Feud over migration funds undermines EU summit – POLITICO Europe

BRUSSELS – EU countries are at odds over committing billions in new funds to deal with migration as asylum claims surge and backlogs pile up at the continent’s borders.

Germany, which received a quarter of all EU asylum applications in 2022, is particularly looking to “revive” the EU’s relations with neighboring Turkey – a nod to the last time the union faced such levels of migration, according to a senior German official .

Then, in 2016, the EU offered Turkey billions in exchange for the country hosting thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing civil war. Now there are moves to approve up to 10.5 billion euros in new money not only for Turkey but also for countries like Libya or Tunisia, in the hope that this would help prevent people from entering the country without permission enter the EU.

The debate has jumped onto the agenda of a summit meeting of EU heads of state and government on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. According to five diplomats and officials from four different countries, the countries are at odds over whether to address a financial request in the final conclusions of the meeting.

The struggle behind the scenes shows how much migration has come to dominate the political agenda. Summit organizers had hoped to keep controversial talks about migration to a minimum, instead focusing on discussions about Russia, China and economic security. But with high-profile disasters such as the recent migrant shipwreck off Greece and the continued surge in arrivals, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the heated topic.

Notably, the draft conclusions for the summit, dated Wednesday night and seen by POLITICO, still included two indirect references to the new migration funds: the €10.5 billion pot and another €2 billion for the “Migration management” within the EU’s own borders.

Whether that language will survive to Friday is another question.

Germany: Let’s talk about Turkey, not about money

Germany is, as always, one of the main players in the debate – and in this case it is making arguments for both sides.

On the one hand, Berlin wants to renew the EU’s relations with Turkey in hopes that Turkey can take in more asylum seekers and help reduce illegal border crossings. In return, the Germans want the EU to improve trade relations with the country.

On the other hand, Berlin vehemently resists attempts to explicitly mention money in the summit conclusions. The logic: Committing to new billions now would jeopardize upcoming talks on whether to increase the budget by 66 billion euros. Germany wants to discuss the whole package at once, rather than pre-approve parts of it.

As of Wednesday evening, the summit’s draft conclusions contained an indirect endorsement of the money.

Germany is, as always, one of the main players in the debate – and in this case it is making arguments for both sides | David Gannon/AFP via Getty Images

The document mentions “financing mechanisms” – as a reference to the 10.5 billion euros – for “the external aspects of migration”. That money would go to countries like Turkey, Libya and Tunisia, which migrants often pass through on their way to Europe.

There is also an indirect reference to the 2 billion euros for internal EU migration management. The text calls for “support for displaced persons,” particularly from Ukraine, through “adequate and flexible financial support for Member States, who bear the heaviest burden of the refugees’ medical, educational and living expenses.” Translated, that would mean more money for countries that take in the majority of Ukrainian refugees, such as Poland and Germany.

But during a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, German officials urged their counterparts to cut or massively cut both passages, according to the five diplomats and officials, who, like other officials in this story, were granted anonymity for not doing so publicly can discuss the conversations.

As of Wednesday evening, that appeal was unsuccessful. But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz could raise the issue himself with his counterparts on Thursday.

The German argument is that including the numbers would mean EU leaders would essentially take a big step towards approving the entire budget package – which the European Commission requested just last week – before they even did discussed it, two of the officials said.

Still, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to briefly present her €66 billion budget plan at EU leaders’ meeting on Thursday, meaning there’s likely to be an initial debate on the money, officials said .

Von der Leyen’s plans are expected to face opposition from a number of countries, particularly the so-called “frugal” countries, including Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden.

At a briefing for reporters in Berlin on Wednesday, a senior German official also expressed caution about von der Leyen’s plan.

“One of the questions is: is the Commission’s assessment of the situation convincing?” said the senior official, who could not be identified due to the rules under which the briefing was organized.

Time to work with Erdoğan again?

At the same time, the senior German official stressed Berlin’s interest in renewing EU relations with Turkey.

“[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan was re-elected and this must be an opportunity for the EU to once again comprehensively review its relations with Turkey,” the official said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

“For us, it’s about putting EU-Turkey relations back on the agenda…to possibly revitalize them if all sides want to commit to it,” the official continued, adding that the European Commission and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell should “come back with proposals in the fall.”

One idea could be an update of the EU’s trade rules with Turkey – a sensitive issue given that talks between Brussels and Ankara have not made any progress on modernizing the so-called EU-Turkey Customs Union for several years.

German politician Scholz had a phone call with Erdoğan on Wednesday, during which both heads of state and government discussed how “cooperation can be further expanded and exchanges on various cooperation issues deepened,” said Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for Scholz.

Any progress in EU-Turkey relations would also require the approval of EU countries Greece and Cyprus, which are constantly at odds with Turkey.

In this respect, at least, there seems to be progress: “We agreed to include a paragraph on Turkey and the future relationship,” said a Greek diplomat.

Wednesday night’s latest draft conclusions called on Borrell and the Commission to present “a report” on EU-Turkey relations “to take a strategic and forward-looking approach.”

Barbara Moens, Jakob Hanke Vela, Lili Bayer, Jacopo Barigazzi and Gregorio Sorgi contributed to the reporting.