Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

While Turkey is part of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, financial support under this programme is mostly foreseen for countries covered by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). Turkey benefitted only from marginal amounts under some regional, multi-beneficiary programmes (e.g. Euromed Heritage).

So far, payments under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) amount to EUR 4 billion for the IPA I period (2007-13) and EUR 1.4 billion for the IPA II period[1] (2014-20).

Over EUR 4.5 billion was allocated under IPA I and EUR 3 billion under IPA II. Since 2017, the EU has cut EUR 1.3 billion from the financial envelope reserved for Turkey under IPA II. These figures do not take into account the amounts allocated and paid under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT), which is benefiting refugees directly. All EUR 6 billion allocated under the FRiT has been contracted, of which EUR 3 billion in bilateral contributions from Member States. EUR 3.9 billion from FRiT has already been disbursed[2].

At the end of 2019, t he European Investment Bank (EIB) had a t otal disbursed exposure in Turkey of EUR 12.3 billion, with a further EUR 0.8 billion signed but not disbursed[3]. Since 1965, the EIB has extended loans for a cumulative EUR 30.4 billion[4]. EIB lending to Turkey has fallen substantially since 2016 and the latest loan of EUR 50 million was signed in 2019. Following the measures decided by the EU in 2019, no loans to Turkey were signed in 2020.

On the basis of the implementation of budgetary commitments in third countries in 2019, the biggest amount was allocated to Turkey (EUR 2 656 million) [5]. However, the overwhelming part of this amount concerns support to refugees in Turkey under the FRiT (some EUR 2 408 million)[6]. Non-refugee support to Turkey under IPA amounted to some EUR 247 million in commitments in 2019 and some EUR 168 million in the voted 2020 budget.

• [1] Cut-off date for this data is 31 December 2020 for Direct Management and fund transfers (except for IPARD which is 30 November 2020), and 30 November 2020 for Indirect Management with the Beneficiary Country local level.
• [2] Updated list of the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey projects (committed/decided, contracted, disbursed) is available here: https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/facility_table.pdf
• [3] https://www.eib.org/attachments/general/reports/eib_financial_report_2019_en.pdf
• [4] Projects focusing on transport and urban infrastructure, environmental and agricultural development, as well as enhancing access to finance to small businesses. Details of all EIB’s operations can be found under the bank’s website: http://www.eib.org/en/projects/regions/enlargement/turkey/index.htm and
  http://www.eib.org/en/projects/loan/list/index.htm?from=&region=3&sector=&to=&country=TR
• [5] See Working Document VIII to the EU budget for 2021, page 37, available at https://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/budgweb/EN/bud/proc/adopt/Documents/DB2021-WD08-EU-external-action.pdf
• [6] See end 2019 report on the implementation of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, available at https://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/budgweb/EN/rep/finrep/budg-report/Documents/budg-report-201912-Facility-Refugees-Turkey.pdf