The European Commission has proposed to include in the 2011 EU draft budget €25 million of funding for the Turkish Cypriot community. This will build on the €259 million aid programme approved in 2006, which was fully contracted by the end of 2009.

The draft budget now goes to the EU budgetary authorities (the European Parliament and the Council, representing Member States) who must decide on it before the end of the year.

The funds are planned to be used, in particular, for grant schemes addressed to a large variety of beneficiaries: civil society organisations, students and teachers, schools, farmers, villages, SMEs.

Priority will be given, wherever possible, to reconciliation and confidence building measures.