Basic conditions
Decision 575/2007/EC of 7 June 2007 (Council RF Decision) forms the basis for establishing the European Return Fund. The relevant implementation guideline was issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on 12 August 2008.
For the period 2007 - 2013 there is a total of 676 million euros of RF funds available. A proportion of the total sum is allocated to Member States on an annual basis. The sum remaining after deducting administration costs is issued nationally.
Due to the Additionality Principle, measures may only be funded if there is not a legal claim to these measures in the respective Member State. Existing national, regional or local measures may be supplemented but not superseded.
The funding rate is, as a rule, 50 per cent of the project's costs but can be increased to 75 per cent if projects serve particular priorities. The amount of funding is granted as financial aid and does therefore not have to be paid back.
The RF is part of the general "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows" programme organised by the European Union. The European Commision has issued strategic guidelines concerning the Return Fund. The Member States implement national multi-year programmes based on these guidelines and define these more precisely through the annual (work) programmes (Art. 18 - 21 of the Council RF Decision).
The Return Fund is subject to monitoring by the Commission which is supported by the Committee for "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows".
You may look at and download the legal conditions and programmes specified here from our download area.
