report parliamentary committee draft, 19 May 2026
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union support for the Schengen area, for European integrated border management and for the common policy on visas for the period from 2028 to 2034
Document LIBE-PR-788793 · (COM(2025)0541 – C100176/2025 – 2025/0541(COD))
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Karlo Ressler
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Draft european parliament legislative resolution 98 paragraphs
(COM(2025)0541 – C100176/2025 – 2025/0541(COD))
(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)
The European Parliament,
–having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0541),
–having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 77(2) and Article 79(2), points (c) and (d), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C100176/2025),
–having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
–having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,
–having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 19 February 2026,
–having regard to Rules 60 and 58 of its Rules of Procedure,
–having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A100000/2026),
1.Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;
2.Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;
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3.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.
Amendment 1
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (9) In the face of a changing global landscape and growing instability, the Union and its Member States need to combine their resources to protect the Union’s external borders effectively, including to address irregular migration, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, and top respond to State actors artificially creating and facilitating irregular migration, instrumentalising migratory flows as a tool for political purposes, and using hybrid warfare tactics, such as the weaponisation of migration7 , to destabilise the European Union and its Member States. In the interest of solidarity in the Schengen area as a whole and in the spirit of shared responsibility for the protection of the Union’s external borders, the Member State’s National and Regional Partnership Plan should adequately address the challenges identified, notably in the context of the European Integrated Border Management Strategy, the European Visa Policy Strategy and in the new Schengen IT architecture relying on the large-scale information technology (IT) systems deployed for external borders and security management as well as on the interoperability of those systems. Furthermore, in support of the border control mission, the deployment of technology and digital solutions should be considered. | (9) In the face of a changing global landscape and growing instability, the Union and its Member States need to combine their resources and ensure they have at their disposal adequate physical, technical, human and administrative capacities to protect the Union’s external borders effectively, including to address illegal migration, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, and top respond to State actors artificially creating and facilitating illegal migration, instrumentalising migratory flows as a tool for political purposes, and using hybrid warfare tactics, such as the weaponisation of migration7 , to destabilise the European Union and its Member States. In the interest of solidarity in the Schengen area as a whole and in the spirit of shared responsibility for the protection of the Union’s external borders, the Member State’s National and Regional Partnership Plan should adequately address the challenges identified, notably in the context of the European Integrated Border Management Strategy, the European Visa Policy Strategy and in the new Schengen IT architecture relying on the large-scale information technology (IT) systems deployed for external borders and security management as well as on the interoperability of those systems. Furthermore, in support of the border control mission, the deployment of technology and digital solutions should be considered. |
| 7 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on countering hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration and strengthening security at the EU’s external borders (COM(2024) 570 final of 11.12.2024). | 7 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on countering hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration and strengthening security at the EU’s external borders (COM(2024) 570 final of 11.12.2024). |
Or. en
Amendment 2
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (10) The Union support should contribute to ensuring consistency, coherence, synergies and complementarities between the Union’s internal and external policies. An increased coherence is needed between migration, asylum, return and external policies and it is important to ensure that the Union’s external assistance and Union support under this Regulation contribute to a coordinated, holistic and structured approach to migration, maximising synergies and increasing leverage. Union support under this Regulation may also include support to the relevant resources of the EU delegations in duly justified cases, and be coordinated between the Member States and the Commission in programming and implementation stages. | (10) The Union support should contribute to ensuring consistency, coherence, synergies and complementarities between the Union’s internal and external policies. It is important that the Commission ensure coordination with other relevant EU funds, such as the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund and the Internal Security Fund, to maximise the impact of EU funding and avoid duplication. An increased coherence is needed between migration, asylum, return and external policies and it is important to ensure that the Union’s external assistance and Union support under this Regulation contribute to a coordinated, holistic and structured approach to migration, maximising synergies and increasing leverage in pursuit of meaningful and results-oriented cooperation with third countries and relevant stakeholders. Union support under this Regulation may include actions carried out in third countries, including support to the relevant resources of the EU delegations, and be coordinated between the Member States and the Commission in programming and implementation stages. |
Or. en
Amendment 3
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (12) As challenges in border management and visa policy are constantly evolving, there is a need to adapt the allocation of Union support to changes in priorities for external border management and visa policy, including changes that result from increased pressure at the border, and a need to steer funding towards the priorities with the highest Union added value. To respond to pressing needs and changes in policy and Union priorities, and to steer funding towards actions with a high level of Union added value, part of the Union support should be implemented in direct, shared and indirect management via the EU Facility established pursuant to Regulation (EU) […] establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security. The EU Facility offers flexibility in the management of the Union support, and, for shared management, it should be implemented through the Member States’ National and Regional Partnership Plans. | (12) As challenges in border management and visa policy are constantly evolving, there is a need to adapt the allocation of Union support to changes in priorities for external border management and visa policy, including changes that result from increased pressure at the border, and a need to steer funding towards the priorities with the highest Union added value. To respond to pressing needs and changes in policy and Union priorities, and to steer funding towards actions with a high level of Union added value, part of the Union support should be implemented in direct, shared and indirect management via the EU Facility established pursuant to Regulation (EU) […] establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security. For the purposes of such prioritisation, pressing needs and priority challenges should be identified on the basis of Union-level monitoring mechanisms and tools, including Schengen evaluations, the Frontex vulnerability assessment and relevant analyses of competent Union bodies, offices and agencies within their mandates. The EU Facility offers flexibility in the management of the Union support, and, for shared management, it should be implemented through the Member States’ National and Regional Partnership Plans. Such flexibility should ensure that support can be promptly directed towards measures strengthening the immediate operational capacity, particularly at the most exposed external border sections, and towards investments with a measurable and lasting impact on security, procedural efficiency and the resilience of the Schengen area. |
Or. en
Amendment 4
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (13) The Commission and the Member States should ensure that the knowledge and experience of Union bodies, offices and agencies are taken into account when implementing measures or addressing challenges in relation to migration management, border control and management and internal security. Where appropriate, the Commission should also be able to involve the relevant Union bodies, offices and agencies in activities aiming to ensure that the measures supported by the Union support comply with the relevant Union acquis and agreed Union priorities. | (13) The Commission and the Member States should ensure that the knowledge and experience of Union bodies, offices and agencies are taken into account when implementing measures or addressing challenges in relation to migration management, border control and management and internal security, including by making full use of their operational and analytical capacities and by ensuring effective coordination and information exchange with those bodies, offices and agencies. Where appropriate, the Commission should also be able to involve the relevant Union bodies, offices and agencies in activities aiming to ensure that the measures supported by the Union support comply with the relevant Union acquis and agreed Union priorities. |
Or. en
Amendment 5
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (16) The Union support should contribute to modernising and improving the efficiency of visa processing in terms of detecting and assessing security and irregular migration risks, ensuring effective implementation of the Visa Code. In particular, the Union support should contribute to the digitalisation of visa processing with the objective of providing fast, secure and client-friendly visa procedures for the benefit of both visa applicants and consulates. The Union support should also serve to improve service to visa applicants, including through a better coverage of consular services across the world. | (16) The Union support should contribute to modernising and improving the efficiency of visa processing in terms of detecting and assessing security and illegal migration risks, ensuring effective implementation of the Visa Code. In particular, the Union support should contribute to the digitalisation of visa processing with the objective of providing fast, secure and client-friendly visa procedures for the benefit of both visa applicants and consulates. The Union support should also serve to improve service to visa applicants, including through a better coverage of consular services across the world. |
Or. en
Amendment 6
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (17) The Member States may build on the principle of partnership in the implementation of the Union support to ensure continuity in the governance approach. | (17) The Member States may build on the principle of partnership in the implementation of the Union support to ensure continuity in the governance approach, including by ensuring the appropriate involvement of regional and local authorities in the preparation and implementation of the Member States’ National and Regional Partnership Plans, according to the specific institutional frameworks. |
Or. en
Amendment 7
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (17a) The Union support should contribute to increasing the effectiveness of return policy, as an essential component of a well-functioning migration management system. In particular, it should support Member States in ensuring swift, efficient and sustainable returns, including through enhanced cooperation with third countries on readmission and reintegration. |
Or. en
Amendment 8
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (24a) The provisions of this Regulation as well as its governance arrangements must be conducive to proper decision-making by the budgetary authority and to appropriate parliamentary oversight. In particular, any specification of Union support for the Schengen area, European integrated border management and the common policy on visas’ internal architecture should be duly reflected in the budget nomenclature through the introduction of corresponding budget lines. |
Or. en
Amendment 9
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24 b (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (24b) The implications of this Regulation for the Union budget have been assessed1a pursuant to Article 310(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Sufficient financial and human resources should be provided for its implementation, while considering the impact of the financing on other Union programmes or policies and ensuring its compatibility with the multiannual financial framework as well as with the budgetary principles laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council1b. | |
| 1a Budgetary assessment of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets of 17 April 2026 on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union support for the Schengen area, for European integrated border management and for the common policy on visas for the period from 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0541). | |
| 1b Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj). |
Or. en
Amendment 10
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| This Union support shall be exempted from the application of the horizontal principles referred to in Articles 5, 6 and 7 of Regulation (EU) xxxx/xxx (Performance Regulation). |
Or. en
Amendment 11
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 b (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Expenditure financed by this Union support shall be excluded from the basis for the calculation of the climate and environment spending target as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) xxxx/xxx (Performance Regulation). |
Or. en
Amendment 12
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) supporting effective European integrated border management at the external borders, implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard as a shared responsibility of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the national authorities responsible for border management, including through innovative methods and new technologies, to facilitate legitimate border crossings, to prevent and detect illegal immigration, cross-border crime, and instrumentalisation and weaponisation of irregular migration, to contribute to effective return; | (b) supporting effective European integrated border management at the external borders, implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard as a shared responsibility of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the national authorities responsible for border management, including through innovative methods and new technologies, to facilitate legitimate border crossings, to prevent and detect illegal immigration, cross-border crime, instrumentalisation and weaponisation of illegal migration and other hybrid threats, and to contribute to effective return; |
Or. en
Amendment 13
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The Member States shall ensure that the priorities of their National and Regional Partnership Plans include actions to achieve each of the objectives of the Union support under this Regulation, and, that the allocation of resources between objectives is proportionate to the identified challenges and needs. | 3. The Member States shall ensure that the priorities of their National and Regional Partnership Plans include actions to achieve each of the objectives of the Union support under this Regulation, and, that the allocation of resources between objectives is proportionate to the identified challenges and needs, including the level of exposure of external border sections, the operational burden on competent authorities, security risks and the need to ensure sustainable capacity over time. |
Or. en
Amendment 14
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 3a | |
| Specific objectives of the Union support for the Schengen area, for European integrated border management at the external borders and for the common policy on visas | |
| 1. Within the objective referred to in Article 3(1), point (a), the Union support shall contribute to the well-functioning of the Schengen area and cross-border cooperation, including by supporting: | |
| (a) the implementation of recommendations resulting from Schengen evaluations and monitoring mechanisms, and measures addressing deficiencies affecting the application of the Schengen acquis; | |
| (b) measures supporting the uniform, effective and timely application of the Schengen acquis in the areas covered by this Regulation; | |
| (c) preparatory, monitoring, administrative and technical activities required to strengthen Schengen governance, including activities supporting evaluation and monitoring mechanisms; | |
| (d) actions supporting the collection, exchange and use of information, risk analysis and situational awareness where necessary for the well functioning of the Schengen area; | |
| (e) measures supporting the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Union priorities relevant to the functioning of the Schengen area. | |
| 2. Within the objective referred to in Article 3(1), point (b), the Union support shall contribute to European integrated border management, including by supporting: | |
| (a) the procurement, maintenance and upgrading of technical means of transport, surveillance systems, communication systems and information and communication technology necessary for effective and secure border management; | |
| (b) the development, construction, adaptation, maintenance and modernisation of infrastructure and facilities, as well as the procurement, maintenance and upgrading of equipment, at border crossing points and along external borders, including fixed, mobile and deployable assets required for the conduct of border checks, surveillance operations and related procedures carried out in accordance with Union law; | |
| (c) the establishment, operation, maintenance, upgrading and interoperability of large-scale IT systems supporting border management, including actions supporting data quality, cybersecurity, system readiness and the exercise of data subjects’ rights; | |
| (d) training, capacity building, exchange of best practices and the development of common standards for border guards and other authorities exercising border-management functions; | |
| (e) measures to strengthen cooperation and coordination between Member States and with relevant Union bodies, offices and agencies, including the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, eu-LISA and other competent Union bodies, offices and agencies; | |
| (f) actions supporting the European Border and Coast Guard, including capability development, common capacity building, joint procurement, the establishment of common standards, the registration or placing at the disposal of equipment in the technical equipment pool of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and measures addressing recommendations resulting from vulnerability assessments; | |
| (g) actions supporting the development, operation and use of EUROSUR and other tools contributing to border surveillance, situational awareness, risk analysis and information exchange; | |
| (h) actions supporting screening and border procedures at the external borders, including operational and technical activities, equipment, facilities, training, coordination and activities of independent monitoring mechanisms provided for under Union law; | |
| (i) the development and deployment of innovative methods and new technologies in support of European integrated border management. | |
| 3. Within the objective referred to in Article 3(1), point (c), the Union support shall contribute to the common visa policy, including by supporting: | |
| (a) the digitalisation of visa processing and the modernisation of consular services, with a view to ensuring secure, efficient and accessible procedures for visa applicants; | |
| (b) the development, upgrading, maintenance and operation of infrastructure, facilities, security measures, operating equipment and ICT systems required for visa application processing and consular cooperation; | |
| (c) consular cooperation, consular coverage, document security and cooperation among Member States in visa processing; | |
| (d) the deployment, training and capacity building of consular and other staff contributing to the common visa policy; | |
| (e) support to Member States in issuing visas in accordance with the Union acquis, including, where appropriate, visas with limited territorial validity; | |
| (f) measures addressing recommendations resulting from Schengen evaluations in the area of the common visa policy; | |
| (g) the establishment, operation, maintenance, upgrading and interoperability of large-scale IT systems supporting the common visa policy, including the Visa Information System and related communication infrastructure; | |
| (h) actions enhancing data quality in visa-related ICT systems and improving the exercise of data subjects’ rights; | |
| (i) studies, pilot projects, exchange of best practices, monitoring, evaluation, statistical tools and innovative methods or technologies contributing to the implementation and modernisation of the common visa policy. | |
| 4. Union support may also cover operating support, including eligible staff costs, communication activities, technical assistance and other preparatory, administrative, monitoring, control or evaluation activities necessary for the implementation of the objectives set out in Article 3, including costs necessary to maintain operational readiness. | |
| 5. The categories of actions and measures referred to in this Article shall be non-exhaustive and shall be without prejudice to the eligibility rules, implementation modes, performance framework and programming arrangements laid down in Regulation (EU) […] establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security and in Regulation (EU) xxxx/xxx (Performance Regulation). |
Or. en
Amendment 15
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 b (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 3b | |
| Union support for actions in or in relation to third countries | |
| Union support may be provided for actions in or in relation to third countries, provided that those actions contribute to the objectives set out in Article 3 of this Regulation, complementing the actions in third countries supported by Regulation (EU) [Global Europe Fund]. Such actions shall serve the interests of internal Union policies and be consistent with activities undertaken within the Union. |
Or. en
Amendment 16
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The indicative financial envelope for the implementation of the objectives set out in Article 3 for the period from 2028 to 2034 is set at EUR 15 396 750 000 in current prices. It shall be implemented in compliance with the horizontal rules for the National and Regional Partnership Plans laid down in Regulation (EU) […] establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security. | 1. The indicative financial envelope for the implementation of the objectives set out in Article 3 for the period from 2028 to 2034 is set at ... [number from the interim report on the proposal for the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034 (2025/0571R(APP))], in current and 2025 prices. It shall be implemented in compliance with the horizontal rules for the National and Regional Partnership Plans laid down in Regulation (EU) […] establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security. |
Or. en
Amendment 17
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3a. In implementing the budgetary appropriations referred to in paragraph 3 through the EU Facility, the Commission shall take into account pressing needs and priority challenges affecting the objectives set out in Article 3, as identified on the basis of Union-level monitoring mechanisms and tools, including Schengen evaluations, the Frontex vulnerability assessment and relevant analyses of competent Union bodies, offices and agencies within their mandates, when setting priorities for Union support under the EU Facility. |
Or. en
Explanatory statement 11 paragraphs
On 16 July 2025, the Commission presented proposals for the three successor programmes to the current funds in the home affairs area (AMIF, BMVI and ISF), together with a horizontal Fund on National, Regional and Partnership (NRP) Plans [the so-called ‘NRP Fund’]. The present proposal for a Regulation establishing the Union support for the Schengen area, for European integrated border management and for the common policy on visas for the period from 2028 to 2034 is part of that package. The Commission proposal foresees a budget of EUR 15,4 billion for the period 2028 to 2034.
According to the Commission, the architecture and approach of the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework (2028-2034 MFF) are to provide the Union with a modernised budget, revamped to ensure flexibility and simplification, and tailored to local needs. From this perspective, flexibility means “a more agile budget, combining stability and predictability with a more structural capacity to adapt to evolving needs and priorities”; while simplification means “simplifying and harmonising rules and processes for access to EU funding”, making access to EU funds for beneficiaries easier, and “a simpler architecture, with fewer programmes, reducing administrative burden”.
The NRP Fund is a key component of this revised architecture. In its position on the proposed 2028–2034 MFF, the European Parliament underlined that the proposed level of financing does not match the Union’s strategic ambitions or the scale of the challenges Europe faces, from security, defence and migration management to economic and technological competitiveness. It also stressed that flexibility and simplification must be accompanied by adequate resources and the capacity to deliver concrete results. This is particularly relevant given that the NRP Fund brings together cohesion policy, the common agricultural and fisheries policies, but also the policies in home affairs areas, including migration, asylum, border management, the Schengen framework, visas and internal security. The fund is to be implemented either through NRP Plans, themselves prepared by the Member States, assessed by the Commission, and adopted by the Council, or through an EU Facility that should complement implementation at national and regional level and support transnational and innovative projects.
There is thus a close connection between the present proposal and the NRP Fund. While the present proposal determines the financial envelope and policy objectives, its implementation falls under the framework of the NRP Fund. As the NRP Fund indicates, “sector specific regulations may set out specific conditions to complement the NRP Fund” but those conditions “should not be in contradiction” with the NRP Fund; in case of doubt, the latter “shall prevail” (Recital 8). Annex I of the NRPP proposal determines the key for the financial contribution available for each Member State for the implementation of their respective NRP Plan. The proposal also allows Member States to amend their plan and to request to reallocate part of the amounts between the three home affairs instruments.
Due to the fact that not all Member States participate in all policy areas of the Union (‘variable geometry’) the three home affairs instruments have been tabled alongside the NRP Fund, rather than incorporated into it. Schengen associated countries are supposed to participate through financial contributions agreed in bilateral arrangements with the EU.
The objective of the present proposal is to provide targeted and flexible Union funding to support Member States in the effective implementation, application and further development of Schengen framework, European integrated border management and visa-related tasks contributing to the overall security and proper functioning of the Schengen area. To this end, it supports measures aimed at strengthening border surveillance capacities, improving interoperability and digitalisation, enhancing situational awareness, facilitating visa procedures, and ensuring compliance with fundamental rights obligations in all related activities.
The proposal builds on the existing architecture established under the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI) and related Union instruments, while taking into consideration new operational realities and technological developments. It seeks to ensure continuity of support while strengthening the Union’s capacity to respond to emerging challenges affecting functioning of the Schengen area, European integrated border management and EU visa policy. While closely linked with the continued implementation and development of large-scale Union information systems and interoperability architecture, including the Entry/Exit System (EES), the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the Visa Information System (VIS), the Schengen Information System (SIS), and Eurodac, the proposal also complements the implementation of the relevant parts of the Pact on Migration and Asylum (Screening Regulation).
Three additional elements of the proposal are the financial allocation to Lithuania for the Special Transit Scheme, the provision on the resources for Member States’ operating costs of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the rules for the financial contributions for the Annual Solidarity Pool in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1351.
Against this background, the rapporteur welcomes the increase in Union support for migration, border management and internal security under the proposed 2028-2034 MFF, with the overall allocation for these areas being three times higher than under the current MFF.
The rapporteur considers that the regulation should provide greater clarity and guidance to Member States on the categories of actions and measures that may be supported under the instrument. While preserving the flexibility of the new architecture, the regulation should set out a non-exhaustive list of support categories linked to each of its specific objectives: the well-functioning of the Schengen area, European integrated border management at the external borders, and the common policy on visas. This would provide greater legal and political clarity for the types of support envisaged, while avoiding an overly prescriptive or closed list of eligible actions that would undermine the necessary flexibility under the new architecture.
The rapporteur also considers that the flexibility provided by the EU Facility should be guided by objective needs and clear Union added value. When setting priorities for Union support under the EU Facility, the Commission should therefore take into account pressing needs and priority challenges identified through Union-level monitoring mechanisms and tools, including Schengen evaluations, the Frontex vulnerability assessment and relevant analyses of competent Union bodies, offices and agencies within their respective mandates. This would help ensure that flexibility is not exercised in an opaque manner, but steered by evidence-based prioritisation and operational needs.