Lawmakers slam diversion of EU aid to ‘Trust Fund for Africa’

The European Parliament's plenary session endorsed on 13 September 2016 a critical report on the European Union's Trust Fund for Africa, just under a year since its launch.

The Fund was initially conceived as a response to the development challenges in migrants' home countries - mainly in the Sahel region, the Lake Chad region, the Horn of Africa and North Africa. Members of the parliament warned that EU development money was being diverted to stem migration flows from authoritarian regimes.

The agreement on this Trust Fund was part of the outcome of the Valletta summit on migration. Lawmakers warned against the lack of funds allocated to this instrument.

European Commission: The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/regions/africa/eu-emergency-trust-fund-africa_en

European Parliament: European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2016 on the EU Trust Fund for Africa: the implications for development and humanitarian aid http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P8-TA-2016-0337&language=EN&ring=A8-2016-0221

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