Unblocking the refugee relocation impasse: EU funding for local authorities in the next MFF?

As discussions about the structure and size of the EU’s next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) starting in 2021 get underway, a window of opportunity to move away from existing Dublin rules while improving EU regional cohesion may be opening up. Under the next MFF, EU funding could be provided directly to cities and municipalities to help cover the costs of accepting refugees – as well as to improve their own infrastructure and development. Dr. Gesine Schwan, co-founder, shareholder and president of the Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform, has proposed a new European fund which local authorities could apply for directly, on a voluntary basis. Such a decentralised approach could be combined with a fundamental overhaul of the Dublin system, as proposed by Gerald Knaus, Chairman of the European Stability Initiative. This workshop aims to evaluate the feasibility of such a plan, both in the next MFF as well as a prior demonstration project, and discuss political and technical considerations.

Contact: Marco.Funk(at)fes-europe.eu