# Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financing instrument            for democracy and human rights worldwide         

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# Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council

# of 11 March 2014

# establishing a financing instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 209 and 212 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee(1),                        

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(2),                        

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure(3),                        

Whereas:

(1)This Regulation constitutes one of the instruments providing direct support for the Union's external policies and replaces                              Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4). It establishes a financing instrument for the promotion and support of democracy and human rights worldwide allowing for                              assistance to be provided independently of the consent of the governments and public authorities of the third countries concerned.

(2)Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity,                              freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.                              Those values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity                              and equality between women and men prevail.

(3)Pursuant to Articles 2 and 3(3) TEU and Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), equality                              between women and men is a fundamental value and objective of the Union and the Union is to promote and mainstream gender                              equality in all its activities.

(4)Pursuant to Article 21 TEU the Union's external action is to be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation,                              namely democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for                              human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and                              international law.

(5)Within the framework of the principles and objectives of the Union's external action, the promotion of human rights, democracy,                              the rule of law and good governance, and of inclusive and sustainable growth, constitute two basic pillars of the Union's                              development policy. A commitment to respect, promote and protect human rights and democratic principles is an essential element                              of the Union's contractual relations with third countries.

(6)The Joint Communication by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission                              of 12 December 2011 entitled ‘Human Rights and Democracy at the heart of EU external action — Towards a more effective approach’                              proposed specific measures in order to increase the effectiveness and coherence of the Union's approach to human rights and                              democracy.

(7)The instrument hereby established is intended to contribute to achieving the objectives of the Union's external action, including                              those of its development policy, in particular the objectives set out in the Joint Statement by the Council and the representatives                              of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on European                              Union Development Policy entitled ‘The European Consensus’ and in the Commission Communication of 13 October 2011 entitled                              ‘Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’, and the Union's policies relating to human rights,                              including the objectives outlined in the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, adopted by                              the Council on 25 June 2012.

(8)In accordance with the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, in order to integrate human rights                              principles in the implementation of this Regulation the Union should apply a rights-based approach encompassing all human                              rights, whether civil and political, economic, social or cultural.

(9)The Union's contribution to democracy and the rule of law and to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental                              freedoms is rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights                              and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and other human rights instruments adopted within                              the framework of the United Nations (UN), as well as relevant regional human rights instruments.

(10)Gender equality, women's rights, including the empowerment of women, and non-discrimination are fundamental human rights and                              are essential for social justice as well as for fighting against inequalities. Their promotion should be a cross-cutting priority                              of this Regulation.

(11)Democracy and human rights are inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing, as recalled in the Council Conclusions of 18 November 2009                              on democracy support in the EU's external relations. The fundamental freedoms of thought, conscience and religion or belief,                              expression, assembly and association are the preconditions for political pluralism, democratic process and an open society,                              whereas democratic control, domestic accountability and the separation of powers are essential to sustain an independent judiciary                              and the rule of law which in turn are required for effective protection of human rights.

(12)The task of building and sustaining a culture of human rights and of supporting the emergence of an independent civil society,                              including by enhancing the role of such a society in the relevant countries and making democracy work for all, though especially                              urgent and difficult in emerging democracies, is essentially a continuous challenge which belongs first and foremost to the                              people of the country concerned but which in no way diminishes the commitment of the international community. It requires                              a range of institutions, including national democratic parliaments and locally elected assemblies, which ensure participation,                              representation, responsiveness and accountability. In this context, special attention should be paid to countries in transition                              as well as fragile or post-conflict situations. The experiences gained and lessons learned from the transition towards democracy                              in the framework of the enlargement and neighbourhood policies of the Union should be taken into account.

(13)In order to address those issues in an effective, transparent, timely and flexible manner after Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006                              expires, there is a continued need for specific financial resources and a separate financing instrument that can continue                              to operate in an independent manner.

(14)Union assistance under this Regulation should be designed in such a way as to complement various other tools for implementing                              Union policies relating to democracy and human rights. Those tools range from political dialogue and diplomatic demarches                              to various instruments for financial and technical cooperation, including both geographic and thematic programmes. Union assistance                              should also complement the more crisis-related actions under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, established                              by Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council(5), including urgent actions needed during the first phases of the transition process.

(15)Under this Regulation, the Union is to provide assistance to address global, regional, national and local human rights and                              democratisation issues in partnership with civil society. In this regard, civil society is to be understood as spanning all                              types of social actions by individuals or groups that are independent from the state and whose activities help to promote                              human rights and democracy, including human rights defenders as defined by the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility                              of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms                              (‘Declaration on Human Rights Defenders’). In the implementation of this Regulation, due consideration should be given to                              the Union's local human rights country strategies.

(16)Furthermore, whilst democracy and human rights objectives must be increasingly mainstreamed in all instruments for financing                              external action, Union assistance under this Regulation should have a specific complementary and additional role by virtue                              of its global nature and its independence of action from the consent of the governments and public authorities of the third                              countries concerned. That role should allow for cooperation and partnership with civil society on sensitive human rights and                              democracy issues, including migrants' enjoyment of human rights and the rights of asylum seekers and internally displaced                              persons, providing the flexibility and requisite reactivity to respond to changing circumstances, or needs of beneficiaries,                              or periods of crisis. This Regulation should also enable the Union to articulate and support specific objectives and measures                              at international level which are neither geographically linked nor crisis-related and which require a transnational approach                              or involve operations both within the Union and in a range of third countries. Moreover, this Regulation should provide the                              necessary framework for operations, such as support for independent election observation missions conducted by the Union (EU                              EOMs) requiring policy coherence, a unified management system and common operating standards.

(17)Developing and consolidating democracy under this Regulation may possibly include the provision of strategic support to national                              democratic parliaments and constituent assemblies, in particular to enhance their capacity to support and advance democratic                              reform processes.

(18)The Union should pay particular attention to countries and urgency situations where human rights and fundamental freedoms                              are most at risk and where disrespect for those rights and freedoms is particularly pronounced and systematic. In such cases,                              the political priorities should be to promote respect for the relevant international law, to provide tangible support and                              means of action to local civil society and to contribute to its work, carried out in very difficult circumstances. In such                              countries or situations, and in order to address urgent protection needs of human rights defenders and democracy activists,                              the Union should be able to respond in a flexible and timely manner, through the use of faster and more flexible administrative                              procedures and by means of a range of funding mechanisms. This should particularly be the case when the choice of procedural                              arrangements could impact directly on the effectiveness of the measures or could subject beneficiaries to serious intimidation,                              retaliation or other types of risks.

(19)In situations of conflict, the Union should promote the compliance of all parties to the conflict with their legal obligations                              under international humanitarian law, in accordance with the relevant EU guidelines. Furthermore, in countries in transition                              Union assistance under this Regulation should support an appropriate environment enabling political actors to emerge who are                              committed to a democratic pluralistic multiparty system. This Regulation should also aim to promote democratic structures,                              division of powers and accountable public authorities.

(20)EU EOMs contribute significantly and successfully to democratic processes in third countries. However, the promotion and support                              of democracy extends far beyond the electoral process alone and thus all stages of the electoral cycle should be taken into                              account. Expenditure for EU EOMs should therefore not take up a disproportionate amount of the total funding available under                              this Regulation.

(21)The importance of the establishment of the position of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR) should be underlined.                              The EUSR should contribute to the unity, consistency and effectiveness of the Union's action and human rights policy and should                              help to ensure that all Union instruments and Member States' actions are engaged consistently, in order to attain the Union's                              policy objectives.

(22)The Union should seek the most efficient use of available resources in order to optimise the impact of its external action.                              That should be achieved through coherence and complementarity between the Union's instruments for external action, as well                              as the creation of synergies between this Regulation, other Union instruments for financing external action and other policies                              of the Union. This should further entail mutual reinforcement of the programmes devised under the instruments for financing                              external action.

(23)The Union and the Member States are to seek regular exchanges of information and consult each other at an early stage of the                              programming process in order to promote complementarity among their respective activities. The Union should also consult other                              donors and relevant actors.

(24)The Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) should, as appropriate, hold regular and frequent exchanges                              of views and information with the European Parliament. In addition, the European Parliament and the Council should be given                              access to documents in order that they may exercise their right of scrutiny under Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament                              and the Council(6) in an informed manner. Measures taken under this Regulation should duly take into consideration the views of the European Parliament                              and of the Council.

(25)The Union, including where appropriate through its delegations, should seek regular exchanges of information and consult with                              civil society at all levels, including in third countries, as early as appropriate in the programming process, in order to                              facilitate civil society's respective contributions and to ensure that it plays a meaningful role in that process.

(26)In order to adapt the scope of this Regulation to the rapidly evolving reality in third countries, the power to adopt acts                              in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission in respect of the priorities defined in the Annex                              to this Regulation. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory                              work, including at expert level. The Commission, when preparing and drawing up delegated acts, should ensure simultaneous,                              timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and to the Council.

(27)The implementing powers relating to the programming and financing of the actions supported under this Regulation should be                              exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. Given the nature of those implementing acts, in particular their                              policy orientation nature and their financial implications, the examination procedure should in principle be used for their                              adoption, except in the case of technical implementing measures of a small financial scale.

(28)Common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action are laid down                              in Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council(7).

(29)This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for its period of application which is to constitute the prime reference amount,                              within the meaning of point 17 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the                              Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management(8), for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure.

(30)The organisation and functioning of the EEAS are established in Council Decision 2010/427/EU(9).

(31)Since the objectives of this Regulation, namely promoting democracy and human rights worldwide, cannot be sufficiently achieved                              by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may                              adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle                              of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those                              objectives.

(32)It is appropriate to ensure a smooth transition without interruption between Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006 and this Regulation                              and to align the period of application of this Regulation with that of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013(10). Therefore, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

## Article 1U.K.Subject-matter and objectives

This Regulation establishes a European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) for the period 2014-2020 under which                     the Union shall provide assistance to the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law and of respect for                     all human rights and fundamental freedoms.                  

Such assistance shall aim in particular at:

supporting, developing and consolidating democracy in third countries, by enhancing participatory and representative democracy,                              strengthening the overall democratic cycle, in particular by reinforcing an active role for civil society within this cycle,                              and the rule of law, and improving the reliability of electoral processes, in particular by means of EU EOMs;                           

enhancing respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the UN Universal Declaration                              of Human Rights and other international and regional human rights instruments, and strengthening their protection, promotion,                              implementation and monitoring, mainly through support to relevant civil society organisations, human rights defenders and                              victims of repression and abuse.                           

## Article 2U.K.Scope

1.Union assistance shall focus on the following:                  

(a)support to and enhancement, in line with the overall democratic cycle approach, of participatory and representative democracy,                        including parliamentary democracy, and the processes of democratisation, mainly through civil society organisations at the                        local, national and international levels, inter alia by:                  

promoting freedom of association and assembly, unhindered movement of persons, freedom of opinion and expression, including                              political, artistic and cultural expression, unimpeded access to information, a free press and independent pluralistic media,                              both traditional and ICT-based, internet freedom and measures to combat administrative obstacles to the exercise of these                              freedoms, including the fight against censorship, particularly through the adoption and implementation of relevant legislation;                           

strengthening the rule of law, promoting the independence of the judiciary and of the legislature, supporting and evaluating                              legal and institutional reforms and their implementation, and promoting access to justice, as well as supporting national                              human rights institutions;                           

promoting and strengthening the International Criminal Court, ad hoc international criminal tribunals and the processes of                              transitional justice and truth and reconciliation mechanisms;                           

supporting the transition to democracy and reforms to achieve effective and transparent democratic and domestic accountability                              and oversight, including in the security and justice sectors, and strengthening measures against corruption;                           

promoting political pluralism and democratic political representation, and encouraging political participation by women and                              men, in particular members of marginalised and vulnerable groups, both as voters and as candidates, in democratic reform processes                              at local, regional and national level;                           

reinforcing local democracy by ensuring better cooperation between civil society organisations and local authorities, thus                              strengthening political representation at the level closest to the citizens;                           

promoting the equal participation of women and men in social, economic and political life, and supporting gender equality,                              the participation of women in decision-making processes and political representation of women, in particular in processes                              of political transition, democratisation and state-building;                           

promoting the equal participation of people with disabilities in social, economic and political life, including measures to                              facilitate their exercise of related freedoms, and supporting equality of opportunity, non-discrimination and political representation;                           

supporting measures to facilitate peaceful conciliation between segments of societies, including support for confidence-building                              measures relating to human rights and democratisation;                           

(b)promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the UN Universal Declaration of Human                        Rights and other international and regional instruments in the area of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,                        mainly through civil society organisations, relating to, *inter alia*:                  

abolition of the death penalty and the establishment of moratoria with a view to its abolition and, where the death penalty                              still exists, advocacy for its abolition and the observance of international minimum standards;                           

the prevention of torture, ill-treatment and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, as well as enforced                              disappearances and the rehabilitation of victims of torture;                           

support for, protection of, and assistance to human rights defenders, including addressing their urgent protection needs,                              in accordance with Article 1 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; these objectives, including longer-term assistance                              and access to shelter, could be covered by a human rights defenders mechanism;                           

the fight against racism and xenophobia and discrimination based on any ground, including sex, race, colour, caste, ethnic                              or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national                              minority, property, birth, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender identity;                           

freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, including by means of measures to eliminate all forms of hatred, intolerance                              and discrimination based on religion or belief and by fostering tolerance and respect for religious and cultural diversity                              within and among societies;                           

the rights of indigenous peoples as proclaimed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, inter alia, by emphasising                              the importance of their involvement in the development of projects concerning them and providing support in order to facilitate                              their interaction with, and participation in, international mechanisms;                           

the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as proclaimed in the UN Declaration                              on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities;                           

the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) persons, including measures to decriminalise homosexuality,                              combat homophobic and transphobic violence and persecution, and promote freedom of assembly, association and expression of                              LGBTI persons;                           

the rights of women as set out in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the                              Optional Protocol thereto, including measures to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly female                              genital mutilation, forced and arranged marriages, crimes of ‘honour’, domestic and sexual violence, and trafficking in women                              and girls;                           

the rights of the child, as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto, including                              the fight against child labour, child trafficking and child prostitution, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and the                              protection of children from discrimination regardless of their race, colour, sex, language, religion or belief, political                              or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status;                           

the rights of persons with disabilities, as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to an adequate standard of living and core labour standards;

corporate social responsibility, in particular through the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human                              Rights, and freedom to conduct business, as set out in Article 16 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;                           

education, training and monitoring in the area of human rights and democracy;

support for local, regional, national or international civil society organisations involved in the protection, promotion or                              defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms;                           

promotion of improved conditions and observance of standards in prisons, consistent with human dignity and fundamental rights;

(c)strengthening of the international framework for the protection of human rights, justice, gender equality, the rule of law                        and democracy, and for the promotion of international humanitarian law, in particular by:                  

providing support for international and regional instruments and bodies in the area of human rights, justice, the rule of                              law and democracy;                           

fostering cooperation of civil society with international and regional intergovernmental organisations, and supporting civil                              society activities, including capacity-building of non-governmental organisations, aimed at promoting and monitoring the implementation                              of international and regional instruments concerning human rights, justice, the rule of law and democracy;                           

training in and dissemination of information on international humanitarian law and support to its enforcement;

(d)building confidence in, and enhancing the reliability and transparency of, democratic electoral processes and institutions,                        at all stages of the electoral cycle, in particular:                  

through deployment of EU EOMs and other measures for the monitoring of electoral processes;

by contributing to the development of the electoral observation capacity of domestic civil society organisations at regional                              and local levels, and supporting their initiatives to enhance participation in, and the follow-up to, the electoral process;                           

by supporting measures aimed at the consistent integration of electoral processes into the democratic cycle, disseminating                              information on and implementing recommendations made by EU EOMs, working in particular with civil society organisations, as                              well as in cooperation with relevant public authorities, including parliaments and governments, in accordance with this Regulation;                           

by promoting the peaceful outcome of electoral processes, the reduction of electoral violence and the acceptance of credible                              results by all segments of society.                           

2.The principles of non-discrimination on any ground, gender mainstreaming, participation, empowerment, accountability, openness                        and transparency shall be taken into account whenever relevant for all measures referred to in this Regulation.                  

3.The measures referred to in this Regulation shall be implemented in the territory of third countries or shall be directly                        related to situations arising in third countries, or to global or regional actions.                  

4.The measures referred to in this Regulation shall take into account the specific features of crisis or urgency situations                        and countries or situations where there is a serious lack of fundamental freedoms, where human security is most at risk or                        where human rights organisations and defenders operate under the most difficult conditions.                  

## Article 3U.K.Coordination, coherence and complementarity of Union assistance

1.Union assistance under this Regulation shall be consistent with the overall framework of the Union's external action, and                        complementary to that provided by other instruments or agreements for external assistance.                  

2.In order to enhance the effectiveness, coherence and consistency of the Union's external action, the Union and the Member States                        shall seek regular exchanges of information and consult each other at an early stage of the programming process in order to                        promote complementarity and coherence among their respective activities both at decision-making level and on the ground. Such                        consultations may lead to joint programming and joint activities between the Union and Member States. The Union shall also                        consult other donors and actors.                  

3.The Commission and the EEAS shall, as appropriate, hold regular exchanges of views and information with the European Parliament.                  

4.The Union shall seek regular exchanges of information with, and consult, civil society at all levels, including in third countries.                        In particular, the Union shall provide, whenever possible and in accordance with relevant procedures, technical guidance and                        support in relation to application procedure.                  

## Article 4U.K.General framework for programming and implementation

1.Union assistance under this Regulation shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 and through the                        following measures:                  

(a)strategy papers, as referred to in Article 5, and revisions thereof, as appropriate;                  

(b)annual action programmes, individual measures and support measures under Articles 2 and 3 of Regulation (EU) No 236/2014;                  

(c)special measures under Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 236/2014.                  

2.Any programming or review of programmes taking place after the publication of the mid-term review report referred to in Article 17                        of Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 (the ‘mid-term review report’) shall take into account the results, findings and conclusions                        of that report.                  

## Article 5U.K.Strategy papers

1.Strategy papers shall set out the Union's strategy for its assistance under this Regulation, based on the Union's priorities,                        the international situation and the activities of the main partners. They shall be consistent with the overall purpose, objectives,                        scope, and principles of this Regulation.                  

2.Strategy papers shall set out the priority areas selected for financing by the Union during the period of validity of this                        Regulation, the specific objectives, the expected results and the performance indicators. They shall also give the indicative                        financial allocation, both overall and per priority area, where appropriate in the form of a range.                  

3.Strategy papers shall be approved in accordance with the examination procedure laid down in Article 16(3) of Regulation (EU)                        No 236/2014. When significant changes of circumstances and policy so require, strategy papers shall be updated in accordance                        with the same procedure.                  

## Article 6U.K.Thematic priorities and delegation of powers

The specific objectives and priorities to be pursued by Union assistance under this Regulation are listed in the Annex.

The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts to amend the thematic priorities laid down in the Annex. In particular,                     following the publication of the mid-term review report and based upon the recommendations thereof, the Commission shall adopt                     a delegated act amending the Annex by 31 March 2018.                  

## Article 7U.K.Exercise of the delegation

1.The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 6 is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down                        in this Article.                  

2.The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 6 shall be conferred on the Commission for the period of validity                        of this Regulation.                  

3.The delegation of power referred to in Article 6 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council.                        A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the                        day following the publication of the decision in the *Official Journal of the European Union* or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.                  

4.As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the                        Council.                  

5.A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 6 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the                        European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and                        the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission                        that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of                        the Council.                  

## Article 8U.K.Committee

The Commission shall be assisted by a Democracy and Human Rights Committee. That committee shall be a committee within the                     meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.                  

## Article 9U.K.Access to documents

In order to ensure that they are able to exercise their powers of scrutiny in an informed manner, the European Parliament                     and the Council shall have access to all EIDHR documents relevant for that exercise, in accordance with the applicable rules.                  

## Article 10U.K.Financial envelope

The financial envelope for the implementation of this Regulation for the period 2014-2020 shall be EUR 1 332 752 000.

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and by the Council within the limits of the multiannual                     financial framework.                  

## Article 11U.K.European External Action Service

This Regulation shall apply in accordance with Decision 2010/427/EU.

## Article 12U.K.Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the *Official Journal of the European Union*.                  

It shall apply from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 11 March 2014.

*For the European Parliament*                            

*The President*                            

M. Schulz                            

*For the Council*                            

*The President*                            

D. Kourkoulas                            

## ANNEXU.K.Specific objectives and priorities of the EIDHR

The Union's strategic orientation in delivering on the purpose of the EIDHR is based on five objectives described in this                     Annex.                  

Objective 1 — Support to human rights and human rights defenders in situations where they are most at risk

Actions under this objective will provide effective support to human rights defenders (HRDs) that are most at risk and to                              situations where fundamental freedoms are most endangered. The EIDHR will inter alia contribute to meeting HRDs' urgent needs;                              it will also provide medium and long-term support that will enable HRDs and civil society to carry out their work. The actions                              will take into account the current worrying trend of the shrinking space for civil society.                           

Objective 2 — Support to other priorities of the Union in the field of human rights

Actions under this objective will focus on providing support to activities where the Union has an added value or specific                              thematic commitment (e.g. current and future Union guidelines in the field of human rights adopted by the Council or resolutions                              adopted by the European Parliament), in line with Article 2. Actions will be consistent with the priorities set out in the                              EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy.                           

Actions under this objective will, inter alia, support human dignity (in particular the fight against the death penalty and                              against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment); economic, social and cultural rights; the                              fight against impunity; the fight against discrimination in all its forms; women's rights and gender equality. Attention will                              also be given to emerging issues in the field of human rights.                           

Objective 3 — Support to democracy

Actions under this objective will support peaceful pro-democracy actors in third countries with a view to enhancing participatory                              and representative democracy, transparency and accountability. Actions will focus on the consolidation of political participation                              and representation, as well as pro-democracy advocacy.                           

All aspects of democratisation will be addressed, including the rule of law and the promotion and protection of civil and                              political rights such as freedom of expression online and offline, freedom of assembly and association. This includes active                              participation in the evolving methodological debate in the area of democracy support.                           

Where applicable, actions will take into account the recommendations of EU EOMs.

Objective 4 — EU EOMs

Actions under this objective will focus on election observation which contributes to increasing transparency and trust in                              the electoral process as part of the wider promotion of, and support to, democratic processes as described in objective 3.                           

Full-scale EU EOMs are widely recognised as flagship projects of the Union's external action and remain the principal form                              of action under this objective.                           

They are best placed to provide both an informed assessment of electoral processes and recommendations for their further improvement                              in the context of Union cooperation and political dialogue with third countries. In particular, the approach encompassing                              all stages of the electoral cycle, including follow-up activities, will be further developed with complementary actions between                              bilateral programming and EIDHR projects.                           

Objective 5 — Support to targeted key actors and processes, including international and regional human rights instruments                              and mechanisms.                           

The general aim is to strengthen international and regional frameworks for the promotion and protection of human rights, justice,                              the rule of law and democracy in accordance with Union policy priorities.                           

Actions under this objective will include activities to support local civil society's contribution to EU human rights dialogues                              (in line with the relevant EU guidelines) and the development and implementation of international and regional human rights                              and international criminal justice instruments and mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court. The promotion and                              monitoring of those mechanisms by civil society will be given special attention.                           

U.K.

# Declaration by the European Commission on the strategic dialogue with the European Parliament(11)                            

On the basis of Article 14 TEU, the European Commission will conduct a strategic dialogue with the European Parliament prior                           to the programming of the Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing                           a financing instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide and after initial consultation of its relevant beneficiaries,                           where appropriate. The European Commission will present to the European Parliament the relevant available documents on programming                           with indicative allocations foreseen per country/region, and, within a country/region, priorities, possible results and indicative                           allocations foreseen per priority for geographic programmes, as well as the choice of assistance modalities(12). The European Commission will present to the European Parliament the relevant available documents on programming with thematic                           priorities, possible results, choice of assistance modalities(12), and financial allocations for such priorities foreseen in thematic programmes. The European Commission will take into account                           the position expressed by the European Parliament on the matter.                        

The European Commission will conduct a strategic dialogue with the European Parliament in preparing the mid-term review and                           before any substantial revision of the programming documents during the period of validity of this Regulation.                        

The European Commission, if invited by the European Parliament, will explain where the European Parliament's observations                           have been taken into consideration in the programming documents and any other follow-up given to the strategic dialogue.                        

U.K.

# Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on Election Observation                              Missions                           

The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission underline the important contribution                           of European Union Election Observation Missions (EU EOMs) to Union external relations policy supporting democracy in partner                           countries. EU EOMs contribute to increase transparency and confidence in electoral processes, and provide an informed assessment                           of elections as well as recommendations for their further improvement, in the context of Union cooperation and political dialogue                           with partner countries. In this regard, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission                           agree that up to 25 % of the budget over the period 2014-2020 of the Regulation EU No 235/2014 of the European Parliament                           and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financial instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide should be                           devoted to the funding of EU EOMs, depending on annual election priorities.                        

1

OJ C 11, 15.1.2013, p. 81.                           

2

OJ C 391, 18.12.2012, p. 110.                           

3

Position of the European Parliament of 11 December 2013 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council                              of 11 March 2014.                           

4

Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing a financing                              instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide (OJ L 386, 29.12.2006, p. 1).                           

5

Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an instrument contributing                              to stability and peace (see page 1 of this Official Journal).                           

6

Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general                              principles concerning the mechanisms of control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).                           

7

Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures                              for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action (see page 95 of this Official Journal).                           

8

OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.                           

9

Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action                              Service (OJ L 201, 3.8.2010, p. 30).                           

10

Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years                              2014-2020 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884).                           

11

The European Commission will be represented at the responsible Commissioner level

12

Where applicable.