On 8 March 2022, the Commission has adopted a proposal for Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) allowing Member States and regions to provide emergency support to people fleeing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. CARE will support the Member States’ effort to cover the basic needs of refugees, including food, water, accommodation, or medical care.
The proposal intents to facilitate and speed up the mobilisation of Cohesion funds. Moreover, the 100% co-financing rate for the timeframe 2014-2020 applied in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended by one financial year to ease national budgetary pressures. To use this option, Member States only need to notify the EU Commission, a decision is no longer required.
As regards the financial sources underlying CARE, a significant share of the €10 billion allocated for the 2022 package of the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) will be available for spending in the areas of employment, education, and social inclusion. Furthermore, they can be used to finance the setup of reception centres, shelters, mobile hospitals, and water and sanitary infrastructure and thereby directly support those Member States hosting people in need.
Additionally, FEAD funds will be crucial to immediately provide much-needed food and basic material assistance. Member States will be able to use resources either from the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) or the ESF for any type of support measures, with the possibility to shift money from one to the other. Member States can further apply for support retroactively as of the start date of the Russian invasion.
To reduce the administrative burden, the programme notification adoption process as well as the reporting will be simplified.
In summary, CARE aims at providing additional flexibility in cohesion policy funding and FEAD programmes to assist Member States hosting Ukrainian refugees, including third country nationals. The proposal now requires adoption by the European Parliament and the Council to become effective.
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