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1. Each Member State shall ensure that the priorities addressed in its programme are consistent with and respond to Union priorities and challenges in the area of asylum and migration management and are fully in accordance with the relevant Union acquis and agreed Union priorities, while fully respecting the international obligations of the Union and the Member States arising from the international instruments to which they are party. In defining the priorities of their programmes Member States shall ensure that the implementation measures listed in Annex II are adequately addressed in their programmes. Given the internal nature of the Fund, Member States’ programmes shall primarily serve internal Union policy in line with the specific objectives set out in Article 3(2) of this Regulation. The Commission shall assess the Member States’ programmes in accordance with Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

2. Within the resources allocated in Article 13(1), and without prejudice to paragraph 3 of this Article, each Member State shall allocate within its programme:

(a) a minimum of 15 % of its allocated resources to the specific objective set out in point (a) of Article 3(2); and (b) a minimum of 15 % of its allocated resources to the specific objective set out in point (b) of Article 3(2).

3. A Member State may allocate less than the minimum percentages referred to in paragraph 2 only if it provides a detailed explanation in its programme as to why allocating resources below that level would not jeopardise the achievement of the relevant objective.

4. The Commission shall ensure that the knowledge and expertise of the relevant decentralised agencies, in particular EASO, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, established by Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 (), are taken into account as regards the areas of their competence, at an early stage and in a timely manner, in the development of the Member States’ programmes.

5. The Commission may involve, where appropriate, relevant decentralised agencies, including those referred to in paragraph 4, in the monitoring and evaluation tasks as specified in Section 5, in particular with a view to ensuring that the actions implemented with the support of the Fund are compliant with the relevant Union acquis and agreed Union priorities.

6. Following the adoption of recommendations in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013 which are within the scope of this Regulation, the Member State concerned shall examine, together with the Commission, how to address the findings and recommendations through its programme with the support of the Fund, where appropriate. The Commission may, where relevant, also draw on the expertise of decentralised agencies on specific issues falling within those agencies’ competencies.

7. Where necessary, the programme of the Member State in question shall be amended in accordance with Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 to take into account the recommendations referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article.

8. In cooperation and consultation with the Commission and the relevant decentralised agencies as regards the areas of their competence, as applicable, the Member State concerned may reallocate resources under its programme with the aim of addressing the recommendations referred to in paragraph 6 where those recommendations have financial implications.

9. Member States shall in particular pursue the actions eligible for higher co-financing rates that are listed in Annex IV in their programmes. In the event of unforeseen or new circumstances or in order to ensure the effective implementation of funding, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 37 to amend the list of actions eligible for higher co-financing rates in Annex IV.

10. Member States’ programmes may allow for the inclusion of immediate relatives of persons covered by the integration measures referred to in Annex III to the extent necessary for the effective implementation of those measures.

11. Whenever a Member State decides to implement a project with or in a third country with the support of the Fund, the Member State concerned shall consult the Commission prior to the approval of the project.

12. Programming as referred to in Article 22(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 shall be based on the types of intervention set out in Table 1 of Annex VI to this Regulation and shall include an indicative breakdown of the programmed resources by type of intervention within each specific objective set out in Article 3(2) of this Regulation.