EU ponderously slow tackling refugee crisis

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.com/en/eu-ponderously-slow-tackling-refugee-crisis/a-18783948

EU states have not respected their commitments, despite the urgent refugee crisis. Instead, they will hold a summit again. Bernd Riegert reports from Brussels.

EU ponderously slow tackling refugee crisis
Bernd Riegert
14.10.2015

In the special meeting on the refugee crisis just three weeks ago, the 28 heads of state and government of the European Union agreed on a number of urgent measures to manage "the biggest challenge in decades," as it was stated in summit documents.

Now, one day before the next EU summit, the EU Commission has drawn up an interim report to present the resolutions that have been implemented. "I'm concerned about the gaps," said the vice-president of the EU Commission, Frans Timmermans, who gave the EU countries poor grades for their efforts. He reminded the press in Brussels that, "words must now be followed by actions."

Promises fulfilled reluctantly

A glance at the figures shows what the EU commissioner means. EU leaders decided on a billion-euro relief fund for Syria. The European Commission has already provided half the money - 500 million euros - from the Community fund. The EU states planned to pay for the other half, but until now, only eight million euros have materialized. EU leaders also agreed to provide the UN World Food Program with another billion euros for refugee camps in Turkey. The European Commission has paid 200 million euros and all the EU states together, 270 million.

Basically, more than half of the emergency aid for the World Food Program is missing. Furthermore, there is still no money in the special refugee assistance fund for countries of origin in Africa, according to the EU Commission.