Filenews 18 May 2022
Technical assistance regarding the reception of people who have fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion will be provided by the Commission under the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), in Cyprus, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, at the request of these Member States, according to a relevant announcement.
As Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira explained, the EU has a duty to help those fleeing the war and seeking security in its Member States.
"This means giving them access to housing, education, healthcare and employment," Ferreira added, adding that TSI is the tool with which the European Commission "supports member states so that this can be done smoothly and quickly".
In particular, the expertise provided under the TSI will help Member States to better absorb EU funds for reception and integration purposes and will assist them in the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive.
Also, through the TSI, Member States will be assisted in the procedures for the recognition of the professional qualifications and diplomas of Ukrainian refugees in order to facilitate their entry into the labour market.
In addition, Member States will receive support in adapting school curricula to the needs of pupils from Ukraine, as well as in improving coordination between ministries.
As noted in the announcement, the activation of the TSI on this issue is a follow-up to the special invitation published by the Commission on 21 March, after the start of the Russian invasion, for applications from Member States in need of technical support regarding the reception of refugees from Ukraine and for their gradual de-dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
The Commission is already providing support to Denmark, Greece, Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Finland under the TSI for 2022, as part of the support projects "Integration of third-country nationals into EU Member States".
The aim of these projects is to improve the capacity of national authorities to provide effective and inclusive integration services, and the stay and access of third-country nationals to the labour market.
Tsi support is complementary to the work of THE EU agencies and in particular the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), which operates in Cyprus, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania, and soon in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
CNA
