EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 14.12.2020 SWD(2020) 336 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 2020 Annual Report

On the implementation of the European Union’s instruments for financing external actions in 2019 {COM(2020) 804 final}



Table of contents Introduction: the European Union response to world developments in 2019 1. Delivering on global commitments 1.1. The EU as a strong global actor 1.1.1. International partnerships 1.1.2. European Neighbourhood policy 1.1.3. Humanitarian aid and civil protection 1.1.4. EU enlargement 1.1.5. Security and defence 1.1.6. Crisis response and preparedness 1.1.7. Making a difference: New instruments and aid modalities 1.1.8. Human rights and democracy 1.2. Fostering sustainable development 1.2.1. Implementing the 2030 Agenda comprehensively and coherently 1.2.2. Implementing the new agenda 1.2.3. Working better together with Member States 1.2.4. Policy coherence for development 1.2.5. Development effectiveness

1.3. Working together towards the SDGs – policy level 1.3.1. SDG 1 No poverty 1.3.2. SDG 2 Zero hunger 1.3.3. SDG 3 Good health and well-being 1.3.4. SDG 4 Quality education 1.3.5. SDG 5 Gender equality 1.3.6. SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation 1.3.7. SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy 1.3.8. SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth 1.3.9. SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure 1.3.10. SDG 10 Reduced inequalities 1.3.11. SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities 1.3.12. SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production 1.3.13. SDG 13 Climate action 1.3.14. SDG 14 Life below water 1.3.15. SDG 15 Life on land 1.3.16. SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions 1.3.17. SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals 2. Results reporting and alignment to SDGs 2.1. The EU International Cooperation and Development Results Framework and the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) Performance Framework

2.2. Results from the EU Results Framework 2.2.1. Coverage of the EU Results Framework 2.2.2. This year’s highlighted topic: Gender equality and closing the gender data gap 2.2.3. Availability of gender disaggregated data in the EU Results Framework 2.2.4. Selected examples of projects and programmes supporting a gender data dimension 2.3. Results achieved with EU support per SDG 2.3.1. SDG 1 No poverty 2.3.2. SDG 2 Zero hunger 2.3.3. SDG 3 Good health and well-being 2.3.4. SDG 4 Quality education 2.3.5. SDG 5 Gender equality 2.3.6. SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation 2.3.7. SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy 2.3.8. SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth 2.3.9. SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure 2.3.10. SDG 10 Reduced inequalities 2.3.11. SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities 2.3.12. SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production 2.3.13. SDG 13 Climate action 2.3.14. SDG 14 Life below water

2.3.15. SDG 15 Life on land 2.3.16. SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions 2.3.17. SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals 2.4. The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Performance Framework 2.4.1. Aim and coverage of the IPA PF 2.4.2. Overview of key results reported against the IPA PF 3. Implementation: Geographical overview 3.1. Sub-Saharan Africa 3.1.1. Western and Eastern Africa 3.1.2. Central and Southern Africa 3.2. Latin America and the Caribbean 3.2.1. Latin America 3.2.2. The Caribbean 3.3. Asia, Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf and Pacific 3.3.1. Asia 3.3.2. Central Asia 3.3.3. Middle East/Gulf region 3.3.4. The Pacific 3.4. Enlargement 3.4.1. Introduction

3.4.2. IPA priorities 3.4.3. Implementation 3.4.4. Humanitarian aid and civil protection - responding to the emergency needs of people affected by conflicts and disasters 3.4.5. Crisis response and preparedness 3.4.6. Working towards SDGs 3.5. European Neighbourhood 3.5.1. European Neighbourhood East 3.5.2. European Neighbourhood South 3.6. Overseas Countries and Territories OCTs 3.6.1. Introduction (Policy Developments) 3.6.2. Implementation 4. Managing aid 4.1. Monitoring systems 4.1.1. New reporting system on SDGs 4.1.2. Evaluation: Review of the work programme 4.1.3. Lessons learned 4.2. Aid delivery modalities 4.2.1. Budget support 4.2.2. Blending 4.2.3. EU budget Guarantees

4.2.4. Technical Assistance: Twinning and TAIEX 4.3. Improving ways of working 4.3.1. Simplification of procedures 4.4. Communication & transparency 4.4.1. Communication 4.4.2. Transparency 4.4.3. Learning Introduction: the European Union response to world developments in 2019 During 2019, the global outlook was marked by a slowing down of economic growth, continuous global challenges ranging from climate change to development and migration, increased geopolitical tensions, continued instability, and conflicts and domestic political upheavals in countries around the world, particularly on our southern and eastern borders. State fragility and security concerns remained challenging for the European Union from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. Conflicts continued in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Ukraine, and there was lack of progress in the Middle East peace process (MEPP). Political tensions increased in different countries of Latin America, with the situation in Venezuela leading to a major displacement and refugee crisis. Multilateralism and the rules-based global order have been challenged and the international system features increasing confrontation and strategic competition. Confronted with a reality in which the global and the local, and the political, security and economic dimensions, are increasingly intertwined, the EU has promoted a joined-up approach, bringing together all available EU services and Member States, and working through a collaborative and coordinated mobilisation of financing instruments. As in previous years, the EU responded comprehensively, using the entire breadth of its policies and tools, spanning diplomatic, security, financial, trade, development actions and humanitarian aid. During 2019 the EU continued working on the necessary reforms of the multilateral system to keep it relevant for present and future challenges and increased its cooperation and partnering with regional organisations. True to the principles and objectives of its Global Strategy on foreign and security policy, the EU has improved its capacity to act with others whenever possible, and autonomously if and when necessary. Solutions to these global challenges, as ever, require international engagement and cooperation. They must be based on peace, stability, the rule of law, including compliance with international humanitarian law, respect for human rights and sustainable development. These values are at the heart of our Union and shape our policies both internally and externally, helping us to fight inequalities and to support just and sustainable societies that embrace human development. They will also enable our younger generations to fulfil their potential wherever they are in the world. The continuing implementation of the Spotlight Initiative, a transformative EU–United Nations (UN) partnership working to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, is an outstanding example of action to address gender inequality worldwide.The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a central priority for the EU. At the end of 2019, Commission President von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to sustainability by placing the SDGs squarely at the heart of EU policy-making and action. The European Green Deal, presented in December, is an ambitious new strategy for growth and will be an integral part of this Commission’s strategy to implement the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, both at home and abroad. SDGs are also reflected in the proposal for the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) period 2021-2027, as well as in the negotiations towards the EU’s new partnerships with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (the ACP countries) that will succeed the Cotonou Agreement. The EU will continue working towards fulfilling the SDGs. The EU and Africa are further strengthening the strategic partnership between the ‘twin continents’. This stronger alliance between the two continents is based on mutual interests and shared values to tackle together global challenges such as inequality. It encompasses peace and security, governance, mobility and migration, investment and job creation, and knowledge and skills and in future will have a stronger focus on climate change and digitalisation. The EU supports the Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU) and the integration of the continent through the African Continental Free Trade Area. The negotiations for a renewed partnership with ACP countries after the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement progressed well during 2019 and are near completion. Transitional measures have been put in place to ensure continuity. Supporting stability in the Sahel remains a key priority of the EU, pursued through an integrated approach providing bilateral and regional support in the political, security, development and humanitarian fields amounting to EUR 8 billion. The EU is providing strong support for the G5 and the G5 Joint Force politically and financially and through military cooperation and training. The EU-AU-UN partnership remains truly innovative and plays a crucial role in many areas from Libya to the Horn and from Mali to the Central African Republic. In the Middle East and North Africa, as a strategic region for engagement, the EU promoted stabilisation and regional integration in the Mediterranean. The crisis in Syria was an important focus of our work seeking to find a political solution which can ensure lasting stability and address the most critical humanitarian and resilience issues affecting Syrians and communities hosting Syrian refugees. The EU supported the stabilisation of Iraq, Libya and Yemen in close cooperation with the UN and regional partners. The two-state solution and its existing policies, including on Jerusalem, remains the basis for our engagement in the MEPP, working with both Israelis and Palestinians as well as the international community towards this aim. In the Western Balkans, the EU increased its efforts and political engagement to move forward with credible and irreversible EU integration steps for all the Western Balkan countries and to mitigate regional friction. The Eastern Partnership framework continued to serve well the purpose of developing economic and functional cooperation with eastern neighbours and addressing common political regional challenges. While 2019 saw an increase in the challenge posed by Russia, the five agreed principles for cooperation continue to guide our relations. The transatlantic relationship is at the heart of the EU foreign and external policy. The EU and the US continued constructive dialogue and cooperation on a wide range of foreign policy, security and thematic issues. With Canada the EU shares a value-based agenda, working together to strengthen bilateral relations, cooperate at international level and defend multilateralism.

The EU and Latin America and the Caribbean continued working together to shape the future of the partnership. The focus is to shift progressively from development cooperation to a diversified model giving a more prominent role to trade, investment, research and innovation, education and the digital agenda, forging a stronger partnership on foreign policy and global issues, in defence of common values. The EU continued its support to the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and worked with partners on finding a way forward in the multifaceted crisis in Venezuela. We seek to facilitate a political process re-establishing respect for democracy, the rule of law and human rights and to assist the countries of the region in tackling the humanitarian consequences of migratory flows. During 2019, we made substantial progress in the modernisation of our association agreements with Chile and Mexico and reached a political agreement with Mercosur. The EU and Asia’s leaders, as discussed during the last Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in October 2018, agreed to further connect both continents to boost trade, improve security, increase people-to-people contacts and preserve the environment. They renewed their support for the rules-based international order and an open world economy to boost prosperity and address global challenges. The EU is committed to ensuring an active EU security presence and engagement in and with Asia at bilateral, regional and global level, as well as to engaging with partners on the basis of sustainable connectivity between both regions. On Myanmar, the EU continued to exercise a mix of international pressure and constructive engagement to address this crisis while providing extensive humanitarian assistance to help to address the plight of Rohingya refugees. In Afghanistan, the EU coupled its strong assistance role with political engagement in support of an inclusive and united platform for peace, representing all groups in society and protecting the gains made in the last 18 years in the protection of fundamental rights such as those of women, children and minorities. At the global level, the EU continued its engagement during 2019 to boost multilateralism, as a strong UN is the bedrock of the multilateral rules-based order. The EU played a key role in supporting UN reform and its implementation by helping UN Secretary-General Guterres secure an ambitious package across the three strands of reform (management, peace and security and the development system) and fulfilling the EU’s commitment to invest and work with others on the necessary reforms to keep the UN relevant and fit for purpose. The EU and the UN are indispensable partners to deliver peace and security and in shaping global rules. In a multipolar world, multilateralism is the most democratic way to deal with international affairs. We embrace our role as a global power and security provider, working together for peace, security and human development worldwide. Collectively the EU and its Member States represent the single largest contributor to the UN. Together we provide over a quarter of all voluntary contributions, while our Member States taken together contribute one third of the UN regular budget and over one third of the peacekeeping budget and, in some cases, even filling funding gaps. Thanks to our strategic partnership with the UN on peacekeeping operations and crisis management, all EU crisis management missions and operations cooperate closely with several members of the UN family. More than half of EU missions and operations share the same theatre with a UN mission, including several in Africa. EU and UN missions and operations are natural partners, from planning through deployment to transition and exit; they also support African peace operations and training. During 2019, EU continued to promote external policies and cooperation that enhance the security of the EU and its citizens, focusing on the internal/external security nexus. The EU stepped up its engagement with partners in areas including counterterrorism, non-proliferation and disarmament, cyber security, maritime security and sanctions. The EU also played a leading role in driving forward the implementation of global agreements, notably the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Global Compacts on Migration and on Refugees. The EU stepped up its actions and public diplomacy, confirming its unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. It also increased its efforts on cyber security via the Global Tech Panel and led determined global efforts to promote international ocean governance and the Global Pact for the Environment. This Annual Report covers the following financing instruments managed by Commission departments during 2019: the European Development Fund (EDF) and all instruments funded by Budget Heading IV (Europe in the World), namely: the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the Partnership Instrument (PI), Humanitarian Aid, the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) and the Instrument for Greenland.

1. Delivering on global commitments 1.1. The EU as a strong global actor The scope of EU’s external action is defined by the Lisbon Treaty and is guided by the EU Global Strategy on foreign and security policy published in 2016. The Global Strategy was launched at a time of great turbulence, globally as well as within the Union. Since then, the EU has achieved rapid progress on turning the strategy from vision into action. From security and defence to strengthening the EU’s role in promoting a rules-based global order, decisive steps have been taken to ensure our Union is fit to address the new challenges it faces by crafting a more joined-up and effective way of working together. June 2019 saw the publication of the third progress report on the implementation of the Global Strategy, ‘Three Years on, Looking Forward’. The EU relentlessly promotes a joined-up approach, bringing together all available instruments from the EU institutions and Member States and working through collaboration rather than confrontation. Through the implementation of the Global Strategy, the EU improved its capacity to act with others whenever possible and autonomously if necessary. The rules-based global order is an existential interest of the EU and a constant priority for it as a global actor. The EU intensified efforts and political engagement during 2019 in support of a global order based on international law with the UN at its core and in cooperation and in partnership with regional organisations. Advancing multilateralism means adjusting to the changing realities and distribution of power in the world while continuing to implement the five original priorities of the Global Strategy: security and defence, resilience, an integrated approach, the internal/external security nexus, regional and thematic strategies. It also means: (i) redoubling efforts to work at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels with those who still believe in the current international system; and (ii) ensuring strong implementation of key milestones of the multilateral system such as the Paris Agreement, the SDGs, the Iran nuclear deal and the UN Global Compact on migration. In 2019, the EU implemented its comprehensive approach to conflicts and crises through timely interventions under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) and through common foreign and security policy actions across the world. The ground-breaking trilateral AU-EU-UN partnership paves the way for enhanced cooperation in the wider peace and security agenda, while support to the G5 Sahel Joint Force shows the importance for the EU of investing in regional security partnerships. Through these actions, the EU contributed to: ·mediation, dialogue and confidence building; ·conflict prevention and post-conflict peace building; ·strengthening the rule of law; ·the fight against terrorism; and ·security sector reforms. These actions, which were closely coordinated with the relevant military EU missions on the ground, namely in Mali, Somalia and the Central African Republic, demonstrate how the EU makes this integrated approach a reality.

The EU remains one of few actors with a global presence and a complete policy toolbox. The significant steps made in security and defence show that the EU is taking greater responsibility for its defence and in assisting partners in peace and security. Intense work continues on the European Defence Fund and on the proposal for a European Peace Facility to finance peacekeeping operations. Under the common security and defence policy (CSDP), the EU operates civilian and military missions worldwide. These missions carry out a variety of tasks, ranging from supporting management of borders to training local police. The EU also continued to pursue its strategic interests through fostering dialogue on values and global challenges with key partners across the world as well as through economic cooperation, trade and investments. Human rights and gender equality, as well as support for women, peace and security, are a central part of all EU policies. The EU seeks to broaden conversations, defend and promote European values, build new cross-regional alliances and project influence, contributing in this way to the security of the EU and its citizens. Also of importance are the EU’s dialogues on non-proliferation and disarmament, cyber security, maritime security and sanctions, and on the internal/external security nexus in the area of counterterrorism. The EU continued tackling existing vulnerabilities and responding to humanitarian crises, both natural and human-made, which are amplified by climate change, insecurity and modest economic growth. The EU and its Member States remain the world’s largest donor both of humanitarian aid and of development assistance, providing more than half of official development assistance (ODA) globally, and making a huge difference to the livelihoods of millions of people around the world. As the world’s largest trading bloc and the biggest source of foreign direct investment, the EU continues to work with international partners to promote a free and fairer international trading system. The EU is deeply engaged in the reform of the World Trade Organization and will continue defending itself against unfair and distorting trade practices while expanding its regional and bilateral partnerships. Technology is creating new challenges not covered by international laws and standards and the EU will contribute decisively to shaping the response to these challenges using the strength of the single market to ensure predictability, social inclusion and prosperity. 1.1.1. International partnerships In line with the new European Consensus for Development, the EU has continued to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, both globally and with partner countries. In doing so, the EU has continued to uphold the international rules-based order and stand up for the multilateral system, which provides the framework for a common approach to development policy and international cooperation. The EU has actively integrated SDGs across its methods, instruments and tools in this field. The EU also actively engaged with traditional and emerging actors in the field of development, advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs as a positive joint agenda to fight inequality wherever it is found, to build just and sustainable societies, to support human development globally, to ensure the world’s young people are able to fulfil their potential and ensure that no one gets left behind. The EU continued to develop tailored partnerships for effective development cooperation. For example, the negotiations for a renewed partnership agreement with the ACP countries to follow the Cotonou Partnership Agreement have started reshaping political and socio-economic relations with those partners. Progress made so far reflects the priorities expressed during the EU and ACP chief negotiators’ consultations with partners in each region. Progress was made in generating political momentum and rallying support around integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) as a means to map the landscape for financing for sustainable development at country level and to develop country-led financing strategies to achieve the SDGs. In this context, Commission departments succeeded in bringing together multilateral and bilateral actors to work together on substantive steps towards financing strategies for the SDGs. The Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investment and jobs, a key policy initiative announced in September 2018, has shown good progress. The EU has been supporting and de-risking investment through the External Investment Plan (EIP). The EU is also facilitating structured public-private dialogue in 32 African countries, as part of the Sustainable Business for Africa platform of the EIP. On enhancing education and skills, the EU is on track to meet the target of 35 000 people taking part in the Erasmus+ programme. Moreover, the African Continental Free Trade Area has enabled significant progress in continental economic integration. Since the adoption of the Consensus for Development, the EU has been actively implementing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as an integral part of the 2030 Agenda. This involves promoting the mobilisation and use of financial and non-financial means and all forms of partnerships to achieve the SDGs. Official development assistance (ODA), which still plays a significant role in many developing countries, will be used more catalytically to generate additional financing for sustainable development. This approach will be part of the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), which will support the implementation of the SDGs. The EU and its Member States are firmly committed to implementing the SDGs and to eradicating poverty. In 2019, EU ODA reached EUR 75.2 billion equivalent to 0.46% of gross national income (GNI), which is slightly less than in 2018, when it stood at 0.47% of GNI. Through the Partnership Instrument, the EU pursued strategic interests globally by articulating and implementing the external dimension of internal policies and interconnecting between different policy areas. Actions promote cooperation and alliance-building for challenges of global concern such as: (i) climate change and environmental protection; (ii) the international dimension of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive jobs and growth; (iii) improving access to markets and boosting trade, investment and business opportunities for EU companies (for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular); and (iv) public diplomacy. 1.1.2. European Neighbourhood policy In 2019, the EU continued to implement its revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), aiming to stabilise the EU’s neighbourhood, which was the overarching goal of the 2015 review. Throughout the year, the revised ENP mobilised significant support for its four refocused priorities and fully integrated the principles of differentiation, shared ownership and an incentive-based approach. Engagement with all Neighbourhood countries through political dialogue continued, and additional guidance and support was provided to ENP partner countries with their reform efforts. The EU continued to drive forward programmes to assist Neighbourhood countries in tackling the causes of instability through a sustained focus on good governance, the rule of law and human rights, both in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods. Significant efforts at bilateral and regional levels continued to increase the capacity of civil society across the region in terms of policy shaping to support human rights defenders and freedom, as well as the accountability of states to their citizens. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, solid progress was recorded in the implementation of the Eastern Partnership’s 20 deliverables for 2020. The high-level event dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership held in May 2019 highlighted strong achievements in three out of four priority areas: stronger economy, stronger connectivity and stronger society. Challenges remain in the areas of the rule of law, fighting corruption, shrinking space for civil society and independent media. In the context of the bilateral relations with partner countries, the EU focused on the implementation of the Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, and the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership with Armenia. Negotiations continued for a new agreement with Azerbaijan and for new partnership priorities with Belarus. The President of the European Commission launched a structured consultation on the future of the Eastern Partnership that ended on 31 October 2019 with over 200 contributions received from a wide range of stakeholders, including from 25 Member States and all six partner countries. Building on this consultation, a new set of long-term policy objectives for the Eastern Partnership beyond 2020 will be prepared for endorsement at the next Eastern Partnership Summit.

In response to the conflict in the east of Ukraine, the EU continued to provide humanitarian support and assistance for stabilisation and early recovery. In addition to already existing assistance in eastern Ukraine, the EU mobilised and deployed specific EU support to the Sea of Azov region. In the Southern Neighbourhood, mitigating the impact of the protracted Syrian crisis remained a priority throughout 2019. The April Brussels III Conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region reaffirmed the engagement of the EU in supporting Syrian refugees and host communities, notably in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, through the activities of the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis. A joint political declaration was adopted with Morocco, which focuses on four spaces (common values, common knowledge, social and economic cohesion, and political and security cooperation) and two horizontal axes (mobility and migration and the environment and climate change). The EU–Morocco action plan implementing the advanced status and the Single Support Framework were extended until the end of 2020. In January 2019, both the EU-Israel and EU-Palestinian Authority action plans were extended for a period of 3 years. The EU continued to support Libya in its political transition towards a stable, secure and prosperous country. However, the security situation in the country remained an impediment to the implementation of cooperation programmes. Operations continued to be remotely managed from Tunis. Tunisia further consolidated its democratic transition by successfully holding presidential and parliamentary elections in the autumn of 2019, the second of their kind since the 2011 revolution. The EU supported the electoral process by sending an electoral observation mission and by contributing to the UN-managed support programme. Migration also continued to receive EU attention and support. The EU continues to apply a balanced approach to the multiple aspects of migration, with a focus on areas of mutual interest. For example, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa contributes to addressing the causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, to the fight against the trafficking of human beings and smuggling of migrants, and to the protection of migrants, their voluntary return to their countries of origin and their reintegration there. Peer-to-peer instruments, namely the TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) and Twinning instruments, also actively contributed to the overall reform process in line with EU political priorities. 1.1.3. Humanitarian aid and civil protection In 2019, humanitarian needs remained at a record high because of complex crises (often leading to massive displacement of populations), natural disasters and epidemics. Against this backdrop, the EU remained a leading humanitarian donor, mobilising EUR 2.4 billion to provide relief to millions of people in more than 80 countries. A significant proportion of EU humanitarian aid was devoted to crisis-affected people inside Syria and in neighbouring countries. Different Commission departments continued to implement the humanitarian component of the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey, notably through the Emergency Social Safety Net. The EU also continued to support populations in forgotten crises such as those in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Pakistan, Venezuela, Haiti and the Philippines. The EU continued playing a leading role in the promotion of principled humanitarian aid and respect for international humanitarian law. This was achieved through active advocacy on different crises, as well as globally as chair of the Donor Support Group of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative with Switzerland and through continued commitment to humanitarian civil-military coordination. Against the backdrop of a growing funding gap, the Commission continued promoting the implementation of the Grand Bargain commitments, notably in relation to multi-sectoral joint needs assessment. The Grand Bargain is an agreement between some of the largest donors and aid providers, which aims to get more means into the hands of people in need. In line with its previous commitments, the Commission increased funding for Education in Emergencies actions from 1% in 2015 to 10% in 2019 of the EU’s humanitarian aid budget and maintained its commitment to deliver 35% of humanitarian assistance through cash transfers. 2019 also saw the adoption of operational guidance on The Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in EU-funded Humanitarian Aid Operations. In recognition of the importance of strengthening governments and communities’ capacity for effective and efficient response (and thus helping to reduce overall humanitarian needs), the Commission continues to invest in disaster preparedness measures through its flagship DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness ECHO) programme. In line with its yearly allocation, in 2019, EUR 50 million was dedicated to preparedness interventions, which directly benefited 28 million people worldwide. In 2019, the Commission played an active role globally in first response to emergencies and disasters. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) was activated 20 times for disasters both inside and outside the EU. Forest fires continued to account for a high proportion of the activations. Firefighting assets from the rescEU reserve were deployed for the first time to combat fires in Greece in August 2019. In addition, the UCPM sent support to combat the devastating forest fires in Bolivia, Guatemala, Israel and Lebanon. Within the EU, expertise on marine pollution was provided to Finland and France following oil leaks. Search and rescue assistance was provided to Albania following two serious earthquakes. The EU also supported communities following devastating tropical cyclones in Mozambique and the Bahamas and floods in Djibouti, India and Iran. Assistance was also provided for health emergencies resulting from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a measles epidemic in Samoa. This assistance was coordinated through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre. EU humanitarian aid and civil protection assistance continued to be a tangible sign of EU citizens’ solidarity towards people in need across the world. 1.1.4. EU enlargement The Commission continued to support enlargement countries in improving their readiness to join the EU. The enlargement process continues to be based on the principles of own merits and of ‘fundamentals first’. The Commission continued to focus efforts on the rule of law, including security, fundamental rights, democratic institutions and public administration reform, as well as on economic development and competitiveness. These remain the fundamentals for meeting the Copenhagen and Madrid membership criteria. The annual enlargement package, consisting of a Commission Communication on the implementation of EU enlargement policy and seven country reports, was adopted on 29 May 2019. In view of the progress made by the Republic of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, in particular in the areas identified as crucial by the Council in June 2018, the Commission maintained its recommendation to open accession negotiations with the two countries. The European Council decided in October 2019 to return to the issue of enlargement before the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb in May 2020. Negotiations were officially opened in March 2020. In May 2019, the Commission also issued its opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for EU membership, together with an analytical report. The Commission considered that negotiations for accession should be opened once Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria. In December 2019, the Council adopted conclusions on the Commission’s Opinion, which it welcomed. The Council urged executive and legislative bodies at all levels of government in the country to start addressing the key priorities identified in the Opinion, in line with the legitimate aspirations of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the country will advance towards the European Union.

In parallel, implementation of the flagship initiatives outlined in the 2018 Western Balkans strategy continued. The strategy focused on areas where further reforms and efforts are needed from the Western Balkan partners, and on the EU’s enhanced support to the region. The EU continued the political dialogue with the countries of the Western Balkans. Provisions under the Stabilisation and Association Agreements continued to be broadly implemented and the meetings of the joint bodies under the agreements took place at regular intervals. In 2019, EU–Turkey relations were marked by the continued deterioration of the rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey, as well as by the country’s assertive foreign policy in Syria, Libya and the eastern Mediterranean. In light of the former, in June 2019 the Council reiterated that Turkey’s accession negotiations have effectively come to a standstill, and no further work towards modernising the EU–Turkey Customs Union is foreseen. In reaction to Turkey’s unauthorised drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, the EU took a number of decisions, including not to hold high-level dialogues and Association Council meetings, to reduce pre-accession funding, with the exception of support under the facility for Refugees in Turkey, and review sovereign lending from the European Investment Bank and to adopt a framework regime for restrictive measures. During 2019, implementation of the pre-accession assistance to Turkey took place in this challenging context. The EU decided a further reduction of EUR 230 million compared to the allocation envisaged in the revised indicative strategy paper on the 2020 Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) budget for Turkey. The Facility for Refugees in Turkey is a key component of the 2016 EU–Turkey Statement. It continued to coordinate existing EU assistance instruments to ensure that the needs of refugees and host communities in Turkey were addressed swiftly and effectively. By the end of 2019, the Facility’s operational funding allocation of EUR 6 billion had been fully committed, with EUR 4.7 billion contracted and EUR 3.2 billion of this disbursed to date. The Facility continues to support refugee needs in the areas of education, health, livelihoods, protection, municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support. Peer-to-peer instruments, namely the TAIEX and Twinning instruments, also actively contributed to the overall reform process in line with EU political priorities in the IPA region. 1.1.5. Security and defence In March 2019, the two-year work programme of the European defence industrial development programme was adopted by the European Commission. In February 2019, a partial political agreement was reached on the European Defence Fund legislative proposal, with the budgetary aspects of the programme subject to the agreement on the EU’s next budget for 2021-2027. In 2019, civilian common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions were active in Ukraine, Kosovo, Georgia, Iraq, the occupied Palestinian territories, Libya, Mali, Niger and Somalia. In 2019, a new civilian CSDP mission was established in the Central African Republic to support the reform of the security forces with the aim of helping in their gradual deployment throughout the country. Following the adoption of the civilian CSDP Compact, a comprehensive process of strengthening civilian CSDP capabilities started in 2019 with a European External Action Service (EEAS)-Commission joint action plan, Member States national implementation plans and a first annual review conference. The capacity building for security and development (CBSD) initiative introduced a previously missing element to the EU toolbox: the possibility in specific circumstances to engage with military actors in partner countries to support civilian development objectives that cannot be implemented by other actors. This contributes to national and regional stability, sustainable development and peaceful societies. In 2019, CBSD actions were approved in Burkina Faso, Niger, Somalia and Tajikistan, as was the expansion of an ongoing CBSD action in the Central African Republic. These actions train and support military actors to contribute to the restoration of state authority and enhance the state capacity to deliver basic services in insecure areas. In 2019, the EU supported defence and security in Africa through: (i) the African Peace Facility (APF) including deployment of African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops in The Gambia; (ii) support to the Multinational Joint Task Force (Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria) to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency; and (iii) support to the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism in South Sudan. The G5 Sahel Force Conjointe was also supported in its military component with the APF and in its civil (police) component through the Trust Fund and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP). Three regional projects covering the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods and the Western Balkans were funded by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and the European Neighbourhood Instrument to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the fight against organised crime and terrorism. With the support of a partnership instrument approved in May 2019, the EU has started developing tailor-made security and defence cooperation partnerships with five Asian countries (Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Vietnam and Indonesia). The partnerships include substantive activities (training, capacity and confidence building, joint exercises and technical assistance) in five priority areas (maritime security, cyber security, counter terrorism and cooperation on peacekeeping/CSDP missions). The EU enhanced cooperation with international organisations. With the UN, progress was made on implementing the 2019-2021 UN-EU priorities on peace operations and crisis management; the priorities are: (i) cooperation between missions and operations; (ii) the women, peace and security agenda; and (iii) conflict prevention. With NATO, the EU contributed to NATO’s ‘Building Integrity’ programme to help NATO partners in the EU Neighbourhood to prevent corruption in the defence and security sectors. New actions with CBSD funding have been approved in Burkina Faso, Niger, the Central African Republic, Tajikistan, the Horn of Africa and Benin. Under specific circumstances, CSBD funding makes it possible to work with military actors in partner countries to deliver development activities and provide security for development activities, where these cannot be implemented through other actors. These projects will contribute to national and regional stability, sustainable development and peaceful societies. The 2018–2020 multiannual indicative programme was approved for IcSP Article 5 (to assist in addressing global, trans-regional and emerging threats). In this context, several projects were launched to strengthen the resilience of communities and governments against violent extremism and terrorist attacks, including actions against money laundering and on counterterrorist financing. In 2019, actions financed under the long-term component of the IcSP to address global, trans-regional and emerging threats (article 5) contributed to strengthening the resilience of communities and governments against violent extremism and terrorist attacks. In the specific area of preventing and countering violent extremism, innovative projects implemented in partnership with local communities contributed to increased understanding of local factors and drivers of violent extremism in targeted countries and regions, and supported vulnerable individuals. The EU Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centre of Excellence Initiative has continued to support capacity-building activities in eight regions (61 countries) worldwide. In 2019, several large-scale regional projects focused on prevention, preparedness and response to epidemics, natural disasters, environmental emergencies, chemical, biological or radiological attacks, accidents and trafficking. Finally, the EU has continued to assist partner countries (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, the Central African Republic, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jamaica) to improve the governance and effectiveness of their security sector in line with human rights and the rule of law.

1.1.6. Crisis response and preparedness Throughout 2019, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace remained a key tool for EU diplomacy in crisis contexts and in its quest for stability, conflict prevention and resolution, and peacebuilding. All 46 new crisis response actions adopted responded directly to EU political priorities. Commitments under the crisis response component of the IcSP amounted to EUR 256.8 million. Under the multiannual action plan for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness, EUR 35.5 million was committed to longer-term interventions. The IcSP was used to support actions in all major crises worldwide, including 17 out of the 20 lowest ranking countries listed in the 2019 Global Peace Index: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen. The 2019-2020 IcSP multiannual action programme, approved in 2019, reflects a strong focus on conflict prevention and on actions to address the root causes of violent conflict, in line with the EU’s ‘integrated approach’ to external conflicts and crises. The main priorities of the programme are: ·support to civil society in third countries to prevent conflicts and build peace; ·the enhancement of EU’s early warning capacities; ·EU support to mediation and peace processes; ·the reinforcement of third countries’ security sector governance and reform; ·the active involvement of the EU in the women’s peace and security and youth peace and security agenda; ·the EU’s engagement in the field of social media and peace. Crisis response actions adopted in 2019 included: ·support to the ongoing transition process in Sudan; ·rapid action in the wake of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka; ·support to accompany the signature of the peace agreement in Mozambique; ·committed engagement in north-eastern Syria in areas liberated from Da’esh by the Global Coalition; ·efforts to prevent conflict in Ethiopia in connection with the 2020 elections; ·continued support to UN-led peace efforts in Libya and Yemen; ·continued support to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. In addition, newly adopted actions in the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia, as well as ongoing programmes in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Niger and Ukraine, directly complement the work of CSDP missions, contributing to the implementation of the EU integrated approach in response to conflicts and crises. In 2019, the use of CBSD was further strengthened as part of the IcSP. In addition to the actions launched in 2018, the IcSP mobilised additional CBSD actions in Burkina Faso, Niger, Somalia and Tajikistan, where the instrument will accompany state authorities in their efforts to step up their presence and exert control over their national territory.

A global CBSD action was launched to support regional training centres in west Africa, east Africa and the Middle East to train military actors in the areas of health, humanitarian demining and civil protection. Work to coordinate international efforts in conflict and post-conflict settings continued with the UN and other international organisations, notably the World Bank and the African Development Bank, reflecting the EU’s strong commitment to multilateralism. In 2019, the first EU contribution to the UN Peace Building Fund (UNPBF) was made through the IcSP to support the fund’s strengthened role following the UN reform. The financial contribution went hand in hand with closer collaboration between the IcSP and UNPBF teams. The EU also provided support to the UN Mediation Stand-by Team in Ukraine through the IcSP. 1.1.7. Making a difference: New instruments and aid modalities In order to finance the SDGs and respond to an increasingly complex world, development finance needs to rely on a combination of funding sources. To increase the impact of official development assistance (ODA), public and private funds must be leveraged as efficiently as possible. In partner countries, the EU must be ready to adapt and further develop its financial instruments and policy tools for investments in order to deliver on its ambitious commitments. To this end, in 2017 the European Commission developed the External Investment Plan (EIP), a new EU initiative offering an innovative way to attract more investment, in particular from businesses and private investors, to countries in Africa and the EU Neighbourhood. At the core of EIP, the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) combines a new guarantee instrument (total EUR 1.54 billion) with two regional investment platforms (the Africa Investment Platform (AIP) and the Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP)). These two regional platforms together account for EUR 3.1 billion, by blending EU financial support with loans and equity from eligible institutions that finance and manage development projects in countries outside the EU. The EFSD guarantee aims to support investments in less developed and more risky countries in Africa and the European Neighbourhood by attracting private sector players into sectors in which they do not traditionally get involved. Under the EFSD guarantee, the Commission provides partial guarantees to eligible financiers, who pass on the benefits of the guarantee to investment operations, directly or via local private banks, investment funds or microcredit institutions, to end borrowers such as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, through a wide range of financial instruments. These may include loans (including local currency loans), guarantees, counter-guarantees, capital market instruments, any other form of funding or credit enhancement, insurance and equity or quasi-equity arrangements. The EU blending allocated for 78 projects in sub-Saharan Africa and for 79 projects in the Neighbourhood is expected to leverage nearly EUR 29.5 billion in sustainable investment. Overall, programmes and projects approved by the EFSD by the end of 2019 are expected to mobilise around EUR 47 billion in investment, exceeding the EU’s target to unlock EUR 44 billion by over EUR 2 billion. In 2019, three EFSD guarantee programmes were signed: one focusing on providing access to finance across Africa for high potential small businesses by piloting capital market solutions, with the Italian development finance institution Cassa Depositi e Prestiti; another with the Dutch development finance institution Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. to guarantee venture capital to start-up companies, in particular led by young entrepreneurs in the digital space; and the third with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to boost financing in renewable energy resources in the Neighbourhood. 1.1.8. Human rights and democracy The 2030 Agenda reflects a human rights-based vision, which is fully consistent with the EU policy framework . While several SDGs make an explicit link between development and human rights and democracy (in particular SDGs 5, 10 and 16), others are underpinned by human rights in a more general sense. The year 2019 marked the final phase of implementation of the EU action plan on human rights and democracy (2015-2019), the 10th anniversary of the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2019, the EU reaffirmed its support to human rights, democracy and the rule of law through its financial instruments, both by strengthening the rights-based approach in development cooperation and by dedicating targeted support to human rights and democracy worldwide. Through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) in 2019 the EU funded a total of 268 projects, both in partner countries and globally, mostly through calls for proposals and implementation by civil society organisations. The overall financial support provided by the EIDHR to these projects totalled EUR 119.5 million. These projects addressed all five objectives assigned to EIDHR by its multiannual indicative programme for the period 2018-2020: (i) defending human rights and human rights defenders where they are most at risk; (ii) promoting other EU human rights priorities; (iii) democracy support; (iv) electoral observation missions; and (v) support to targeted global and regional actors on human rights. In 2019, EU Delegations worldwide dedicated more funds to support the protection and capacity of human rights defenders and to promote human rights where they are most at risk, responding to a global context of increasing attacks against human rights defenders and fundamental freedoms. The EU human rights defenders mechanisms, including ProtectDefenders.eu and the EU Emergency Fund for Human Rights Defenders, have provided support to more than 30 000 human rights defenders and their families since 2015. These mechanisms were renewed at the end of 2019 for another 3 years, with a combined budget of EUR 18.3 million. The 21st EU-NGO Forum on Human Rights held in Brussels on 3-4 December 2019 brought together human rights defenders from more than 90 countries to exchange views on challenges and identify solutions around the human rights and environment nexus. The European Endowment for Democracy, with renewed financial support from the EU, further extended its operations in the Neighbourhood, Turkey and the Western Balkans, with 260 new grants and 41 emergency grants funded in 2019 in support of civil society, independent media and democracy activists. The EU also provided financial support to key UN human rights actors and mechanisms such as the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) and the mandate of three UN Special Rapporteurs (human rights defenders, freedom of association and freedom of expression). This support illustrates the EU’s strong support to a rules-based multilateral system in a complex global context. UN institutions and political dialogue in UN forums remain indispensable to promote the universality and indivisibility of human rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Treaty on the European Union. In a context of continuing decline in the quality of democracy worldwide, the EU Foreign Ministers adopted in the October Council Conclusions on Democracy - a comprehensive framework to advance democratic governance. Cooperation projects in support of democracy in 2019 aimed to support the development of accountable institutions, the organisation of elections, support for national parliaments and political parties, and the development of independent and quality media. The largest share of budget support, representing 40% of EU bilateral cooperation, went to democratic governance, providing an essential opportunity to strengthen dialogue in support of democracy, justice reforms and the rule of law. Against a backdrop of continuing challenges to global democracy, the EU continues to reaffirm its commitment to democratic processes, launching programmes totalling more than EUR 47.2 million in some 30 countries in 2019. These programmes aim to support the electoral process and institutions, parliaments, political parties, civil society and wider democratic governance. The EU also deployed eight fully fledged election observation missions, six electoral expert missions and seven follow-up missions in 2019. Electoral expert follow-up mission aim to ensure that follow-up work focuses on the election observation mission recommendations for the improvement of electoral processes; they are increasingly important in the context of results-oriented management. In addition, the EU has developed a public database, which provides access to a central repository of recommendations issued by EU election observation missions. The EU also supported local electoral observers in 11 countries.

1.2. Fostering sustainable development 1.2.1. Implementing the 2030 Agenda comprehensively and coherently Rising inequalities, growing hunger, global warming, biodiversity loss, social unrest, conflicts and migration represent current trends, and are reflected across the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2019 SDG Summit to review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda underlined the need for a shift in development pathways and for greater speed in meeting the SDGs by 2030. In September 2019, the UN Secretary-General called on all sectors of society to mobilise for a decade of action. The Decade of Action calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to global challenges ranging from poverty and gender to climate change, inequality and closing the finance gap. At the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York in July 2019, the EU presented progress made in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within Europe and through EU international cooperation. EU action to implement the 2030 Agenda internally was presented in the EU reflection paper Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030, while the 2019 Eurostat monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context evaluated how well the EU and its Member States are advancing on this issue, while highlighting the SDGs’ cross-cutting and interconnected nature. In addition, the EU and its Member States produced the first joint synthesis report on the progress they had made in promoting implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the European Consensus on Development in developing countries. The report showed good progress against the five Ps of the 2030 Agenda (people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships), and included summaries of the many actions underway under each SDG. The 2019 EU report on policy coherence for development showcased the EU’s progress in formulating policies which consider impacts on developing countries from the outset. In the political guidelines of December 2019, the President of the new European Commission put the SDGs at the heart of EU policy-making and action, sending a strong message about Europe’s commitment to sustainability. The European Green Deal was presented at the same time as an integral part of the Commission’s strategy to implement the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Green Deal is the EU’s agenda to steer economies and society towards a more sustainable future path. It focuses on actions in Europe, but recognises the need to promote progress worldwide consistent with the Green Deal through diplomacy, policy coherence and cooperation with partners. As part of the Green Deal, the Commission will refocus the European Semester process of macroeconomic coordination to integrate the SDGs, thus putting sustainability and the well-being of citizens at the centre of macroeconomic policy. In terms of external action, the EU will continue to implement the European Consensus on Development together with Member States and pursues the SDGs through external actions, as proposed in the future NDICI financing instrument. The Consensus aligns the EU with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The Consensus is set out in the framework of EU external action provided by the Treaty on the European Union (Article 21 on external action) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Articles 208-211 on development) and in the EU Global Strategy. The enlargement and revised European neighbourhood policies also contribute to achieving the SDGs. The EU continues to engage actively with partner countries through policy dialogues based on the SDGs, making use of national development plans and voluntary national reviews of SDGs. This goes hand in hand with the EU objectives to promote a ‘working better together’ approach through joint programming and joint implementation with the Member States in partner countries and to enhance cooperation with the UN. In accordance with the Consensus, the Commission is continuously updating reporting systems for consistency with the 2030 Agenda’s follow-up processes and indicators, and is working closely with Member States for greater impact at country level through joint programming, joint implementation and joint results frameworks in line with the ‘Working better together’ commitment. SDGs are also reflected in major initiatives such as the proposal for the NDICI instrument and in the negotiations towards the EU’s new partnerships with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific that will succeed the Cotonou Agreement and continue working towards fulfilling the SDGs. 1.2.2. Implementing the new agenda A mix of financial and non-financial resources are required to implement the 2030 Agenda. In line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the EU has a comprehensive and integrated approach to mobilising financing from all available sources (public and private, domestic and international) as well as promoting other means of implementation, including the establishment of good policies and policy coherence for development, which are needed to fulfil the SDGs. The EU is helping partner countries make the most of the diverse financing sources available to support SDG implementation. Progress was made in generating political momentum and rallying support around integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) as a means to map the landscape for financing for sustainable development at country level and to develop country-led financing strategies to reach the SDGs. In this context, the EU succeeded in bringing together multilateral and bilateral actors to work together on substantive steps towards financing strategies for the SDGs. So far, some 16 partner countries have confirmed their willingness to engage in an INFF. Other more specific EU achievements in 2019 include bringing together aid, investment, trade, domestic resource mobilisation and policies designed to unlock the full potential of all financial flows. Support for mobilisation of domestic resources is helping to improve the transparency, fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of tax systems in partner countries. Through the European External Investment Plan (EIP), the EU encourages investments in partner countries in Africa and the EU Neighbourhood region. Originally expected to leverage at least EUR 44 billion in investment in sustainable development in these regions by 2020, the EIP is now expected to exceed EUR 47 billion. With the establishment of the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD), a key innovation is the increased importance of investments underwritten by a new external action guarantee. The EU signed two guarantee agreements for projects with a total EFSD guarantee contribution of EUR 90 million that are expected to leverage total investments of over EUR 1.5 billion. The EFSD also increased its allocation with blending, with over EUR 3 billion allocated as of the end of 2019. With approved project funding reaching EUR 4.65 billion, the EFSD uses guarantee and blending operations to leverage other sources of public and private finance. Through these instruments, the EU supports action to prevent climate change and promote the social and economic empowerment of women. The private sector is duly acknowledged as a major contributor to sustainable and inclusive growth and the creation of decent jobs. The EU has taken measures to promote local private sector development in partner countries, notably through entrepreneurship and access to finance support. Attractive investment climates and regulatory frameworks are also of paramount importance for the private sector, and accordingly the EU promotes public-private dialogue processes and events and has stepped up its assistance to investment climate reforms. The EU is also facilitating the development of the ‘total official support for sustainable development’ (TOSSD) statistical measure to help identify available means of implementation for emerging donors (e.g. investment, private mobilised resources, south–south and triangular cooperation and financial flows). The international TOSSD task force co-chaired by the European Commission and South Africa finalised the drafting of the TOSSD methodology in 2019. The first TOSSD data survey (the results of which were published in October 2019) was a success. TOSSD was also submitted for inclusion in the global SDG indicator framework. 1.2.3. Working better together with Member States Working better together for the SDGs is about the EU developing a European approach for development cooperation and external action in a partner country that adds value to collective bilateral cooperation, both in terms of policy dialogue and technical and financial support. The key components that strengthen this framework are joint programming, the joint results frameworks and joint implementation.

Good progress was recorded in progressing joint implementation, which helped to increase the impact of EU funds. By December 2019, there were 20 joint programming documents in place globally. Intensified efforts to reach the same level of commitment in preparation for the future joint programming are under way in another 26 partner countries. During 2019, joint programming documents were launched in the Central African Republic, Honduras and Mali, while Cambodia’s European development cooperation strategy was extended to 2019 and 2020. Three training courses for EU and Member State staff on the working better together approach were organised, along with a global learning event in Uganda to promote the sharing of knowledge among practitioners. A joint mission by the EU and Member States to Zimbabwe also signalled closer European collaboration in development cooperation and external actions. Furthermore, three studies were published in early 2019 on joint programming contributions to the SDGs, on how joint programming can work in middle-income countries and on how joint programming can be put into operation in fragile and conflict-affected countries. The Twinning and TAIEX instruments continued to mobilise Member State experts to great effect. For more on Twinning and TAIEX see Section 4.2.4. Positive collaboration between the EU and the Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation continued during 2019 with a focus on inclusiveness (i.e. looking at how to support the involvement of all Member States in a European approach to development cooperation), and the mobilisation of public sector expertise in development cooperation. 1.2.4. Policy coherence for development In all the policies that it implements, the EU is committed to embracing the objectives of development cooperation likely to affect developing countries. This is known as policy coherence for development (PCD) and is enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Through this commitment, the EU aims to minimise contradiction, build synergies among its different policies to the benefit of partner countries, and increase the effectiveness of development cooperation. As highlighted in the 2017 European Consensus on Development, PCD is an important contribution to the achievement of SDGs by partner countries and to the broader objective of policy coherence for sustainable development. Given that implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires a whole-of-government approach and coordination efforts at all levels, work on PCD has been integrated into the Commission’s work on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda across all its policies. This new approach to PCD was reflected in the 2019 EU Report on Policy Coherence for Development, which was published in January 2019, closely linked to the publication of the Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030 reflection paper. A discussion on this report followed in Council, and Council Conclusions on policy coherence for development were adopted in May 2019. Reference to the PCD report was also made in the Council Conclusions on Towards an ever more sustainable Union by 2030 Agenda adopted in April 2019. At the High-Level Political Forum in July 2019, the 2019 EU Report on Policy Coherence for Development was presented as one of the deliverables at the EU’s side event about the state of play of the EU’s internal and external efforts on ‘Delivering the SDGs in Europe and in the world’. In February 2019, the Commission also published another staff working document on the external evaluation of PCD covering the period 2009-2016, in which the Commission presented its conclusions on the external evaluation. Reporting from EU delegations on PCD issues continued to increase in order to provide better evidence of the impact of EU policies in partner countries. 1.2.5. Development effectiveness In the European Consensus and successive high-level forums on aid development, the EU and its Member States committed to applying the key principles of development effectiveness: ownership of development priorities by partner countries; focus on results, transparency and accountability; and inclusive development partnerships. The EU coordinates and supports Member States in the implementation of these principles, promoting a European approach that enables common positions and practices to be developed in light of the 2030 Agenda. The global monitoring reports of effectiveness, undertaken biannually by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) show, however, that the effectiveness of development cooperation at country level is declining: progress by provider countries has weakened and demand from partner countries for effective cooperation has fallen. In addition, the inclusion of civil society and private sector stakeholders in policy-making has not progressed. The Commission supports the GPEDC activities and represents the European providers in its Steering Committee. It played a leading role and successfully influenced the GPEDC to prioritise effectiveness at country level, accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and to redesign the global monitoring system to link it with partner countries’ own systems and make it more influential in promoting change. The Commission was also active in GPEDC’s efforts to advance the concept of effectiveness to new forms of development cooperation. In this context, the Kampala Principles on effective private sector engagement in development cooperation were drawn up. The Commission directly contributes to, discusses and promotes use of the evidence generated by the GPEDC progress reports. It also undertook studies to explore how to improve access to procurement by local contractors, support the use of country systems and increase the impact of development effectiveness principles on results. In addition, the Commission successfully pushed for a workstream on effectiveness within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC). 1.3. Working together towards the SDGs – policy level 1.3.1. SDG 1 No poverty Introduction

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the 17 SDGs at its core, is the principal international blueprint for poverty eradication and sustainable development. Eradicating poverty in all its dimensions, tackling discrimination and inequalities and leaving no one behind are at the heart of the European Consensus on Development. Tackling the various dimensions of poverty requires actions on all fronts (including education, health, social protection, gender equality and strengthening resilience). The EU and Member States’ actions under all SDGs contribute in some way to the core goal of eradicating poverty. Poverty eradication is the result of many interacting activities. To reduce poverty, the EU supports development of policies that seek to maximise positive social outcomes and impacts. In this context, domestic resource mobilisation is seen as key to ensuring long-term inclusive growth, sustainable development and the provision of social services. In this regard, social protection systems, including minimum subsistence levels, are essential to ensure that no one is left behind, as stated under SDG 1.3. They are fundamental to prevent and reduce poverty across the life cycle, including cash transfers for children, for mothers with new-borns, for persons with disabilities, for those who are poor or without jobs, and for older persons. Overview and trends Extreme poverty has been reducing over the long term. According to the most recent estimates by the World Bank, based on additional and revised data, in 2015, 10% of the world’s population, or 734 million people, lived on less than USD 1.90 a day. That is down from nearly 36%, or 1.9 billion people, in 1990. However, this trend is expected to deteriorate in future reports. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to reach those remaining in extreme poverty, who often live in fragile countries and remote areas. Moreover, social protection is still not a reality for the majority of the global population. 55% of the world’s population in 2016 (four billion people) were not covered by any social protection cash benefits, with the figure as high as 87% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. The EU works to enhance social cohesion, to reduce inequality of outcomes and to promote equal opportunities for all. It also works towards inclusive sustainable growth, and universal, sustainable and equitable social protection systems. In line with the new European Consensus on Development, the EU has confirmed its commitment to allocating at least 20% of its official development assistance to social inclusion and human development. It implements a rights-based approach to development, respecting all human rights and promoting inclusion and participation, non-discrimination, equality and equity, transparency and accountability. It sees this as key to leaving no one behind. Although poverty has reduced, the related challenge of inequality within countries has increased in many parts of the world. Of the 10 most unequal countries in the world in terms of income distribution, seven are in sub-Saharan Africa. To sustain and improve gains in poverty reduction, it will be key to also address inequalities and improve the distributional impact of programmes. In addition, given the expected concentration by 2030 of extremely poor people in fragile and conflict-affected regions, the EU continues to strengthen ways to address the needs of the poor in those regions. The EU attaches great importance to the link between humanitarian aid, as a rapid response measure in crisis situations, and more medium- and long-term development action. More than 70 million people were forcibly displaced in 2019, and most of them were hosted in developing countries with limited resources. Throughout 2019, the EU continued to support refugees’ self-reliance in protracted displacement. The EU ‘humanitarian development-peace nexus’ encourages humanitarian, development and political/diplomatic actors to work closer together to address fragility and vulnerabilities, strengthen livelihoods and build local capacities for risk reduction, resilience, conflict prevention and resolution and other durable solutions. The EU participated in the first Global Refugee Forum in Geneva on 17 and 18 December 2019, showcasing its engagement in refugee situations worldwide, in line with the EU approach to forced displacement. Case studies Case study – Social protection and public finance management Context In social protection, the EU supports bilateral social protection programmes financed through geographic funding allocations in 29 partner countries. Half of this EUR 1 billion investment is implemented through budget support (direct transfers of funds to partner country authorities); the other half follows a programme approach. Objectives In addition to these programmes, and to increase universal social protection coverage to pursue SDGs 1.3 and 10.4, the EU started a new thematic programme on improving synergies between social protection and public finance management (PFM). PFM is a key dimension of a social protection policy, bringing together reliable and feasible planning and execution of the budget. Impact The expected impact of support in social protection is poverty eradication and inequality reduction, inclusive economic growth and job creation, crisis prevention and recovery, and promotion of peaceful societies. The planned results of the thematic programme are: ·design and financing ·implementing and monitoring ·development of shock-sensitive social protection systems. This is achieved through: (i) technical assistance available in the medium term (1 to 2 years) supporting eight priority countries (Angola, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Paraguay, Senegal and Uganda); and (ii) short-term technical assistance on demand. 1.3.2. SDG 2 Zero hunger Introduction If current trends continue, SDG 2 is unlikely to be achieved by 2030. World hunger and food insecurity have again been on the rise in the past few years. According to the 2019 Global report on food crises, more than 113 million people across 53 countries experienced acute hunger requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance in 2018. The worst food crises in 2018, in order of severity, were: Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and Nigeria (specifically the north of the country). These eight countries accounted for two thirds of the total number of people facing acute food insecurity, amounting to nearly 72 million people. While the figure of 113 million people represents a slight improvement over the figure for 2017, when an estimated 124 million people in 51 countries faced acute hunger, the main drivers of food insecurity - conflict and insecurity, climate shocks and economic turbulence – continued to erode livelihoods and destroy lives. The EU and its Member States remain strongly committed to achieving SDG 2 and therefore continued working with partners to collectively step up support to address hunger in all its forms, including by promoting sustainable and resilient agriculture. Agriculture and rural development can be powerful drivers of growth, job creation and poverty reduction and thereby contribute to other SDG targets. Overview and trends Support to sustainable agricultural growth includes initiatives focused on scaling up research and innovation. The DeSIRA (development smart innovation through research in agriculture) initiative, launched at the One Planet Summit in December 2017, has brought fresh energy and momentum to the EU, its Member States and other partners, with stakeholders rallying around the benefits of enhancing climate-relevant research and innovation in agriculture. The EU has increased his efforts and helped energise support and action in 2019, by providing a platform and mobilising around EUR 95 million to build capacities for innovation at country, regional and global levels leading to rural and agriculture transformation. While ongoing research activities on, for example, pests and crops and support to regional and national research centres continue, new activities were developed in 2019. These include enhancing fisheries management and aquaculture development in Africa; strengthening governance of invasive pests, transboundary diseases and food safety affecting hunger and malnutrition; and supporting farmers’ organisations.

Building resilience has been a key component of support to agriculture and food and nutrition security for the EU and it is the foundation of sustainable development. The ‘Food & Agriculture in times of crises’ high-level event held in Brussels on 2 and 3 April 2019 marked a new phase in the work of the Global Network against Food Crises, showing its convening power, political coordination and its ability to go beyond joint analyses towards strategic investments to end food crises. A key outcome was a commitment to enhance humanitarian development-peace collaboration. Having spearheaded the ‘Global report on food crises’ back in 2016, the EU continued to work hard with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to attract additional partners to produce the 2019 Global report on food crises. Based on this report, and through the EU’s flagship resilience initiative (PRO-ACT), EU actions in more than 12 countries will support resilience building, complementing humanitarian responses. Resilience is also further promoted by the Commission’s ASAP (anomaly hotspots of agricultural production) system, which provides satellite and model based early warning of production issues for food security crises prevention and response planning. The Commission's Knowledge Centre on Global Food and Nutrition Security also provides a publicly accessible repository of information on food security topics, including resilience-building initiatives. The EU has also promoted investment in agricultural value chains, using innovative financing instruments with the aim of de-risking investment in sustainable agricultural growth. The smallholder is at the heart of the EU’s concern in investment programmes. More than EUR 130 million has been agreed or signed, while a further EUR 120 million is in progress in the EU’s country programmes. In September, the EU published its fourth progress report on the Commission’s action plan on nutrition. The report indicated that the anticipated number of children that will have avoided stunting since 2012 is 4.9 million across 40 countries that have prioritised nutrition in their national indicative programmes. However, the pace of stunting reduction has slowed down slightly, and will need to accelerate to reach the pace necessary to achieve the target of 7 million children to have avoided stunting by 2025. For the EU, this means further escalating nutrition-relevant actions at country level, by mobilising the full potential of sectoral interventions necessary to address the range of causal factors of stunting. Case studies Case study - Afikepo Nutrition programme in Malawi Context The Afikepo programme addresses Malawi’s problems of undernutrition, particularly in children aged under five, and their negative consequences on their cognitive, social and economic development. Objectives The programme aims to enhance nutrition security in Malawi through increased and diversified dietary intake, nutrition education, good governance for optimal nutrition for women of childbearing age, adolescent girls, infants and young children. Impact ·Agriculture diversification through provision of better-quality extension services and technologies to farmers, increasing income opportunities. Extension workers and farmers followed a training course, in which nutritional aspects are included. ·Women safeguarding and strengthening their capacity to provide for the food and nutrition security and health of their families, which will be achieved by improving nutrition knowledge and practice among rural families to encourage them to eat diversified and nutritious foods, contributing to supporting agriculture diversification and gender equality in Malawi. ·School feeding and nutrition education. As well as a direct effect on the health of pupils, this also has a positive impact on attracting and retaining children in school. ·All agriculture-related interventions promoted the use of climate-smart technologies, making Malawian farmers more resilient to climate change effects. ·Improved irrigation management of natural resources at the community level, especially in the river catchment areas. Case study - Diversifying diets and livelihoods Context The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is a research centre co-funded by the EU and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The centre has a project in Kenya called the 4K club. Implemented in partnership with local NGOs in Machakos (100 km south-east of Nairobi) 50 students cultivated a diverse, nutritious and healthy food system in their school garden. Objectives The fruit and vegetables from the garden are used to provide healthy school meals. Clubs from surrounding communities also participated in the project by taking saplings and seeds home for their own farms, thus helping to tackle malnutrition issues at community level. Impact As of 31 December 2018, the Nutrition Food Portfolio has been developed for 16 sites across Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Participants in such projects improve their diets and can generate additional income by selling their produce. 1.3.3. SDG 3 Good health and well-being Introduction The EU supports progress towards SDG 3 through a comprehensive range of EU instruments (bilateral programmes on health, population, gender and nutrition) and contributions to global initiatives, UN agencies and civil society organisations, working closely with other EU services and Member States. Effective health policy and programmes require complementary work and progress in other sectors and SDGs such as SDG 2 (nutrition), SDG 4 (education), SDG 5 (gender equality and women’s empowerment) and SDG 10 (reducing inequalities). At the same time, good health is a global public good and an essential component of the human development of each country, and hence a co-determinant for its economic and social development. The EU and its Member States support partner countries in pursuing a ‘health in all policies’ approach and encourage cross-sectoral and coordinated efforts aimed at effectively and sustainably improving the quality, coverage and affordability of healthcare for all, and particularly the strengthening of health systems. Overview and trends EU assistance for health issues amounts to EUR 2.6 billion in the period 2014–2020. 50% is allocated to global initiatives, while the other 50% is implemented through bilateral and joint EU actions in 17 countries aimed at strengthening country health systems and supporting countries to reach their SDG 3 targets, including universal health coverage. Many of the 43 countries that received EU health aid from previous financial frameworks are still benefiting from programmes with a similar objective of sustainably strengthening country systems and ensuring the most vulnerable and marginalised population groups are being reached, including children under the age of five, adolescents and young people, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are priority areas for support, as reflected in the new European Consensus on Development and the second EU Gender Action Plan (GAP II) (2016–2020), and represent an entry point for gender equality and the empowerment of women. An estimated 30% of EU health aid is spent on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health. The EU plays a significant role in shaping the international policy agenda through its contributions to global initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM); GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; the Universal Health Coverage Partnership of the World Health Organisation (WHO); and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). During 2019, the Commission pledged EUR 550 million to the Global Fund for the period 2020–2022. This represents about 5% of total resources spent. In 2018, EU support helped provide life-saving HIV treatment for almost 19 million people, detect and treat over five million cases of tuberculosis (including notification of over 100 000 cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis), distribute 130 million mosquito nets to prevent malaria and treat close to 110 million cases of malaria. The Commission’s support to GAVI (EUR 200 million for 2016–2020, representing about 2% of total resources spent) helped to immunise 66 million children in 2018. Furthermore, the Commission provided in 2019 a grant to WHO of EUR 104.85 million for the Universal Health Coverage Partnership. This programme aims to contribute to improving donor coordination and aid effectiveness and to strengthening health systems in 115 partner countries. The EU’s contribution to the UNFPA Supplies Trust Fund (two grants, totalling EUR 45 million, for 2016–2020) helped improve access to SRHR, including family planning in 46 mainly low-income countries. In 2018, the programme supported 3.2 million safe abortions and prevented 10.4 million unintended pregnancies, 157 000 child deaths, and 25 000 maternal deaths. In the context of enlargement negotiations, the Commission continued to support the candidate countries and potential candidates to align with the EU acquis and standards on health protection. Through the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA and IPA II), support was provided to Serbia on substances of human origin (EUR 3 million) as well as support to microbiology laboratory surveillance system and emergency services. In 2019 there was a proposal for a project covering the roll-out of an information system for clinical, laboratory and epidemiological information, and under the IPA 2019 civil protection action there is a specific health-focused action related to emergency situations (this will be part of a EUR 7 million overall budget). This aims to contribute to the establishment of a better organised and more coherent operational response in this sector. In 2019, support was also planned for Albania for the Tirana University Hospital Centre reform programme Phase 2 (EUR 0.48 million) and for Kosovo for the construction and rehabilitation of healthcare infrastructure (EUR 1 million). The EU also supported action against global health threats such as air pollution and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and strengthened the preparedness and responsiveness of countries’ national health systems against epidemics. The EU provides around EUR 200 million every year to support humanitarian health programmes. Under the EU’s Partnership Instrument (PI), a EUR 9 million contract will address AMR issues in seven Latin American countries through development of national ‘One health’ action plans. A similar Partnership Instrument initiative is being formulated for Asia. Case studies Case study - Progress towards universal health coverage and improved health equity in Laos Context The Supporting public health institutes programme (SPHIP) (2015–2020) strengthens institutes of public health in eight low-income countries so that they are better able to assist national authorities with evidence-based policy-making in key public health areas. In the SPHIP projects, knowledge translation influences public health policy development by guiding relevant health sector stakeholders on the use and communication of research data. Objectives The LEARN (Lao Equity through Policy Analysis and Research Networks) project aims to improve Universal Health Coverage in Laos through better informed public health policies and their implementation, monitoring and evaluation. LEARN supports the Lao Tropical Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI) in providing national health authorities and stakeholders with expertise, documentation and relevant tools. LEARN provides evidence to policymakers, with a focus on nutrition, reproductive health, cost-effectiveness and the socio-cultural dimensions of health. Impact The LEARN project helped Lao TPHI strengthen its communications and produce a knowledge translation strategy. Research on reproductive health, adolescent health and nutrition was performed and shared with stakeholders. A new Master of Public Health course was established, while four trainers obtained PhDs. In 2019, the Ministry of Health appointed ‘knowledge translation focal points’ within all the departments of the Ministry to inform health policy development processes. Case study - Progress towards universal health coverage and improved health equity in Myanmar Context In Myanmar, the Supporting public health institutes programme (SPHIP) is also reaching out to community groups, such as inclusive self-help groups. Objective To contribute to the process of health reform in Myanmar to achieve equitable and universal healthcare goals. Impact In Myanmar, the SPHIP non-communicable diseases (NCDs) research project helped the government to develop a national NCD strategy and training materials for health workers nationwide in diagnosis, treatment and inclusion of NCD services in the package of care. 340 township health officers were trained in management and control of NCDs. Ten policy briefs and factsheets were produced, as well as a mental health strategic plan. The University of Public Health was supported in strategic planning and its scientific staff strengthened. Initial evaluation of the project showed an increase in the demand for services; however, improvement is still needed to achieve universal healthcare. The Minister of Health and Sports for Myanmar said: ‘The impact of the EU supported project was immense, and we consider this as the stepping stone for NCDs prevention and control initiatives in the country. While we thank EU for their support, we also request EU to continue support for NCD interventions to sustain the effort of this project.’

Case study - TAIEX supporting Georgia on public health Context: Advancement in the health sector is key under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. Georgia has committed to implementing EU legislation on communicable diseases and organ transplantation. Through a series of events in 2018-2019, TAIEX provided support for harmonising legislation on organ transplantation, as well as assessing the preparedness and effectiveness of the country’s disease control system, in close cooperation with the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). Objectives: ·Assess compatibility of the national regulatory framework with EU directives on donation, procurement, testing, preservation and distribution of human organs intended for transplantation. ·Assess capacity of Georgia’s health governance, surveillance, preparedness and response. ·Suggest areas for improvement, with the objective to prepare the country for participation in the EU’s communicable diseases surveillance networks. Impact: ·Development and implementation of an action plan to harmonise legislation and reform the organ transplantation sector. The plan will enable the country to provide quality and affordable transplantation services to the population, for instance through the creation of a deceased donation system. ·Assessment of Georgia’s disease control system, including a set of concrete recommendations, as part of the ECDC report on the state of play, needs and areas for improvement in Georgia with regard to communicable disease. 1.3.4. SDG 4 Quality education Introduction Education is key to shaping future generations. Access to quality education is an essential means of achieving sustainable growth and jobs: it helps citizens and professionals to grasp the opportunities created by digital technologies, strengthens societies’ resilience to emergencies and crises, and contributes to sustaining peace and preventing violent extremism. It has also a powerful role to play on climate change, environment and gender equality through skills building, awareness raising and strengthening resilience. The EU continued its proactive engagement towards achieving SDG 4, supporting around 100 countries and offering support to global education partnerships such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW). The main focus is on education system strengthening, focusing on access, quality and management. Overview and trends The EU, together with its Member States, is the biggest contributor to GPE, which supports basic education, focusing on the poorest countries and/or those in fragile situations. For 2018–2020 an additional EUR 100 million was pledged, on top of the EUR 375 million for 2014–2018. GPE’s priority is to provide all children access to quality education. Through its support for the GPE, the EU has contributed to the enrolment of millions more children in school.

Through the Erasmus+ programme, the EU continued to help partner countries facilitate mobility of individuals, and reinforce intercultural dialogue and understanding. Between 2015 and 2019, under Erasmus+ mobility in higher education, more than 130 000 students and university staff moved between partner countries and Europe and vice versa. A pilot vocational education and training (VET) mobility scheme has been introduced in the Western Balkans and Africa to allow students and staff to participate in mobility in EU countries. Moreover, between 2014 and 2019, at least 7 500 scholarships for Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degree programmes were awarded to students from partner countries. Furthermore, 735 projects for capacity building in higher education were funded to modernise higher education institutions, develop new curricula and build relationships between higher education institutions and enterprises. An additional 351 projects for youth exchanges were awarded during the period 2017 to 2019 for the Eastern Partnership, Western Balkans and Tunisia thanks to a financial top-up. Jean Monnet Activities are designed to promote excellence in teaching and research in the field of European Union studies worldwide. 275 supplementary projects were funded for Georgia and other countries receiving assistance under the Partnership Instrument. The SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational Technologies) tool, designed to help schools embed digital technologies into teaching, learning and student assessment, can contribute to assessing the situation in schools at a national level. It has been piloted in Serbia and Turkey to highlight what is working well in schools (primary, secondary and VET), where improvement is needed and what the priorities should be. National SELFIE coordinators have been designated in the Western Balkans. The tool is currently available in more than 24 languages and can be translated for any interested country. SELFIE gathers, anonymously, the views of students, teachers and school lea