European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, together with some European Heads of State, launched on November 12 the EU’s Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa.

“Through its long-standing development cooperation over the years, the EU has been substantially contributing to tackling the root causes of poverty and migration” Mr. Juncker said adding that “This Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, set up at a record speed, shows once more the EU’s commitment to swiftly reply to the large challenges we are facing in the region,”

He also called all European countries and countries in Africa to work together in order to address the root causes of irregular migration and promoting economic and equal opportunities, security and development.

The Emergency Trust Fund is made up of €1.8 billion from the European Union financing instruments as well as contributions from EU Member States and other donors. So far, 25 EU Member States and 2 non-EU donors (Norway and Switzerland) have announced a total contribution of around €78.2 million.

The Emergency Trust Fund is an innovative way how the EU is stepping up its collective response to current challenges on the ground and is a complementary tool to the EU’s already existing development cooperation in the region to assist the most fragile and vulnerable countries across Africa.

It represents an important instrument to effectively implement the Action Plan to be adopted at the Valletta Summit and will benefit the Sahel region and Lake Chad area; the Horn of Africa and the North of Africa. Together, these encompass the major African migration routes to Europe. Neighbouring countries in these regions may also benefit from the Trust Fund’s projects to address regional migration flows and related cross-border challenges.

The Trust Fund Board is chaired by the European Commission and composed of representatives of Member States and other contributing donors. Partner countries and regional organisations have also been invited to participate.