04 July 2018•Update: 05 July 2018
By Hajer M'tiri
PARIS
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the first payment of €500 million ($582 million) out of a €3 billion ($3.49 billion) extension of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT), which is dedicated to the education of refugee children.
Members of the European Parliament adopted a draft report recommending the approval with 548 votes; 70 voted No while there were 61 abstentions.
The report however underlined that no negotiations have so far taken place with the Council on the financing of the €3 billion ($3.49 billion) extension, and that the present release of €500 million ($582 million) from the EU budget “is without prejudice to its position on the remaining part of the financing of the second tranche of the FRT”.
More than 300,000 young refugees in Turkey have already received an education thanks to the EU funds, according to the European Parliament.
The FRT, established on Nov. 24, 2015, coordinates EU assistance to refugees in Turkey.
Funded by the EU budget and additional contributions from member states, it amounts to a total of €3 billion ($3.49 billion) for 2016-2017. It was extended on March 14, 2018 and allocated an additional €3 billion ($3.49 billion) for 2018-2019.
