weeks

have brought several significant breakthroughs in its implementation. The total amount

offunding allocated under the Facility now stands at over € 2.2 billion, with over € 1.2

billion already awarded via concrete contracts. Of this, € 467 million has been

disbursed to the implementing partners. The balance will be paid progressively as the

implementation of the projects advances. Crucially, the funding from the Facility

(including the funds from the Member Stales) is making a real, tangible difference to

the lives of the over three million refugees hosted by Turkey.

In the spring of 2016, the Commission had already contracted € 150 million under the

Facility for projects to support the immediate healthcare, education, food and

protection of refugees, working with a range of international partner organisations,

including notably United Nations agencies and a number of non-governmental

organisations. A further € 74 million was contracted during the summer for protection,

health and preparation for the colder months of the year.

Mr Donald TUSK

President of the European Council

Det Europæiske Råd i Bruxelles den 20.-21. oktober 2016 - Bilag 6: Brev fra kommissionsformanden til formanden for Det Europæiske Råd vedr. Tyrkiet faciliteten forud for mødet den 20-21/10-16

On 26 September, the Emergency Social Safety Net was launched by Commissioner

Christos Stylianides together with the World Food Programme, the Turkish Red

Crescent and the Turkish authorities in Ankara. This is not only the biggest EU

humanitarian aid programme ever; it is also one of the most innovative. With € 348

million in funding from the Facility, one million of the most vulnerable refugees in

Turkey will receive a debit card, onto which they will receive a monthly cash transfer.

This will help them cover basic needs such as food or shelter, as well as helping them to

send their children to school.

Efficiency and value for money have been key concerns for the Commission in

designing the Safety Net. At least 85% of the funding for the scheme will be allocated as

cash for the refugees themselves, with the remainder serving to establish the system,

manage the selection of eligible beneficiaries, and ensure proper monitoring. Many of

the refugees in Turkey are vulnerable and live in conditions of extreme poverty, and I

have no doubt that the Safety Net will make a significant difference to their lives.

On 27 September, two major contracts on education and health were signed under the

authority of Commissioner Johannes Hahn with the Turkish authorities. They concern

two direct grants worth € 600 million in total. The first contract provides almost halfa

million Syrian children with access to regular schooling. The second provides around

two million people with access to primary healthcare services through the creation of

over 500 healthcare facilities and rehabilitative mental health services for up to one

million people. Services related to family planning and to the prevention of

communicable diseases will be provided. The recruitment and training of healthcare

staff will be enabled.

A technical update on these programmes was given in the Steering Committee for the

Facility on 4 October. The Commission will continue to roll out further projects under

the Facility in the coming months and will provide further updates. As of now, it is fair

to say that the Facility is fully operational and helping refugees. The EU is thus

delivering one of the key elements of the EU-Turkey Statement of March 2016.

Yours sincerely,