COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Annual Report 2012 on the European Union's Development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2011 Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Annual Report 2012 on the European Union's Development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2011
Date: 2012-08-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: aid evaluation, cooperation policy, developing countries, development aid, poverty

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 6.8.2012 
SWD(2012) 242 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Annual Report 2012 on the European Union's Development and external assistance 
policies  
and their implementation in 2011 

Accompanying the document 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT 

Annual Report 2012 on the European Union's Development and external assistance 
policies and their implementation in 2011 

{COM(2012) 444 final} 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
Chapter 1 - Delivering on commitments .................................................................................... 4 

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 

1. 

2 

EU response to world developments in 2011............................................................... 6 

Leading the way in development policy ...................................................................... 8 

2.1 A more strategic approach: the Agenda for Change & the reform of budget support ......... 8 

2.2 Making a difference: an increased budget and new instruments ....................................... 10 

3 

Keeping long-term promises ...................................................................................... 12 

3.1 Progress in achieving the MDGs........................................................................................ 12 

3.2 Focussing on poverty ......................................................................................................... 15 

3.3 Strengthening human rights and good governance ............................................................ 17 

3.4 Mainstreaming of cross–cutting issues .............................................................................. 18 

3.5 Cooperation with non-state actors and local authorities .................................................... 22 

4 

More, better and more effective aid ........................................................................... 23 

4.1 Aid effectiveness and financing for development.............................................................. 23 

4.2 Coherence between development and other policies ......................................................... 26 

4.3 Cooperation with the international donor community ....................................................... 28 

5 

Outlook 2012.............................................................................................................. 29 

Chapter 2 - Implementation: geographic overview.................................................................. 30 

1 

1.1 

1.2 

2 

European Neighbourhood and the Middle East ......................................................... 30 

European Neighbourhood & Russia .......................................................................... 30 

Middle East ................................................................................................................ 50 

Sub-Saharan Africa & Intra-ACP programmes ......................................................... 55 

2.1 Sub-Saharan Africa ............................................................................................................ 55 

2.2 South Africa ....................................................................................................................... 68 

2.3 Intra-ACP programmes ...................................................................................................... 71 

3 

4 

Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)............................................................... 73 

Latin America & the Caribbean ................................................................................. 75 

4.1 Latin America..................................................................................................................... 75 

4.2 Caribbean ........................................................................................................................... 85 

5 

Asia, Central Asia & the Pacific ................................................................................ 91 

2 

 
 
5.1 Asia 91 

5.2 Central Asia...................................................................................................................... 100 

5.3 Pacific............................................................................................................................... 107 

Chapter 3 - Implementation: thematic overview.................................................................... 118 

1- 

The thematic programmes........................................................................................ 118 

1.1 Investing in People ........................................................................................................... 118 

1.2 Non-State actors and local authorities in development .................................................... 120 

1.3 Migration and asylum....................................................................................................... 121 

1.4 Environment, climate change and sustainable development............................................ 123 

1.5 Food security .................................................................................................................... 126 

2- 

3- 

Democracy and human rights .................................................................................. 130 

Stability .................................................................................................................... 136 

3.1 Crisis response and preparedness..................................................................................... 136 

3.2 Global and regional trans-border challenges.................................................................... 137 

4- 

5- 

6- 

Nuclear safety .......................................................................................................... 141 

Humanitarian assistance........................................................................................... 144 

Macro-financial assistance ....................................................................................... 148 

Chapter 4 - Managing aid for results...................................................................................... 149 

1- 

Monitoring project performance .............................................................................. 149 

1.1 Performance measurement: Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) .................................. 149 

1.2 Evaluation: Review of the work carried out..................................................................... 153 

1.3 Lessons learned ................................................................................................................ 156 

2- 

Aid delivery modalities ............................................................................................ 157 

2.1 Developments in aid delivery modalities and channels ................................................... 157 

2.2 Budget support and public finance................................................................................... 159 

2.3 Blending of grants and loans/innovative financing.......................................................... 161 

3- 

Progress in aid management..................................................................................... 162 

3.1 Progress on qualitative issues in aid management ........................................................... 162 

3.2 Simplification of procedures ............................................................................................ 164 

4- 

Communication & transparency .............................................................................. 165 

4.1 Communication and visibility .......................................................................................... 165 

3 

 
 
4.2 Transparency .................................................................................................................... 166 

Chapter 5 - Financial Annex .................................................................................................. 166 

5.1 Introduction to financial tables......................................................................................... 166 

5.2 Financial tables................................................................................................................. 168 

4 

 
 
 
Annual Report 2012 on the European Union's Development and 
external assistance policies and their implementation in 2011 

CHAPTER 1 - DELIVERING ON COMMITMENTS 

Introduction 

2011  was  a  particularly  challenging  year.  Political  and  economic  developments,  both  in 
European Neighbourhood1 countries and within the EU, dominated the international agenda. 
The  global  economic  crisis,  which  caused  widespread  market  fluctuations  and  economic 
instability,  continued  to  send  shock  waves  around  the  globe,  affecting  the  already  poor  and 
vulnerable. Tensions within the Eurozone were a source of deep concern both within Europe 
and in other countries.  

During  the  Arab  Spring,  people-led  movements  demanded  greater  personal  freedoms  and 
voiced aspirations for a better future based on fundamental values as well as social, political 
and  economic  reform.  2011  also  saw  the  unfolding  of  a  humanitarian  crisis  in  the  Horn  of 
Africa and the birth of a new African state – South Sudan.  It was also a year of consolidation 
of  longer-term  issues  in  international  politics,  such  as  the  continuing  rise  of  the  emerging 
economies and continued concerns about global climate change and regional poverty. 

There  was  some  progress  made  towards  reaching  the  poverty  reduction  targets  of  the 
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but key challenges remain, notably tackling severe 
poverty. Many countries and societies are highly vulnerable to shocks and crises. The rapidly 
changing  global  environment,  with  new  global  challenges  and  new  donors,  requires  new 
approaches both in EU external action and development policy.  

In 2011, the EU launched several new strategies. They include: a comprehensive strategy for 
the  Arab  Spring,  a  revised  European  Neighbourhood  Policy,  a  Strategy  for  Security  and 
Development in the Sahel and a Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa. To respond to 
the  Arab  Spring,  EU priorities  were  reviewed  to  focus  on  governance,  employment,  and 
youth. Up to €1 billion of additional funding  was pledged (for the period 2011-13, €3.5 billion 
had  already  been  allocated  to  the  Southern  Mediterranean  countries). An  updated  Human 
Rights  and  Democracy  strategy  envisaged  a  cohesive  approach  across  EU  external  policies 
along  with  a  strengthened  focus  on  human  rights  and  support  for  democracy.  New  EU 
Delegations were opened in Libya and South Sudan.  

Human  rights,  democracy  and  other  key  elements  of  good  governance  were  also  essential 
elements of the  European Commission's  Communications of  October  2011 on a revised EU 
development  policy  –  an  “Agenda  for  Change”  and  on  budget  support.  The  Agenda  for 
Change  proposes  two  new  pillars  for  EU  development  policy:  good  governance  and 

1 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/index_en.htm 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
sustainable  and  inclusive  growth.  It  also  contains  a  proposal  to  bring  in  differentiation, 
amounting  to  resources  being  targeted  to  countries  most  in  need  of  assistance,  including 
situations  of  fragility,  and  where  they  can  have  the  biggest  poverty  reduction  impact.  Such 
differentiation will mean less, or no, development grant aid to more advanced partners, with 
whom new forms of strategic cooperation will be developed. 

Providing more than half of the world's total Official Development Assistance (ODA), the EU 
and its Member States continued in 2011 to be a leader in development policy and action. The 
main international development event of the year was the Busan Forum on Aid Effectiveness. 
A  new  Partnership  for  Effective  Development  Cooperation  was  adopted2  building  on  the 
former  Paris  Declaration  and  Accra  Agenda  for  Action3.  In  addition  to  aid  effectiveness,  it 
contains  commitments  for  development  effectiveness  covering  South-South  cooperation, 
involvement of the private sector and funding to counter climate change. The document has 
been  endorsed  by  a  wide  community  of  traditional  bilateral  and  multilateral  donors, 
developing countries, emerging economies, civil society, parliaments and private sector. 

The  EU  pursued  its  policy  of  improving  Policy  Coherence  for  Development  (PCD) 
throughout 2011.  

The European Development Days event (EDD)4 – an annual forum debating global issues and 
development  cooperation  –  held  in  Warsaw,  Poland  in  December  2011,  focussed  this  time 
around on  the relationship between development and democracy. 

Institutional changes and the first year of the EEAS 

The  Lisbon  Treaty  put  the  fight  against  poverty  at  the  core  of  the  EU’s  external  and 
development  cooperation  policies.  2011  was  the  first  year  of  operation  of  the  European 
External Action Service (EEAS) under the authority of the High Representative of the Union 
for  Foreign  Affairs  and  Security  Policy  (HR)/Vice  President  (VP)  of  the  European 
Commission, Catherine Ashton. It was an intense and challenging year for building the EU’s 
role  in  foreign  policy  and  external  relations  and  promoting  more  effective  development 
cooperation through more joined-up policy making.  

Within the  Commission,  the former Directorate-General for Development  and  the  European 
Cooperation Office - EuropeAid were merged to form DG Development and Cooperation and 
a  new  service  for  Foreign  Policy  Instruments  (FPI)  was  created.  Under  the  authority  of  VP 
Ashton,  the  FPI  is  tasked  with  implementing  the  Common  Foreign  and  Security  Policy 
(CFSP) budget, the crisis response and prevention measures financed under the Instrument for 
Stability  (IfS),  the  electoral  Observation  Missions  under  the  European  Instrument  for 
Democracy  and  Human  Rights  and  the  cooperation  with  industrialised  countries  (ICI).  It  is 
also responsible for preparing and implementing sanctions proposals. 

The Arab  Spring  was  both  a  foreign  policy  challenge  and  a  political  opportunity.  EU 
institutions  brought  together  their  services  and  instruments.  Joint  crisis  platforms  brought 
together  the  EEAS  and  the  relevant  Commission  services  in  coordinating  an  immediate 
response to the crises in Libya and Tunisia.  

2 http://www.aideffectiveness.org/busanhlf4/en/topics/busan-partnership.html 
3 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/ensure-aid-effectiveness/eu-high-level-forum-2011_en.htm 
4 http://eudevdays.eu/ 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
During the year, Commission services and the EEAS also worked hand in hand on a number 
of  issues,  ranging  from  proposals  for  development  policy,  notably  the  Commission 
Communications on the Agenda for Change and on budget support and the Human Rights and 
Democracy strategy. They also worked together on preparing the Commission proposals for 
the  next  Multi-annual  Financial  Framework  (MFF),  drafting  of  proposals  for  the  new 
financial instruments and guidelines for multi-annual programming. 

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution in May on the status of the EU also 
underlines  support  for  the  EU  to  play  its  international  role.  The  global  network  of  140  EU 
Delegations  carry  out  political,  diplomatic,  development  and  policy  work  for  the  EU  and 
provide support to Member States through such activities as shared reporting. They also offer 
the future prospect of better division of labour, including joint programming of development 
assistance. As some national diplomatic services scale back their resources to concentrate on 
other  priorities,  the  value  added  of  the  Delegations  is  in  ensuring  that  the  EU  is  properly 
represented throughout the world. 

1.  EU response to world developments in 2011 

Events across the North Africa and the Middle East regions during 2011 – known as the Arab 
Spring  –  resulted  in  a  profound  transformation  of  the  EU’s  relations  with  its  southern 
neighbours. 

The  EU  was  the  first  to  acknowledge  that  the  uprisings  and  their  outcomes  must  be  owned 
and driven by the people of the countries themselves. It also took immediate steps to respond 
rapidly  and  effectively  to  the  challenges  of  the  evolving  situation,  notably  providing 
substantial humanitarian and civil protection assistance, support to democratic transition and 
assistance to impoverished areas.  

In March 2011, a new EU approach to the southern Neighbourhood was set out. It offered “A 
Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity” to partners committed to wide-ranging and 
bold reforms. This led to a new approach for the whole European Neighbourhood Policy. The 
revised  incentive-based  policy  -  known  as  “more  for  more”  -  was  drawn  up  to  support 
partners  who  were  delivering  reforms,  building  “deep  democracy”  and  ensuring  sustainable 
and inclusive economic development.  

Significant support was provided by the EU for the holding of elections in Tunisia, Morocco 
and Egypt. There was political condemnation of the respective situations in Bahrain, Yemen, 
and especially Syria. In Libya (before the fall of former Leader Muammar Gaddafi) and Syria, 
the  EU  decided  on  economic  sanctions,  trade  embargoes,  asset  freezes,  suspension  of  new 
EIB  loans  and  visa  bans.  In  parallel,  it  expanded  its  support  to  civil  society  in  the  entire 
Neighbourhood.  It  also  took  the  initiative  to  coordinate  and  strengthen  coherence  of  the 
international response to the Arab Spring events. 

There were further initiatives taken in the region to respond to the new situation, notably in 
the area of trade and mobility. A significant amount of new funding was offered by the EU as 
well as making adjustments to its on-going support to fit with new policy objectives. The EU 
also  took  a  pro-active  role  in  international  coordination  efforts,  together  with  the  UN,  the 
Arab  League  and  other  major  actors  like  Turkey.  During  the  Libyan  crisis,  HR/VP  Ashton 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
brought  together  the  UN  and  regional  organisations  (EU,  Arab  League,  African  Union  and 
Organisation  of  Islamic  Cooperation)  in  the  Cairo  Group  and  actively  participated  in  the 
Libya  contact  group.  This  diplomacy  led  to  a  convergence  of  views  in  the  international 
community  on  how  to  respond  to  the  Libyan  crisis.  An  international  Task  Force,  bringing 
together  the  EU,  third  countries  and  international  financial  institutions,  was  created  to 
enhance  the  coherence  of  international  support  to  countries  in  transition  in  the  Southern 
Mediterranean.  Its  September  2011  meeting  in  Tunis,  co-chaired  by  the  Tunisian  Prime 
Minister and the HR/VP, resulted in an overall financial support to Tunisia of about €1 billion 
in  2011  for  supporting  economic  recovery.  Coordination,  both  within  the  EU  and  with 
international  partners,  is  a  key  role  of  the  new  EU  Special  Representative  for  the  Southern 
Mediterranean. Task forces with other countries are in preparation.   

Events  in  the  southern  Mediterranean  have  also  had  both  short  and  potentially  longer-term 
impacts  on  the  region’s  southern  neighbours,  particularly  in  the  Sahel  and  neighbouring 
countries like Chad. Using the IfS, the EU has responded to requests for immediate support to 
address  migration  flows  and  offset  the  disruption  of  remittances.  The  Strategy  for  Security 
and Development in the Sahel addresses the longer-term security and development impacts on 
the region.  

The Arab Spring has also brought more urgency to the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP). 
The voice of the EU in the MEPP became stronger, not least by pushing for a more active role 
for the Quartet: the UN, United States, EU and Russia. 

The  High  Representative  pursued  international  diplomatic  attempts  to  find  a  solution  to  the 
Iranian  nuclear  issue  based  on  her  United  Nations  Security  Council  (UNSC)  mandate.  The 
aim  has  been  to  convince  Iran  that  it  must  demonstrate  its  readiness  to  engage  in  a 
confidence-building  process  in  order  to  address  all  existing  concerns  on  its  nuclear 
programme. This followed a resolution of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic 
Agency  (IAEA)  expressing  the  body’s  deep  concern  at  Iranian  activities  relating  to  the 
development  of  military  nuclear  technology.  Alongside  diplomacy,  the  EU’s  approach  has 
been  to  continuously  strengthen  existing  sanctions.  Additional  measures  affecting  the 
financial, transport and energy sectors were prepared with the aim to have them adopted by 
the  Council  in  early  2012.  At  the  same  time,  close  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  country’s 
worrying human rights situation. 

Turning to Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011 saw the adoption of an EU Strategic Framework for the 
Horn of Africa. In partnership with the region and key bodies such as the United Nations and 
the  African  Union,  it  aims  to  bring  greater  peace,  stability,  security,  prosperity  and 
accountable  government  to  the  region.  The  EU  continues  to  lead  multiple  common  security 
and defence policy operations in the region. The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) 
Somalia ATALANTA operation fights piracy. The EU is also helping to train Somalia’s own 
security forces. Around 1 800 Somali soldiers have been trained by the EU Training Mission 
(EUTM) in Uganda to join AMISOM, the AU peacekeeping force in Somalia which is largely 
funded  by  the  EU.  The  EU  is  also  the  largest  humanitarian  donor  in  the  Horn  of  Africa, 
having provided over €700 million in assistance sin ce the beginning of this year. The new EU 
Special  Representative  for  the  Horn  of  Africa  will  play  an  important  role  in  addressing  the 
many complex issues of the region.  

In  July  2011,  High  Representative/Vice  President  Ashton  attended  the  independence 
ceremony of the new state of South Sudan, born of the 2005 Sudanese Comprehensive Peace 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Agreement  (CPA).  A  comprehensive  approach  to  Sudan  and  South  Sudan  to  underpin  the 
development and peaceful co-existence of two viable, stable and prosperous states has since 
been  followed  by  the  EU.  In  cooperation  with  the  AU,  UN  and  international  partners,  the 
Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan is at the fore in the EU’s efforts to support 
the resolution of outstanding issues between both states. 

At the request of the European Council, the EU is engaging in a process to formulate a more 
effective EU policy towards its main strategic partners. This has contributed to more focused 
and substantive Summits and other high-level meetings with these countries, as well as more 
active co-operation in other areas of mutual concern. 

In  Asia,  support  to  the  accelerating  Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations  (ASEAN) 
integration process continued in the form of capacity building for the ASEAN Secretariat and 
engaging with the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The 
transition  in  Myanmar  was  monitored  very  closely,  with  the  EU  beginning  to  deliver  a 
response in the country. 

Throughout 2011, the EU continued to take the lead in combating dangerous climate change 
and  pushing  for  progress  in  international  climate  negotiations.  It  delivered  on  its 
commitments  to  provide  fast  start  finance  and  stepped  up  its  climate  diplomacy  activities 
ahead of the UN climate conference held in Durban, South Africa in November. The Durban 
Platform  for  Enhanced  Action  reflects  European  proposals  for  a  detailed  roadmap  with  a 
global comprehensive climate agreement to be negotiated by 2015 and to come into force by 
2020 at the latest. Under the new agreement, to replace the current architecture based on the 
Kyoto Protocol, all countries would take on legally binding commitments to reduce or limit 
emissions of greenhouse gases with the effect of collectively containing global warming to a 
maximum  of  2°C.  Durban  also  brought  into  effect  other  earlier  commitments  on  a  Green 
Climate Fund and the setting up of new bodies and instruments on adaptation and technology 
transfer.  At  Durban,  the  EU’s  call  for  such  ambitious  action  was  joined  by  more  than  100 
countries particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. 

2 

Leading the way in development policy 

2.1  A  more  strategic  approach:  the  Agenda  for  Change  &  the  reform  of 
budget support  

Two major political documents which aim to update EU development policy were published 
on 13 October 2011, following months of intense consultation with stakeholders. They build 
on the common understanding of EU development policy defined in the European Consensus 
on Development5. The Communication, "Increasing the impact of EU development policy: an 
Agenda  for  Change"6,  aims  to  significantly  increase  the  impact  and  effectiveness  of  EU 
development policy, while the second document, "The future approach to EU budget support 
to third countries"7 is to strengthen the use of budget support.  

Why revisit European Union development policy? 

5 OJ C46 of 24.02.2006 
6 COM(2011) 637 final, 13.10.2011 
7 COM (2011) 638 final, 13.10.2011 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The EU has already done a great deal to help reduce poverty, but a lot remains to be done. 
Recent  changes,  both  within  and  outside  the  EU,  mean  that  there  is  a  new  development 
context. The Arab Spring reaffirmed the importance of democracy and good governance for 
development  to  occur,  and  the  need  for  societies  to  offer  a  future  to  their  young  people.  In 
addition, some former developing countries have become major international players and are 
now  donors  in  their  own  right.  The  entry  into  force  of  the  Lisbon  Treaty  has  also  brought 
about  institutional  changes  in  Europe.  Last  but  not  least,  the  world  still  has  to  cope  with 
economic crisis which is putting donors' respective aid budgets under pressure. 

Agenda for change: What's new? 

The "Agenda for Change" foresees a two-pillared approach. Through the lessons learnt from 
recent events in North Africa, human rights, democracy and good governance trends will be 
given  greater  weight.  The  second  pillar  will  stimulate  inclusive  and  sustainable  growth  to 
reduce long-term poverty by: promoting decent work, social protection floors, social inclusion 
and  human  development;  supporting  business  and  regional  integration  and  assisting 
sustainable agriculture, energy supply and access to energy. EU grant aid will go to countries 
where  it  is  most  needed  and  can  have  the  most  impact.  This  differentiated  approach  means 
that other forms of cooperation will be considered for other countries. The new approach will 
also favour other issues: 

•  Donor coordination will be improved and duplication reduced, leading to more focussed 
EU aid which will be targeted to sectors with a high impact on poverty reduction such as 
governance,  quality  employment  and  social  protection,  health,  energy  or  agriculture.  In 
future,  the  EU  will  allocate  resources  under  individual  programmes  drawn  up  with 
countries to no more than three sectors8. 

•  EU development aid will use more innovative financial tools, for example, the blending of 

grants and loans and including private sector involvement.  

•  Better  coordination  with  Member  States  is  foreseen.  The  Commission  is  calling  for  the 
introduction  of  joint  EU  and  Member  State  responses  based  on  partner  countries'  own 
strategies. It also foresees the setting up of a common EU results framework.  

•  Reaffirmation of the crucial role of policy coherence in the interests of development. 

The Communication on budget support  

Budget support will continue to be an important EU development cooperation instrument in 
line  with  the  modernisation  of  development  cooperation  policy  outlined  in  the  “Agenda  for 
Change”.  It  will  also  be  considered  as  an  integral  part  of  the  toolbox  for  pre-accession 
assistance, among other forms of financing. The EU will provide budget support as a vector 
for change to address the following development challenges and objectives: 

•  Promoting  human rights and democratic values; 

8 With the possible exception of candidate countries and potential candidates to EU accession funded by the Instrument for 
Pre-accession Assistance, for which strategic focus on a limited number of sectors to secure results and impact may have to 
be combined with ad-hoc assistance to other sectors covered by the EU acquis, to facilitate implementation of the relevant 
legislative, institutional and infrastructure measures. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
• 

Improving  financial  management,  macroeconomic  stability  and  the  fight  against 
corruption and fraud,  

•  Promoting good governance and inclusive growth for human development;  
•  Promoting sector reforms and improving sector service delivery, with particular focus 

on pro-poor, gender and children's issues; 

•  State-building  in  fragile  states  and  addressing  development  challenges  of  SIDS  and 

OCTs; 
Improving domestic revenue mobilisation and reducing dependency on aid. 

• 

“Good  governance  and  development  contracts”  (general  budget  support)  will  be  provided 
when there is trust and confidence that aid will be spent on pursuing the fundamental values 
of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. "Sector reform contracts" are also foreseen to 
promote  reforms,  support  sector  policies,  and  improve  service  delivery  to  populations.  In 
post-conflict  and  fragile  situations,  the  EU  will  also  use,  on  a  case-by-case  basis,  “state-
building  contracts”  to  help  partner  countries  to  ensure  vital  state  functions,  to  deliver  basic 
social services and to promote governance, human rights and democracy. 

Existing  eligibility  criteria  and  their  assessment  will  be  strengthened,  as  will  the  EU’s 
approach  to  assessing  and  managing  risks.  The  EU  will  also  put  more  emphasis  on 
accountability  and  transparency,  with  a  new  eligibility  criterion  on  budget  transparency  and 
oversight. The Commission will also look carefully at efforts made to strengthen parliaments 
and  civil  society,  and  will  publish  relevant  information  on  budget  support  agreements  and 
performance reviews. There will also be a stronger EU coordinated approach to maximise the 
impact of support.  

The way forward 

All future EU action will have to be compatible with this renewed policy framework. It has 
already been integrated into the Commission's proposals for post-2013 financial instruments, 
particularly the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI). 

2.2 Making a difference: an increased budget and new instruments  

In June, the  Commission proposed  a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 
period 2014-2020. The Communication, “A Budget for Europe 2020”9, highlighted the areas 
where the EU could play an important role in an increasingly globalised world. Based on the 
Europe  2020  strategy  and  the  new  institutional  architecture  of  the  Lisbon  Treaty,  it  defines 
broad budgetary orientations, including the future architecture  and funding of external action 
financial instruments. The EU remains committed to pursuing the MDGs and to achieving the 
target of Official Development Assistance (ODA) of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) 
by 2015. To help achieve these targets, the Commission suggested stepping up financing for 
external  action  within  the  budget  from  €56.8  bill ion  to  €70  billion  and  for  the  European 
Development Fund (EDF), from currently €23 bill ion for six years to €30.3 billion for seven 
years (in 2011 prices). 

The  objective  of  the  new  MFF  is  to  enable  the  EU  to  speak  with  one  voice  and  meet  its 

9  COM(2011) 500 final 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
development  and  enlargement  objectives:  promoting  democracy,  peace,  solidarity,  stability 
and  prosperity  and  poverty  reduction  –  both  at  global  level  and  in  its  immediate 
neighbourhood – and also helps safeguard global public goods.  

On  7  December,  the  Commission  adopted  a  package  of  proposals  for  Regulations  and 
Decisions  covering  nine  geographic  and  thematic  external  action  instruments10.  These  new 
proposals have been designed to increase both the efficiency and impact of external spending. 
They aim to reduce overlaps and gaps between the instruments, increase their flexibility and 
responsiveness, reduce the dispersion of activities and promote aid effectiveness.  

The proposals revolve around three main axes.  

The first is cooperation with beneficiary and partner countries in line with the Treaty-based 
policy priorities related to: 

•  Enlargement, with the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) as the 

• 

• 

financial pillar of the enlargement strategy;  
the neighbourhood, with the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) used 
to  support  deeper  political  cooperation,  closer  economic  integration  and  an 
effective transition to democracy in the EU’s neighbouring countries; 
the  promotion  of  EU  and  mutual  interests  worldwide,  with  a  focus  on 
industrialised countries, emerging economies and countries where the EU has 
significant interests will be supported by the new Partnership Instrument; 
•  development  cooperation  with  the  primary  objective  of  combating  poverty, 
with  the  Development  and  Copperation  Instrument  (DCI)  and  using  the 
European  Development  Fund  (EDF)  for  cooperation  with  African,  Caribbean 
and Pacific (ACP) countries. 
the EU-Greenland Partnership, which will be strengthened. 

• 

The  second  axis  is  the  promotion  of  democracy  and  human  rights  globally  through  the 
European  Instrument  for  Democracy  and  Human  Rights.  The  proposal  would  boost  it  by 
providing  more  EU  support  for  the  development  of  thriving  civil  societies,  supporting  their 
specific role as key actors for positive change in support of human rights and democracy. 

The  third  axis  is  crisis  prevention  and  management  through  the  “Instrument  for  Stability” 
where  an  increase  is  proposed  to  respond  to  current  global  challenges.  The  “Instrument  for 
Nuclear Safety Cooperation” will continue to aim to promote high levels of nuclear safety. 

Policy changes during 2011 have meant specific improvements in the following ways, among 
others: 

• 

there will be flexibility in the programming process for faster decision-making 
in  all  instruments,  particularly  in  cases  of  crisis,  post-crisis  and  fragility.  For 
some of the geographic programmes (DCI, ENI), the EU may synchronise its 
programming  cycle  to  its  partners'  cycles  and  replace  specific  Commission-
adopted  development  strategy  papers  with  other  existing  strategy  documents, 

10  COM(2011) 865 final, COM(2011) 836 final, COM(2011) 837 final, COM(2011) 838 final, COM(2011) 
839 final, COM(2011) 840 final, COM(2011) 841 final, COM(2011) 842 final, COM(2011) 843 final, 
COM(2011) 844 final, COM(2011) 845 final and COM(2011) 846 final 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
or adopt simplified programming documents based on jointly agreed objectives 
with partner countries or through joint programming with EU Member States; 
•  creation of incentive-based approaches, in particular as a performance reward 
for  progress  in  reforms  along  the  EU  accession  path,  under  the  IPA  II  and  
under the ENI “more for more” policy to better support democratic transition 
in the EU’s Neighbourhood;  

•  a more strategic approach based on the priorities of the enlargement agenda for 

the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance;  

•  establishment  under  the  DCI  of  a  Pan-African  programme  enabling  the 

• 

coherent implementation of the Joint Africa-Europe Strategy; 
increased flexibility with a single Global Public Goods programme under the 
same instrument increasing the EU's capacity to respond to global challenges. 

The Commission has also explored ways of making the differentiation of aid between partner 
countries concrete, allocating a greater proportion of funds where aid can achieve the biggest 
changes  for  people.  With  regard  to  the  DCI,  it  is  proposed  that  19  wealthier  countries  no 
longer benefit from bilateral development assistance. However, these countries will continue 
to have access to regional and thematic cooperation.  

Innovative  tools  such  as  the  blending  of  grants  and  loans  and  the  inclusion  of  the  private 
sector are also part of the updated policy. As part of of the revision of EIB's external mandate, 
the Commission is studying ways to optimise the functioning of mechanisms for blending in 
the external regions.  

With this new setup the EU is much better placed to promote and defend its core values and 
stand  by  its  international  commitments  to  its  neighbours,  particularly  those  undergoing 
transition  and  on  a  path  to  joining  the  Union,  as  well  as  the  poorest  and  most  vulnerable 
globally.  

3 

Keeping long-term promises 

3.1 Progress in achieving the MDGs  

Following  the  2010  UN  MDG  Summit,  the  Commission  took  a  step  to  reprioritise  its 
activities to increase the impact of its development cooperation on achieving the MDGs. The 
“Agenda  for  Change”11  is  intended  to  better  assist  partner  countries  in  attaining  the  MDGs.  
This  section  gives  information  on  the  Commission’s  activities  in  2011  to  help  countries 
achieve MDG targets. More details can be found in Chapter 3. 

In late 2011, the first component of the EU's €1 billion MDG initiative , launched at the New 
York Summit in September 2010, was adopted. It focuses on countries that are most off-track 
in their MDG targets. 

Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger 

11 COM(2011) 637 final 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Progress  towards  achieving  MDG1  on  the  eradication  of  extreme  poverty  and  hunger 
continues  to  be  hampered  by  the  global  economic  crisis  and  deterioration  of  the  labour 
market,  the  effects  of  climate  change,  price  volatility,  gender  inequality,  lack  of  access  to 
land, poor nutrition and situations of protracted crisis, namely the 2011 famine in the Horn of 
Africa.  

The  “Agenda  for  Change”  places  quality  employment,  social  protection,  sustainable 
agriculture,  food  security  and  nutrition  high  on  the  EU's  development  cooperation  agenda. 
Throughout  2011,  the  EU  continued  to  work  closely  on  food  security  and  nutrition  with  a 
number of actors. For example, on 27 June 2011, a new strategic framework of cooperation 
was signed in Rome by the Commission, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 
the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme 
(WFP). This will increase the capacity of the four partners to deliver effective, coordinated, 
timely and sustainable support to food security and nutrition.  

By the end of 2011, the €1 billion  EU Food Facility had reached its target. In three years, it 
has funded 134 projects implemented by NGOs and EU Member State agencies, 69 projects 
by  international  organisations,  three  regional  projects  and  ten  budget  support  measures  (see 
chapter 3). 

In  the  light  of  the  global  financial  and  economic  crisis,  decent  employment  and  social 
protection  are  increasingly  considered  as  crucial  to  the  achievement  of  MDG1.  Social 
protection,  employment  and  decent  work  are  also  key  themes  of  the  “Agenda  for  Change” 
which aims to bring the benefits of growth to more people. Sustainability and inclusiveness in 
economic development through employment, skills development, social inclusion and social 
protection,  particularly  for  young  people,  were  chosen  as  priorities  within  the  support  for 
partnership, reform and inclusive growth programme (SPRING) for Southern Mediterranean 
countries, approved at the end of 2011. 

Education 

In line with its 2010 policy for “More and better education for all in developing countries”, 
the EU supports the overall balanced development of education systems in partner countries, 
with  particular  attention  paid  to  equal  access  to  education  and  improving  the  quality  of 
education. In the current programming period, the EU’s support for education in 48 countries 
amounts to around €4 billion (see chapter 3). 

Gender equality 

The EU's thematic programme, “Investing in People”, also funded two major gender equality 
initiatives  during  2011;  one  on  women's  social  and  economic  empowerment,  and  a  new  UN 
programme,  “Increasing  accountability  for  financing  to  gender  equality",  launched  with  EU 
support. Both initiatives aim to contribute to the achievement of MDG3 on gender equality by 
supporting women's leadership in economic and social spheres and by mobilising resources to 
implement partner countries' commitments on gender equality (see chapter 3).  

Health 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Commission’s  support  to  the  health  sector  covers  three  health-related  MDGs  and  other 
sectors  having  an  impact  on  child  morbidity  and  mortality,  such  as  nutrition,  water  and 
sanitation.  

Steady  progress  is  being  made  in  reducing  child  deaths.  Globally,  the  mortality  rate  for 
children under five has declined by 35%, from 88 deaths per 1 000 live births in 1990 to 57 in 
2010. All regions, except Sub-Saharan Africa, Caucasus and Central Asia, Southern Asia and 
Oceania,  have  seen  reductions  of  at  least  50%.  Despite  population  growth,  the  number  of 
deaths  in  children  under  five  worldwide  dropped  from  12  million  in  1990  to  7.6  million  in 
2010,  or  12  000  fewer  children  dying  each  day.  The  rate  of  decline  in  under-five  mortality 
rates has also accelerated from 1.9% a year, 1990–2000 to 2.5% a year, 2000–2010.  

The  EU  has  contributed  to  achievement  of  the  health  MDGs  by  improving  the  overall 
functioning of health systems of partner countries, of critical importance for the population to 
access  sustainable  services12.  It  supports  projects  to  eradicate  poverty-related  diseases  and 
improve health such as the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation (MDG4) and the 
Global Fund to fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (MDG6). 

In addition to its ongoing support to the health sector, 11 country proposals were selected in 
2011 for additional aid totalling €280.4 million to a ccelerate the MDGs for child health and 
maternal health (see chapter 3). 

Support to fight HIV/AIDS is mostly channelled through the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, 
tuberculosis  and  malaria13.  The  EU  has  disbursed  more  than  €922  million  through  this 
instrument  so  far.  This  has  been  complemented  by  other  specific  support  -  totalling  €250 
million over the last decade to social organisations at country level to help them run their HIV 
control activities. 

Pandemic preparedness and response - emerging diseases 

The EU is the largest contributor (contributing more than 75% of the total of approximately 
$125  million)  to  the  multi-donor  trust  fund  Avian  and  Human  Influenza  Facility  (AHIF), 
administered by the World Bank. AHIF funds national plans worldwide involving human and 
animal  health  services,  aiming  at  preventing  and  if  needed  mitigating  the  effects  of  serious 
infectious  diseases  and  pandemics.  In  2011,  actions  financed  by  AHIF  started  taking  into 
account  the  One  Health  approach,  which  addresses  health  risks  originating  at  the  interface 
between humans, animals and their various environments.  

Environmental sustainability 

The Commission pursued many policies and projects in 2011 to promote environmental issues 
for the achievement of MDG 7: the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), the EU forest 
law  enforcement,  governance  and  trade  (FLEGT)  Action  Plan  and  the  ACP-EU  Water 
Facility. The GCCA has provided €210 million fo r 30 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 
Small Island Developing States (SIDs), which are particularly vulnerable to climate change. 
FLEGT  agreements  strengthen  forest  governance  in  timber  producing  countries  at  the  same 

12 Communication COM(2010)128, 31.03.2010 and Council Conclusions on the EU role in global health 
13 http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/  

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
time  as  combatting  illegal  logging  and  associated  trade.  FLEGT  also  supports  work  on 
climate  change  mitigation  and  reduced  emissions  from  degradation  and  deforestation 
(REDD+). 

Energy-generating income in Malawi 

The  MDGs  will  not  be  reached  without  a  steady  increase  in  access  to  modern  energy.  The 
Commission is improving access to modern energy to help achieve the MDGs. Women and 
children  in  Msamala,  a  rural  district  in  Malawi,  now  collect  30%  less  firewood  thanks  to 
energy-efficient  stoves  introduced  as  part  of  a  sustainable  energy  project.  Funded  under  the 
ACP-EU  Energy  Facility,  the  additional  installation  of  solar  photovoltaic  systems  has 
increased  learning  hours  for  8860  students.  The  revenues  of  34  business  groups  have  also 
gone  up  thanks  to  the  project's  spin-off:  stove  production,  bee-keeping  and  mushroom 
growing. These activities have in turn increased household investment in livestock and have 
enabled food to be bought to supplement harvests. 

Water projects in pipeline 

to 

totalling 

€23  million,  

improve  water  governance,  resource 
Thirty-two  projects, 
management and sustainable development of water infrastructure in ACP states were selected 
for  funding  in  2011.  They  are  funded  out  of  the  10th  EDF  ACP-EU  Water  Facility  (€212 
million), set up to provide water and basic sanitation to the poor and improve water resource 
management in ACP countries. Access to sanitation in urban and peri-urban areas – one of the 
most  off-track  MDG  indicators  globally  –  has  been  targeted  in  a  new  set  of  calls  for 
proposals. The creation of a pool funding mechanism will also provide private sector and loan 
financing.   

The  EU  supported  the  newly-founded  International  Renewable  Energy  Agency  (IRENA) 
which promotes the use of all forms of renewable energies in developing countries. IRENA 
notably  emphasises  the  key  role  played  by  renewable  energies  in  supporting  sustainable 
growth  and  alleviating  energy  poverty  whilst  reducing  green-house  gas  emissions  and 
enhancing energy security. 

Trailblazing renewable energy in the Southern Mediterranean 

The  three-year  EU-funded,  “Paving  the  Way  for  the  Mediterranean  Solar  Plan”  project  is 
promoting  the  greater  use  of  renewable  energy  across  Southern  Mediterranean  countries.  It 
has  set  up  a  platform  for  dialogue  to  explore  the  possibilities  of  a  harmonised  regulatory 
framework  for  investments  in  renewable  energy  across  the  nine  countries  involved.  A 
benchmarking  report  has  been  issued  for  each  beneficiary  country  on  the  integration  of 
renewable energy into respective electricity systems, along with studies on the infrastructure 
requirements for the integration of renewable energy in the countries’ electricity systems14.  

For  Commission  activities  in  relation  to  MDG8  on  developing  a  global  partnership  for 
development, see Chapter 1 section 4 more, better and more effective aid. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
3.2 Focussing on poverty  

The  Lisbon  Treaty  puts  fighting  poverty  at  the  core  of  European  external  and  development 
policies. The EU has already done much to help reduce poverty and in particular to support 
the  achievements  of  the  MDGs.  However,  the  global  economic  and  financial  crisis, 
exacerbated  by  the  food  and  energy  crisis  have  seriously  challenged  progress  in  poverty 
reduction. According to the UNDP and the World Bank (WB), it is largely Asia’s sustained 
growth  that  is  putting  the  world  on  track  to  meet  the  poverty  reduction  target  of  halving 
between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 dollar a day. 
However, only 49 of 87 countries are on track to achieve MDG poverty alleviation targets. 

An  established  positive  correlation  exists  between  economic  growth,  reforms,  political 
stability/good  governance,  and  effective  poverty  alleviation  strategies.  Current  rapid  growth 
in  China,  India,  Brazil,  and  other  emerging  economies  has  been  impressive.  Yet,  new 
challenges  need  to  be  addressed  such  as  effective  social  protection  for  all  including  the 
informal  sector,  ensuring  decent  working  conditions,  environmental  degradation,  climate 
change,  food  security  and  energy  efficiency  whilst  ensuring  that  economic  growth  reaches 
everyone, particularly those most in need.  

Looking  ahead,  the  “Agenda  for  Change”  will  focus  EU  support  on  those  partner  countries 
where  it  can  have  the  greatest  poverty  reduction  impact.  Given  that  the  2015  target  for 
achieving  the  MDGs  is  close,  developed  and  developing  countries  will  need  to  act  more 
quickly to reach the MDGs. The new policy should ensure that the development policy of the 
EU  and  its  Member  States  has  the  greatest  possible  impact  in  attaining  its  objectives.  At  a 
time when the credibility of aid is under pressure, demonstrating this increased impact is more 
important than ever for maintaining political and public support for development assistance. 

In 2011, the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC IV) 
took  place  in  Istanbul.  The  new  10-year  Programme  of  Action  reaffirms  the  global 
commitment to address the special needs of the LDCs, including the aim of enabling half the 
number  of  LDCs  to  meet  the  criteria  for  graduation  by  2020.  The  UN  General  Assembly 
decided in December 2011 to establish an ad hoc Working Group to study and strengthen the 
graduation  and  smooth  transition  process.  The  EU  will  contribute  actively  to  this  follow-up 
work.  Other  main  achievements  and  deliverables  include  a  strong  commitment  from  donor 
countries  to  review  their  ODA  commitments  in  2015;  and  a  high-level  mid-term  Review  in 
2015 as a follow-up regarding commitments by donor countries and emerging economies.  

Progress in reducing poverty  

All EU partners in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus covered by the European Neighbourhood 
and  Partnership  Instrument  (ENPI)  are  now  classified  as  Middle–Income  Countries  (MICs). 
While  poverty  in  the  region  has  been  reduced,  social  inequality  and  exclusion  are  still 
increasing  at  country  and  regional  levels.  Regional  needs  are  significant.  Although  the 
Republic  of  Moldova15  has  been  reclassified  as  a  low–middle  income  country,  it  remains 
Europe’s poorest country. 

Mediterranean  countries  covered  by  the  ENPI  also  have  to  cope  with  poverty  (all  of  them, 
apart from Israel, belong to the MIC category). Due to the existence of informal, as well as 
formal  redistributive  channels,  more  budgetary  and  fiscal  discipline  is  required.  The  Arab 

15 Hereinafter Moldova 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Spring offers an opportunity for the southern Neighbourhood to carry out reforms needed for 
better governance and inclusive and sustainable growth for progress on poverty reduction.  

EU  assistance  through  the  ENPI  hence  focuses  on  these  issues.  The  most  difficult  social 
situation  remains  that  of  the  occupied  Palestinian  territory  where,  despite  humanitarian 
assistance, more than 30 % of the Palestinian population still live in poverty.  

Sub-Saharan Africa has managed to cope with the crisis better than expected and its growth 
rates  are  above  pre-crisis  levels.  As  a  result,  many  African  countries  have  made  progress 
towards  the  MDGs.  For  example,  four  countries:  Cape  Verde,  Ethiopia,  Ghana  and  Malawi 
are  projected  to  achieve  most  of  the  MDGs,  if  not  by  2015,  then  soon thereafter.  However, 
serious  challenges  remain.  About  half  of  the  population  still  lives  on  $1.25  a  day,  and 
development  progress  is  neither  reaching  those  most  in  need  nor  vulnerable  groups.  Weak 
governance is another challenge. 

Recovery  from  the  crisis  is  firmly  on  track  in  Asia  and  the  Pacific  with  real  GDP  growth 
registered. There has been an impressive reduction of absolute poverty in Asia, led by China, 
India and most countries of Southeast Asia. However, poverty is still widespread in India and 
other  countries:  Afghanistan,  Bangladesh,  Cambodia,  Laos,  Myanmar/Burma,  Nepal,  North 
Korea,  Pakistan,  Papua  New  Guinea  and  Timor–Leste.  Economic  growth  has  led  to 
considerable income and regional disparities, including inequalities between rural and urban 
populations.  There  is  wide  variation  in  levels  of  development  in  Southeast  Asian  MICs.  In 
these  areas,  EU  cooperation  through  the  DCI  focuses  on  capacity  building,  social 
infrastructures,  energy  efficiency,  land  management,  climate  change,  food  security, 
environmental protection and trade integration, all of which have spill–over effects on poverty 
alleviation strategies at regional and country level.  

Central Asian transition countries saw growth pick up in 2010 after the crisis caused weaker 
markets  for  commodity  exports  and  lost  remittances  from  citizens  working  abroad.  But 
overall, in the region growth rates fell, poverty levels rose and the urban/rural divide widened. 
To help meet these challenges, EU support focuses on raising living standards, developing the 
social  sector  and  providing  a  social  safety  net.  It  also  seeks  to  improve  the  rule  of  law  and 
public governance.  

Progress in economic and social reform during the 1990s and early 2000s ensured prolonged 
economic  growth  for  Latin  America  throughout  which  poverty  levels  fell  significantly.  For 
example, more than 50 million people were lifted out of moderate poverty between 2002 and 
2008. However, an average of 40% of the Latin American population still lives in poverty and 
income  inequality  remains.  Haiti  remains  the  poorest  country  in  the  Caribbean  and  its 
reconstruction and poverty challenges are being supported through a revised country strategy 
which  includes  joint-programming  with  EU  Member  States.  For  Latin  America,  EU 
programmes  financed  out  of  the  DCI  support  the  fight  against  poverty  by  promoting  social 
cohesion and backing regional integration. The EU policy dialogue has also been broadened 
to  include  economic  competitiveness,  trade,  migration,  environment/energy/climate  change, 
governance, and sustainable development. This is particularly the case for Argentina, Brazil, 
Chile, Mexico and Uruguay, among the upper MICs.  

3.3 Strengthening human rights and good governance  

In  2011,  the  EU  used  its  range  of  external  instruments  and  policies  to  promote  and  protect 
human  rights  and  good  governance  and  to  combat  gender  inequality.  The  “Agenda  for 
Change”  and  budget  support  communications  stress  human  rights,  democracy  and  good 

18 

 
 
 
governance  as  a  main  focus  of  EU  development  cooperation  with  third  countries  for  the 
period  2014-2020.  Further,  the  proposals  presented  in  December  on  the  EU  financial 
instruments, including the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights strengthen 
the promotion of democracy and human rights and the stepping up of support to civil society 
worldwide.  

The  High  Representative  and  the  Commission  presented  a  joint  communication  to  the 
European Parliament and to the Council on “Human rights and democracy at the heart of EU 
external  action  –  towards  a  more  effective  approach”16  in  December.  While  reaffirming  the 
EU's position on human rights, it aims to tailor the EU’s approach to promoting human rights 
to  local  conditions.  The  vision  is  of  a  cohesive  approach  across  EU  external  policies.  The 
communication  sets  out  how  to  strengthen  EU  partnerships  when  implementing  the  new 
approach and  puts forward ways to harness  the EU's collective weight.  The EU also started 
developing human rights strategies for almost 160 countries worldwide. They are shaped to 
respond to the particular needs of individual countries to achieve stronger positive impacts on 
the ground. They establish country-specific priorities and objectives, which can be integrated 
in all relevant EU external policies such as development, trade or security. In 2011, over 130 
strategies were finalised, having taken into account the views of civil society.  

The  EU  is  also  active  in  multilateral  fora  at  the  UN,  the  Council  of  Europe  (CoE)  and  the 
Organisation  for  Security  and  Co-operation  in  Europe  (OSCE)  in  setting  human  rights 
standards and promoting human rights as universal. In the Human Rights Council (HRC), the 
EU  successfully  called  for  special  sessions  on  Libya  and  Syria  to  condemn  human  rights 
violations and establish oversight to monitor the situation and ensure accountability.  

The  EU  also  put  Belarus  on  the  HRC’s  agenda.  It  ran  initiatives  such  as  the  resolutions  on 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Burma/Myanmar and resolutions on the 
protection  of  freedom  of  religion  or  belief  and  children’s  rights  in  the  UN’s  General 
Assembly. Bilaterally, it held over 40 human rights dialogues with third countries which gave 
the  EU  many  opportunities  to  address  specific  human  rights  concerns.  Numerous  EU 
statements also addressed country specific and thematic human rights issues. 

Further, the EU deployed ten Election Observation Missions (EOM) and seven election expert 
missions  in  2011.  Five  EU  EOMs  accompanied  and  gave  additional  credibility  to  major 
developments,  most  notably  the  regime  change  in  Tunisia,  the  creation  of  a  new  country  in 
South Sudan, the transition from a military to a civilian regime in Niger, and the long-awaited 
shift  to  the  political  opposition  in  Peru  and  Zambia.  Three  EOMs  accompanied  relatively 
smooth re-elections of incumbent authorities in Nigeria, Chad and Uganda, while two others 
were  led  in  challenging  electoral  contexts  in  Nicaragua  and  the  Democratic  Republic  of 
Congo (DRC).  

During 2011, work continued on the implementation of the Council conclusions of November 
2009 and December  2010  on democracy support with  the  confirmation  of pilot countries to 
explore new ways of working. They involve the following countries: Benin, Ghana, Bolivia, 
Lebanon, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Maldives, and Solomon Islands. Commitments in 
the May 2011 joint communication issued by the High Representative and the Commission on 
the  Neighbourhood,  also  further  strengthened  work  in  the  sphere  of  good  governance  and 
democratisation. 

16 COM(2011) 886 final, 12.12.2011 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.4 Mainstreaming of cross–cutting issues 

The EU supports a number of sectors in developing nations in their own right, such as gender 
or human rights (see previous section). In having an impact a number of other sectors, such 
assistance helps to achieve wider development goals, including the MDGs. 

Gender 

2011 was the first year of implementation year of the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality 
and Women's Empowerment in Development 2010-201517. This aims to strengthen cohesion 
and coordination and improve the EU's work on gender in external action for more impact on 
the  ground.  The  plan  contains  commitments  to  be  implemented  by  the  Commission,  the 
EEAS and the Member States. It foresees an accountability system where actors must report 
annually  to  the  Council  on  progress  in  implementing  the  indicators  for  which  they  are 
responsible. 

In  November,  the  first  annual  progress  report  was  submitted  to  the  European  Council.  The 
report  represents  the  first  comprehensive  stock-taking  exercise  of  what  the  EU  is  doing  to 
mainstream  gender  equality  in  development  cooperation  and  in  policy/political  dialogue  in 
partner  countries.  It  provides  a  valuable  baseline  against  which  to  assess  future  progress, 
compare trends, and identify good examples and the challenges ahead. The reporting process 
has  also  given  the  opportunity  to  improve  internal  communication  and  strengthen 
commitments  on  gender  issues  between  the  Commission,  EU  Delegations,  the  EEAS  and 
Member States. 

The  replies  registered  progress  and  emerging  good  practices.  It  was  found  that  EU 
Delegations  play  an  active  part  in  gender  coordination  groups/mechanisms  aimed  at 
mainstreaming  gender  equality  in  development  cooperation.  Most  Delegations  also  use 
thematic local calls for proposals to support gender-related projects, including those aimed at 
fighting violence and discrimination against women and girls. Cooperation with UN Women 
has  been  strengthened,  including  the  preparation  of  a  memorandum  of  understanding  for  a 
strategic partnership with the EU, as well as EU support to a number of UN gender equality 
programmes. The Commission has increased EU budget allocations for gender by €10 million 
through  the  thematic  programme,  Investing  in  People,  and  in  November  2011  launched  a 
global call for proposals on women's social and  economic empowerment. Capacity-building 
for EU staff on gender equality has continued through online courses, thematic training, and 
ongoing support to gender focal persons in EU Delegations. 

Lessons learned include the need to strengthen the capacity of EU staff to mainstream gender 
equality and empowerment of women in the different sectors and modalities of EU bilateral 
cooperation (including budget support programmes). This would lead to a more focused and 
informed  gender  policy  dialogue  with  its  partners  in  government  and  civil  society.  There  is 
also a need to ensure broader impact and the consolidation of institutional memory on gender 
issues. For this, capacity building on gender should not represent a self-standing activity, but 
be  integrated  into  core  EU  training.  To  accomplish  these  goals,  in  December  2011  the 

17 SEC(2010)265 final, 08.03.2010  
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/infopoint/publications/europeaid/227a_en.htm  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Commission  launched  a  new  contract  with  external  gender  advisory  services  which  will  be 
responsible for capacity building and technical assistance to EU staff on gender issues. 

Environment and Climate Change  

In  2011,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  continued  work  on  a  strategy  to  integrate 
environment  and  climate  in  development  cooperation.  The  aim  is  to  produce  an  ambitious 
EU-wide strategy, to be adopted by the European Council in 2012.  

The Commission revised parts of the guidelines on the integration of environment and climate 
change in  development cooperation, in particular with regard to climate risk  assessments of 
projects. A study on environmental integration indicators and a review of the Commission’s 
experience  with  using  the  strategic  environmental  assessment  tool  were  completed.  The 
conclusions of these reviews will be incorporated in the Commission's work in 2012. 

Staff  training  and  information  seminars  on  mainstreaming  environment  and  climate  change 
continued. A one-day course on 'greening development' was introduced, in recognition of the 
rising  importance  of  the  'green  economy'  concept.  In  the  context  of  the  Global  Climate 
Change Alliance (GCCA), the Commission has trained over 200 senior officials. The training 
targeted  ministries  of  finance,  planning  and  environment  in  GCCA  partner  countries  in  an 
effort  to  catalyse  mainstreaming,  with  a  strong  focus  on  reflecting  climate  issues  in  the 
budgeting process. 

Utilisation  of  specific  'climate  change  windows'  in  investment  facilities  continued,  allowing 
more informed investments in projects taking due consideration of climate change, facilitating 
the tracking of these investments and leveraging loans, particularly for renewable energy and 
energy efficiency projects. 

Gearing up to green economy  

In  the  run-up  to  the  Rio+20  conference  and  through  specific  projects,  the  EU  has  been 
promoting  the  emerging  international  concept  of  a  green  economy.  This  aims  to  engender 
improved  human  well-being  and  social  equity,  while  significantly  reducing  environmental 
risks and ecological scarcities. At the same time, it seeks to promote sustainable development 
and create employment. The EU’s approach also emphasises private sector-led development 
and  growth  with  a  focus  on  agriculture  and  energy.  In  2011,  the  EU  supported  the  green 
economy by promoting activities geared to smart and inclusive growth in the following ways:  
- SWITCH Asia targets sustainable production and consumption by introducing life-cycle 
thinking,  eco-design,  eco-innovation  and  product  environmental  foot  print  thinking.  The 
project  both  encourages  producers  and  consumers  to  switch  to  greener  activities  and 
strengthens environmental policy frameworks and greener governance. 

-  The  Green  Economy  and  Social  and  Environmental  Entrepreneurship  Development  in 
Africa programme is working with both the private and public sectors to put in place policies 
to  stimulate  greener  investments  and  support  private  entrepreneurs  by  means  of  capacity 
building, networking and provision of tools.  

- The Energy Facility and the Environment and Natural Resources Thematic Programme 

targets renewable energy and increased energy efficiency. 
- Support to climate change mitigation programmes. 
- Training sessions on mainstreaming environment and climate change policies. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anti–corruption  

As corruption is a sign of failure of broader governance systems, it should be treated as part 
of the overall support to democratic governance rather than in isolation. To fight corruption 
effectively, communication and the flow of information to operational staff, as well as close 
cooperation with other donors and stake-holders, are all necessary. A set of initiatives is being 
implemented to develop operational tools and support for field work. The Commission is part 
of  a  joint  initiative  with  Transparency  International,  the  UNDP  and  other  stakeholders  to 
make  more  efficient  use  of  existing  corruption  assessment  and  measurement  tools,  through 
the development of a web-based gateway.  

The  Commission  is  a  party  to  a  memorandum  of  understanding  with  other  donors  and  the 
International  Organisation  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  to  develop  capacities  of  Supreme 
Audit Institutions in aid recipient countries. Several working relationships with civil society 
organisations  are  also  in  place  for  supporting  citizens  in  the  daily  challenges  posed  by 
corruption,  notably  through  legal  advice  and  seeking  to  achieve  systemic  changes.  The 
Commission  also  continues  to  support  anti-corruption  efforts  in  third  countries  through 
specific 
justice,  security, 
democratisation,  non-state  actors,  public  sector  reform  and  decentralisation.  It  also  supports 
the  mainstreaming  of  governance  in  other  areas  of  cooperation  such  as  health,  water, 
education, transport and infrastructure, so as to ensure that all projects and programmes – at 
every stage of their development – analyse and address governance challenges. 

in  key  governance  areas.  They 

interventions 

include: 

Culture  

No  effective  aid  programme  is  possible  without  proper  consideration  of  the  cultural 
dimension. Both the international seminar in Gerona, Spain in May 2010 and the UN MDG 
Summit  of  September  2010  stressed  the  cross–cutting  contribution  of  culture  to  social  and 
economic development.   

Cooperation with partners in different regions, notably with the European Neighbourhood and 
ACP  countries,  provides  support  to  the  cultural  and  creative  sector  in  the  framework  of 
geographic  (such  as  ENPI,  EDF)  and  thematic  (Investing  in  people)  instruments,  whose 
implementation continued in 2011. 

In parallel, a roadmap for strengthened cultural cooperation was agreed between the EU and 
the African Union in May 2011 under the democratic governance and human rights priority. 
The European Parliament also passed a resolution on 12 May 2011 on the cultural dimensions 
of the EU’s external actions. 

2011 saw further developments in the implementation of the Work Plan for culture 2011-2014 
as regards the priority of culture in external relations. As part of a more strategic approach and 
cooperation  in  this  area,  the  first  informal  meetings  between  senior  officials  from  the 
Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture of EU Member States took place. In light of these 
meetings,  the  Commission  proposed  to  set  up  an  expert  group  on  culture  and  external 
relations in 2012. This group will have a specific focus on cultural relations with China in the 
framework  of  EU-China  relations,  notably  the  2012  Euro-China  Year  of  Intercultural 
Dialogue and the launch of the Third Pillar of the EU-China strategic partnership on people-
to-people contacts. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In its capacity as a Party to the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the 
diversity  of  cultural  expressions,  the  Commission  set  up  an  expert  facility  on  cultural 
governance, run by UNESCO for the period 2010-2012 and providing €1 billion, with the aim 
of  strengthening  the  system  of  governance  for  culture  in  developing  countries  through 
technical assistance based on the needs and priorities of the beneficiary countries. 

3.5 Cooperation with non-state actors and local authorities 

2011  saw  the  conclusion  of  the  first  phase  of  the  Structured  Dialogue,  a  multi-stakeholder 
consultation lasting almost two years.  

Designed  to  improve  mutual  knowledge,  share  lessons  learnt  and  enable  a  climate  of 
confidence  and  trust  among  various  stakeholders  engaged  in  EU  development  cooperation, 
the initiative was finalised in May 2011. The dialogue aimed to improve the effectiveness of 
the  partnership  between  the  EU,  civil  society  and  local  authorities,  in  line  with  the  aid  and 
development effectiveness agenda.  

The Structured Dialogue brought together 700 participants from the EU and partner countries 
(over  60  nations)  including  members  of  civil  society  (development,  relief/humanitarian  and 
human rights NGOs, trade unions, grant making and political foundations, cooperatives, and 
chambers  of  commerce,  youth  organizations,  etc.)  and  decentralised  local  and  regional 
authorities  with  representatives  of  EU  institutions:  the  European  Parliament,  EU  Member 
States  and  the  European  Commission  (representing  both  headquarters  and  EU  Delegations). 
Debates  included  the  promotion  of  an  enabling  environment  for  civil  society  and  local 
authorities,  multi-stakeholder  dialogues,  partnerships  and  complementarities  between  actors, 
the  territorial  approach  and  its  articulation  at  the  local  level;  finally,  how  ownership  and 
alignment  principles  relate  to  Civil  Society  and  Local  Authorities.  The  Structured  Dialogue 
contributed  to  building  consensus  and  trust  by  developing  a  shared  vision  of  the  roles  and 
added value of organised civil society and local authorities. The final conference in Budapest, 
co-hosted  by  the  Hungarian  Presidency  of  the  EU  and  the  EU  Commissioner  for 
Development,  prompted  the  ”Joint  Declaration  of  Budapest”,  a  series  of  commitments  and 
recommendations addressed to each category of actor (EU, civil society, local authorities and 
partner countries)18. All actors adhering to the Declaration of Budapest committed to provide 
follow  up.  On  its  side,  the  Commission  will  ensure  the  continuation  of  the  Structured 
Dialogue at the national level, and at the highest policy level.  

The Structured Dialogue results contributed substantially to the EU common position ahead 
of the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (Busan 2011). They were also reflected in 
the  new  development  agenda  of  the  EU  (Agenda  for  Change).    A  Communication  on  EU 
engagement with civil society organisations, to be tabled in 2012, will consolidate these new 
aspects  and  reflections.  In  parallel,  new  operational  guidelines  on  "how  to  engage  more 
strategically with civil Society" are currently elaborated for the benefit of EU Delegations in 
third countries. 

Another example of the Commission’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of 
the  Structured  Dialogue  was  also  seen  in  the  mapping  study  on  regional,  continental  and 

18 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/aidco/index.php/Structured_dialogue  

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
global networks of civil society organisations and local authorities. The study will contribute 
to the achievement of the Commission’s objective to promote and support regular, structured 
and inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues. Funding will allow civil society organisations and 
local  authorities,  particularly  their  platforms  and  representative  organisations,  to  effectively 
participate in future dialogues. 

The Commission has also moved forward with its cooperation with local authorities, defined 
in  a  2008  communication.  The  second  “Assises  of  decentralised  cooperation”  took  place  in 
March 2011. It permitted representatives of EU local authorities and of developing countries, 
to  conduct  a  political  dialogue  on  development  cooperation  with  European  institutions.  The 
Commission has thus strengthened its strategic relation with local authorities at political level 
in parallel to continuing its co-financing of projects proposed by these authorities. 

2011  was  also  a  fruitful  year  for  the  Development  Education  and  Awareness  Raising  in 
Europe (DEAR) programme. Following the completion of the DEAR study process in 2010, 
the Commission started implementing its recommendations, and set DEAR’s future priorities. 
There  was  stronger  emphasis  on  ensuring  complementarity  and  close  cooperation  with 
Member  States,  particularly  on  aspects  of  the  programme  related  to  formal  education.  All 
Commission-funded  development  education  projects  with  activities  in  the  formal  education 
sector  (inclusion  of  development  education  in  teacher  training,  curriculum  development, 
lessons plans, etc.) will complement development education strategies, or orientations in the 
Member States where the project takes place. 

The European dimension of the DEAR programme was also strengthened. Priority was given 
to projects with wide and co-ordinated European coverage. These priorities were reflected in 
two  separate  calls  for  proposals  at  the  end  of  the  year  for  non-state  actors  and  local 
authorities.  

Capacity  development  and  capitalisation  of  results  were  also  an  area  of  renewed  focus  this 
year,  with  the  organisation  of  an  innovative  workshop  for  beneficiaries  of  new  grants.  The 
Commission also set the bases for future work on capitalisation and communication of good 
practice in the field of development education and awareness-raising. 

The Commission also stepped up its collaboration with key actors in the field, culminating in 
the  hosting  of  a  GENE  (Global  Education  Network  Europe)  round  table  in  Brussels  –  a 
network  of  Member  States  active  in  global  education.  The  participation  of  Commissioner 
Piebalgs  in  the  public  hearing  on  development  education,  organised  by  the  European 
Parliament  development  committee 
the  Commission's  strong 
involvement in DEAR in Europe. 

in  August,  confirmed 

4 

More, better and more effective aid 

4.1 Aid effectiveness and financing for development 

Mobilising more development financing from all available sources is necessary – although not 
sufficient  –  to  fight  poverty  and  foster  development.  Founded  on  the  global  “Financing  for 
Development”  agenda,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  set  themselves  common  quantitative 
and  qualitative  targets  against  which  progress  can  be  measured.  The  Council  invited  the 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commission  to  monitor  and  report  progress  annually.  Part  of  the  agreement  was  to 
collectively provide 0.56% of the combined GNI as Official Development Assistance (ODA) 
by 2010 with a view to spending 0.7% ODA/GNI in 2015.  

In  2011,  the  Commission  presented  its  9th  annual  report,  'Enhancing  EU  Accountability  on 
Financing  for  Development'19.  It  showed  that,  in  general,  the  EU  as  a  whole  has  kept  up 
progress in delivering on its various financing for development pledges, although the situation 
varies greatly between issues and between Member States. On ODA, the EU and its Member 
States spent a historical high of €53.5 billion for ai d, corresponding to 0.44% of the combined 
GNI20,  but  fell  short  of  the  2010  intermediate  target  by  around  €15  billion.  The  EU 
collectively accounted for 58% of net ODA to developing countries in 2010 from all members 
of  the  Development  Assistance  Committee  (DAC)  of  the  Organisation  for  Economic 
Cooperation and Development (OECD) and for 65% of the global €26 billion ODA increase 
from 2004-2010. 

In  2011,  the  EU  continued  its  work  on  meeting  commitments  to  implement  the 
internationally-agreed aid effectiveness agenda at several levels. At an international level, the 
EU  continued  to  support  and  play  a  key  role  in  the  Working  Party  on  Aid  Effectiveness 
hosted by the OECD’s DAC, focusing mainly on developing its policies for the 4th High Level 
Forum  on  Aid  Effectiveness  (Busan,  29  November  -  1  December  2011)  –  the  key 
development  policy  event  in  2011.  The  EU  played  a  leading  role  in  the  preparations  of  the 
Forum.  

In Busan, China, India and Brazil signed up for the first time to a document defining common 
goals and shared principles of a development partnership. The Busan Forum also set up a new 
inclusive  global  governance  structure  –  the  Global  Partnership  for  Effective  Development 
Cooperation. It also marked a conceptual shift from aid effectiveness to aid and development 
effectiveness,  meaning  a  clearer  emphasis  on  results  and  strengthening  the  role  of  aid  as  a 
catalyst to achieve development results. 

The common EU priorities are largely reflected in the Busan outcome document21: a focus on 
results and accountability, ownership, transparency and reduced fragmentation and on country 
level  implementation  while  streamlining  the  global  governance  structure.  The  EU  will 
participate  in  further  supporting  the  establishment  and  strengthening  of  partner  country-led 
frameworks  for  accountability  and  results.  These  frameworks  are  to  be  tailored  to  partner 
country priorities and local contexts.  

At  the  global  level,  the  working  arrangements  of  the  Global  Partnership,  as  well  as  global 
monitoring and indicators, will be decided upon by June 2012 by the Working Party on Aid 
Effectiveness.  The  EU  will  actively  participate  in  this  process  to  ensure  that  the  working 
arrangements of the partnership will be light and that the partnership will focus on providing 
support for country level implementation. 

19 COM(2011) 218 final of 19.04.2011; http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/accountability/eu-annual-
accountability-reports/index_en.htm   
20 Final ODA outcome figures 2010, published by the OECD DAC in January 2012: 
http://www.oecd.org/document/9/0,3746,en_2649_34447_1893129_1_1_1_1,00.html 
21 http://www.aideffectiveness.org/busanhlf4/images/stories/hlf4/OUTCOME_DOCUMENT_-_FINAL_EN.pdf 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
At  EU  level,  the  Commission  continued  working  with  the  EU  Member  States  on 
implementing  the  Operational  Framework  on  Aid  Effectiveness.  Division  of  labour  among 
donors remains the main tool to reduce aid fragmentation and is an essential element of the 
aid effectiveness agenda. 

In  order  to  promote  evidence-based  policy-making  on  aid  effectiveness,  the  Commission 
finalised  several  studies,  for  example,  on  the  costs  of  non-implementation  of  the  aid 
effectiveness agenda22. The main message from the study is that the EU and Member States 
could  together  save  up  to  €5  billion  per  year.  Measures  to  reach  this  would  include 
streamlining  project  planning  and  implementation,  more  division  of  labour  with  a  focus  on 
fewer  countries  and  sectors,  further  untying  of  aid,  progress  towards  more  budget  support, 
reducing  the  volatility  of  aid,  and  indirect  effects  on  partner  countries'  economic  growth. 
Another  important  study  of  2011  on  joint  multi-annual  programming23  outlines  the 
possibilities and constraints for joint programming in a number of partner countries, starting 
with the countries  of the  EU  Fast Track Initiative on Division  of Labour. The  study clearly 
highlights the need for the EU and Member States to synchronise their programming cycles 
with the strategy cycles of their partner countries. 

Fostering  joint  programming  of  EU  and  Member  States'  aid,  a  commitment  repeated  in  a 
series  of  Council  conclusions  since  2006,  was  a  priority  area  of  work  in  2011.  The 
Commission  proposals on  the financial instruments for external action  in view of the future 
EU  Multi-annual  Financial  Framework  (2014-2020)24  take  due  account  of  aid  effectiveness 
principles and will result, if accepted, in considerable changes to the programming of EU aid.  

In line with the importance the EU attaches to the ownership of partner countries over their 
own national development, the Commission would synchronise its programming cycles with 
those  of  its  partner  countries.  Wherever  possible,  the  Commission  would  base  its 
programming of aid on a partner country's own national strategy without formulating an EU 
strategy paper. The Commission would programme its aid jointly with others, foremost with 
EU Member States, wherever this option emerges from an in-country coordination process. Its 
ambition  is  to  have  all  EU  Member  States,  which  are  active  in  a  given  partner  country,  on 
board  when  conducting  joint  programming.  In  2011,  the  Commission  identified  10  partner 
countries where circumstances are most conducive to commence with joint programming in 
2012. 

through 

information 

Transparency of aid is a priority for the European Commission. In 2011, it started to publish 
the  International  Aid  Transparency  Initiative  (IATI). 
its  aid 
Implementing  the  IATI  standard  will  fulfil  the  transparency  requirements  of  the  EU 
Transparency Guarantee, adopted by the Council in 2011. Progress in developing the TR-AID 
(Transparent Aid) tool will further enhance transparency, increase accountability, help reduce 
fragmentation  of  EU-managed  aid,  facilitate  division  of  labour  amongst  donors  as  well  as 
reduce the risk of duplication. 

At Commission level, since mid-2011 a single dedicated unit deals with all issues related to 
aid  effectiveness,  increasing  effectiveness  in  this  area,  including  training  courses  on  aid 

22 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/ensure-aid-effectiveness/impact-inefficiencies_en.htm  
23 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/ensure-aid-effectiveness/documents/report-joint-multi-annual-
programming_en.pdf  
24 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/mff/eu-budget_en.htm  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
effectiveness  the  Commission  services  and  the  EEAS.  With  regard  to  the  indicators  of 
progress stated in the Paris Declaration, the 2011 monitoring showed that the Commission has 
achieved some but not all targets. Its performance was average in comparison with Member 
States and other donors. 

4.2 Coherence between development and other policies 

The  EU  is  a  major  global  actor  and  its  various  policies  can  have  a  strong  impact  on 
developing  countries.  The  Lisbon  Treaty  requires  the  EU  to  take  into  account  the 
development objectives in all its policies. The EU work programme on policy coherence for 
development,  2010–2013,  provides  guidelines  for  promoting  this  policy  coherence  for 
development across EU policies. It covers five main areas: 

• 

• 

trade  and  finance  –  to  enhance  the  opportunities  of  developing  countries  to  obtain 
maximum benefit from their integration into the world economy, 
food security – to help  developing countries mobilise their own resources, particularly 
in sustainable fishing and agriculture, 

•  climate  change  –  to  assist  developing  countries  in    adapting  to  climate  change  and 
reduce CO2 emissions while preserving an environmental balance and biodiversity, 
•  migration – to bring about better coordination between migration and development by 
reducing  the  risk  of  “brain  drain”,  making  migrants’  remittances  cheaper  and  safer, 
and by facilitating circular migration, 

•  security  –  to  consider  the  links  between  security  and  socio–economic  development 

when planning and implementing security operations. 

In 2011, the European Commission published its third biennial ‘whole-of-the-EU’ report on 
policy coherence for development. Building on contributions from Commission services and 
EU Member States it focuses on actions, processes and thematic priorities pursued by the EU 
and the Member States since 2009. It covers the five focus areas at EU and Member States' 
levels, looks at lessons learned and the challenges ahead. The three main ones are: to move 
beyond the ‘do no harm approach’ and seek better integration of the development dimension 
in  the  design  of  other  EU  and  national  policies.  The  second  challenge  is  to  strengthen  the 
EU’s  cooperation  and  networking  capacity  on  policy  coherence  for  development  with 
Commission participation in the OECD international platform on policy coherence launched 
in 2011 seen as an important step in this regard. The third challenge is to enhance and monitor 
policy  coherence  and  increase  data  collection  capacity  in  both  Member  States  and  the  EU. 
There  are  several  examples  of  how  the  EU  took  development  objectives  into  account  in 
various policy initiatives in 2011. 

Most  progress  on  policy  coherence  for  development  occurred  in  the  sphere  of  EU  climate 
policy, with the EU moving ahead with its commitment to mobilise fast start finance of €7.2 
billion  during  2010-2012  to  support  climate  mitigation  and  adaptation  in  developing 
countries. 

In the area of trade, the EU made substantial progress to introduce comprehensive country-by-
country  reporting  (CBCR)  –  a  key  tool  to  improve  transparency,  multi-national  companies' 
corporate  accountability  and  to  tackle  tax  avoidance  in  developing  countries.  The  last 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commission  communication  on  Corporate  Social  Responsibility  (CSR)25  renews  the  EU’s 
commitment  to  promote  CSR  in  developing  countries,  in  favour  of  long  term  employment 
perspectives and consumer trust. 

In the area of food security, the Commission’s 2011 proposals for the reforms of the Common 
Fisheries Policy (CFP) and of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) gave an opportunity to 
study  and  take  into  account  the  potential  interactions  of  these  policies  with  development 
objectives.  In  particular,  the  external  dimension  of  the  reformed  CFP  sets  the  ambition  of 
greater  coordination  and  policy  coherence  between  fisheries  and  development  policies  to 
ensure that the recognition of the aspirations of developing States to build up their fisheries 
sector is linked to raising awareness of their duties of sustainable fisheries governance26. 

Important  steps  forward  are  the  ambitious  EU  2020  Biodiversity  Strategy  to  protect 
biodiversity  as  a  key  factor  to  achieve  food  security  (focussing  on  more  sustainable 
agriculture  and  forestry  and  better  management  of  fish  stocks)  as  well  as  the  emphasis  on 
biodiversity protection in CAP and CFP reforms. 

The  mobility  partnerships  proposed  in  the  Commission  communication  on  a  ‘Global 
Approach  to  Migration  and  Mobility’27  are  a  good  example  for  the  search  of  synergies  and 
mutual benefits for the EU and developing countries.  They are increasingly  recognised as a 
central  instrument  to  provide important  advantages  for  migrants  and  the  countries  involved. 
The EU pays also more attention to the concept of the 'brain drain', is more open to effective 
dialogue  and  cooperation  with  diaspora  groups  and  migrant  communities,  promotes  more 
efficient  and  secure  flows  of  remittances  and  defends  a  common  EU  approach  to  migrants’ 
rights. 

The  Renewable  Energy  Directive  requires  all  EU  Member  States  to  apply  a  common 
sustainability scheme, ensuring that all biofuels counted towards EU targets – whether of EU 
origin  or  imported  –  have  been  produced  in  compliance  with  EU  sustainability  criteria.  In 
June 2010, the European Commission adopted guidance for the EU sustainability criteria to 
encourage  industry,  governments  and  NGOs  to  set  up  certification  schemes  for  all  types  of 
biofuels, including those imported into the EU. Such voluntary schemes may also cover other 
sustainability issues that are not covered by the EU sustainability criteria. These schemes may 
also  have  a  wider  impact,  potentially  enhancing  sustainable  production  of  agricultural  raw 
materials  as  a  side-effect.  The  Directive  also  includes  comprehensive  monitoring  and 
reporting  requirements  on  the  impacts  of  the  EU  promotion  of  biofuels.  The  first  reporting 
will take place in 2012 and a study setting the 2008 baseline for this has been finalised. 

Also  on  energy,  the  Commission's  communication  on  security  of  energy  supply  and 
international  cooperation  –  “The  EU  Energy  Policy:  Engaging  with  Partners  beyond  Outer 
Borders"28  –  highlights  the  EU's  commitment  to  improve  access  to  sustainable  energy  for 
developing countries by fully incorporating energy in the EU's development activities, while 
promoting  comprehensive  energy  policies,  reform  measures,  favourable 
investment 
conditions, infrastructure development and energy efficiency in countries concerned. 

25 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdocument.cfm?doc_id=7010  
26 COM (2011) 424 final of 13 July 2011 
27 http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/news/intro/docs/1_EN_ACT_part1_v9.pdf  
28 COM(2011 539 final, 07.09.2011 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The  EU  continues  to  support  cooperation  between  researchers  in  Europe  and  developing 
countries.  Since  the  start  of  the  seventh  framework  programme  (FP7)  in  2007  €378  million 
has been granted to researchers in developing countries to participate in collaborative projects 
with  European  researchers.  The  forthcoming  Horizon  2020  programme  will  continue  to 
international  cooperation.  Funding  will  be  more  focussed  on  promoting 
promote 
competitiveness  and  targeting  societal  challenges  such  as  health,  food  security,  sustainable 
agriculture,  renewable  energy  and  climate  change  and  on  support  to  external  European 
policies.  

4.3 Cooperation with the international donor community 

OECD 

Close cooperation with the OECD on development issues continued in 2011 at all levels. In 
2011, the Commission helped draw up a framework for an OECD Strategy on Development 
and worked very closely with the OECD to promote the aid effectiveness agenda and improve 
policy coherence for development.  

During 20011, the DAC reviewed EU development cooperation policies and programmes in 
the  framework  of  the  peer  review  exercise,  to  be  finalised  in  March  2012.  Following  the 
positive peer review of 2007, this exercise will assess the EU’s development policies and aid 
delivery over the past five years.  

United States 

The  EU-US  Dialogue  continued  throughout  2011  in  all  its  clusters:  food  security,  climate 
change,  and  health  (under  the  MDGs  cluster).  Overall,  progress  was  mixed:  results  were 
visible  at  the  policy  level  leading,  inter  alia,  to  streamlined  EU-US  positions  ahead  of  the 
Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. 

In  the  field,  efforts  for  joint  EU-US  activities  continued  in  the  six  pilot  countries  on  food 
security  (Ethiopia,  Zambia,  Mali,  Guatemala,  Bangladesh,  Nigeria  –  for  the  economic 
community  of  West  African  states,  ECOWAS),  as  well  as  in  the  three  pilots  on  climate 
change  (Indonesia,  Mali,  Vietnam).  Cooperation  on  food  security  in  Ethiopia  is  the  most 
successful pilot so far. In 2012, both sides have agreed to intensify their efforts in the rest of 
the  pilot  countries  in  an  attempt  to  ensure  progress  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  policy 
dialogue at headquarters' level. 

The 2011 EU-US Summit tasked the dialogue "to pursue with vigour our joint efforts in areas 
such as food security, climate change, health and the MDGs". A new element in 2011 was the 
“Leaders' agreement "on the importance of close co-operation on security and development in 
the  Sahel,  the  Horn  of  Africa  and  Afghanistan".  The  Commission,  in  consultation  with  the 
Member States, will ensure the Leaders' mandate is followed up during 2012 and aims to shift 
the centre of gravity of this dialogue from the field to policy work and to further align EU and 
US development policy priorities. 

Brazil 

The EU and Brazil attach high importance to the role of triangular cooperation. During 2011, 
there was progress in the joint pilot projects on bio-energy in Mozambique and Kenya, as well 
as  on  electoral  processes  in  Portuguese-speaking  African  countries  (PALOP).  Work  on  the 
electoral processes shows great potential and the Commission is exploring ways to build on 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
this.  This provides a good opportunity to move ahead with the implementation of triangular 
cooperation, as mentioned in the Letter of Intent on electoral processes signed by Brazil and 
the EU in July 2010. 

China 

The E continued to play an active part in the China DAC Study Group (CDSG), which brings 
together DAC, Chinese and African development officials and academics. In 2011, the CDSG 
completed its first round of four thematic conferences (including one on infrastructure funded 
by the EU in 2010) and one summary conference, and presented documentation on lessons for 
African development from Chinese and DAC experience. A side-event was held in Busan and 
a  programme  developed  for  2012-13,  including  a  move  to  engage  Chinese  development 
policy  makers  more  closely,  all  of  which  contributed  to  Chinese  openness  to  an  inclusive 
result. 

5 

Outlook 2012 

The  recently  adopted  new  framework  for  EU  development  policy  heralds  a  new  start  and  a 
promising future. The two communications on development policy (the "Agenda for Change" 
and budget support) outlined how EU development policy will look in the future with a more 
modern  policy,  better  equipped  to  face  the  challenges  of  what  is  a  rapidly  changing  global 
environment.  In  particular,  the  “Agenda  for  Change”  aims  to  increase  the  impact  of  aid  by 
introducing  an  EU  differentiated  approach  towards  partner  countries  and  allocating  more 
funds to countries most in needs, and to focus development cooperation in support of poverty 
reduction, human rights, democracy, good governance and inclusive and sustainable growth.  

The Commission will work in 2012 on the preparation of the 2014-2020 programming cycle. 
The legislative work on the adoption of the EU's external action instruments by the Parliament 
and the Council will continue during the course of 2012. 2012 will be also a key year for the 
preparation  of  the  Strategy  Papers  and  programming  documents,  in  order  to  define  funding 
priorities with partner countries for 2014-2020. The new programming cycle will also see an 
increased  roll-out  of  innovative  financial  instruments  (such  as  loans,  guarantees,  and  equity 
and  risk-sharing  instruments)  aimed  at  catalysing  private  investment  and  strengthening 
institutions in recipient countries. 

The  objectives  of  this  new  policy  framework  will  also  have  a  significant  impact  on  staff 
allocation. Delivering the new policies rapidly and efficiently will mean allocating resources 
appropriately, in terms of numbers and profiles alike, both at headquarters and in Delegations. 
This process shall also start in 2012.  

Through  drawing  lessons  from  the  Arab  Spring,  the  Commission  will  monitor  the 
implementation of initiatives already developed in the southern Neighbourhood region with a 
view to their possible replication in, or adaptation for other parts of the world. In addition, the 
Commission  will  issue  a  communication  on  supporting  sustainable  change  in  societies  in 
transition  in  2012.  It  will  assess  the  existing  policies  and  implementation  methodology  in 
order to identify how the EU can improve its tools to support sustainable change in transition 
societies, adapted to and taking account of their situations and needs. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  vulnerability  of  low-income  countries  to  external  shocks  remains  high.  In  2012,  the 
Commission  will  therefore  examine  the  feasibility  of  developing  a  proposal  for  a  shock-
absorbing mechanism to be implemented as necessary during 2012-13, prioritising rapid and 
effective disbursement.  

Achievement  of  the  MDGs  will  remain  a  key  issue.  Looking  ahead,  the  next  UN  MDG 
Review  in  2013  –  two  years  ahead  of  the  MDG  2015  target  year  –  will  be  an  important 
milestone. In 2012, the Commission will therefore start preparing a communication to report 
on  EU  action  on  the  MDGs  and  outline  principles  for  an  EU  position  on  a  post-2015 
framework.   

CHAPTER 2 - IMPLEMENTATION: GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW  

This  chapter  presents  the  EU's  external  assistance  in  the  main  geographic  regions.  The 
geographic  instruments  covered  here  are  the  European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership 
Instrument  (ENPI),  the  European  Development  Fund  (EDF)  and  the  Development 
Cooperation  Instrument  (DCI).  The  European  Development  Fund  is  the  main  source  of 
financing for EU assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa (except South Africa), the Caribbean and 
the Pacific regions (ACP). The EDF is separate from the EU budget, which finances external 
assistance to other geographic areas and the thematic aid programmes. 

This report does not cover the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)29 or the current 
Instrument  for  Pre-Accession  Assistance  (IPA),  which  is  covered  by  a  separate  report30.  A 
short section of this report is dedicated to humanitarian assistance31. 

While  some  figures  and  data  can  be  found  throughout  this  chapter,  detailed  financial 
information can be found in Chapter 5, Financial Annex. 

1 

European Neighbourhood and the Middle East 

1.1  European Neighbourhood & Russia 

1.1.1 Introduction 

A new European Neighbourhood Policy 

The EU’s evolving relationship with its partners in the Neighbourhood and the transition in 
the  Southern  Mediterranean  called  for  a  new  policy  response,  set  out  following  a  Strategic 
review  of 
the  European  Neighbourhood  Policy  (ENP).  The  25  May  2011  Joint 
Communication  of  the  Commission  and  High  Representative  on  “A  new  response  to  a 
the  Joint 
changing  Neighbourhood”  outlines 

the  new  ENP  vision  and  builds  on 

For more information on CFSP: http://www.eeas.europa.eu/cfsp/index_en.htm 
For more information on the IPA: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/how-does-it-work/financial-

29 
30 
assistance/instrument-pre-accession_en.htm 
31 

For more information on humanitarian assistance: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm  

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Communication,  “A  Partnership  for  Democracy  and  shared  Prosperity  with  the  Southern 
Mediterranean”, adopted on 8 March 2011.  

Mutual  accountability  and  a  shared  commitment  to  the  universal  values  of  human  rights, 
democracy and the rule of law are at the core of the renewed ENP. In line with the “more for 
more”  principle,  it  involves  a  high  level  of  differentiation  and  gives  each  partner  country 
scope  to  develop  its  relationship  with  the  EU  according  to  its  own  aspirations,  needs  and 
capacities.  Closer  economic  integration  and  stronger  political  co-operation  on  governance 
reforms,  security,  conflict-resolution  matters,  including  joint  initiatives  in  international  fora 
on  issues  of  common  interest  with  the  neighbours  committed  to  follow  the  path  of  an 
enhanced partnership, are all part of this.   

Above  all,  it  seeks  to  support  'deep  democracy'  and  form  partnerships  with  societies: 
intensifying  political  and  security  cooperation,  supporting  their  sustainable  economic  and 
social  development,  creating  growth  and  jobs;  strengthening  trade  ties,  enhancing  sector 
cooperation,  promoting  further  mobility  and  enhancing  regional  partnerships.  Launched  in 
September 2011, the new civil society facility, with an initial budget of € 26.4 million, aims at 
strengthening  the  capacity  of  civil  society  to  promote  reform  and  increase  public 
accountability in the Neighbourhood. 

An  additional  €66  million  was  allocated  to  the  Erasmus  Mundus  Programme  to  boost  co-
operation  in  higher  education.  Preparations  of  other  initiatives,  notably  the  European 
Endowment for Democracy, are continuing.   

The  new  policy  approach  aims  to  provide  substantial  funding  earmarked  for  the 
Neighbourhood  for  2011-2013.  It  is  enshrined  in  the  proposal  for  the  new  European 
Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) adopted by the Commission on 7 December 2011 - part of 
its overall proposal on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020.  

The Southern Neighbourhood and the Arab Spring 

Immediate  steps  were  taken  by  the  EU  to  respond  rapidly  and  effectively  to  the  challenges 
arising from the Arab Spring. Initial humanitarian and civil protection support (to date €80.5 
million)  was  approved,  as  well  as  of  a  range  of  measures  for  democratic  transition  and 
assistance to impoverished areas.  

In March 2011, a new approach to the southern Neighbourhood was set out. "A Partnership 
for Democracy and Shared Prosperity”32 was offered to those partners committed to wide and 
bold reforms. A strategic review of the ENP led to a revised approach for the whole European 
Neighbourhood  Policy33.  An  incentive-based  approach  was  devised  (“more  for  more” 
principle)  to  support  partners  who  deliver  on  reforms,  build  “deep  democracy”  and  ensure 
sustainable and inclusive economic development. 

In  2011,  the  EU  provided  significant  support  for  elections  in  Tunisia,  Morocco  and  Egypt. 
There was political condemnation of the political situations in Bahrain, Yemen, and especially 
Syria.  A  set  of  measures:  economic  sanctions,  trade  embargoes,  asset  freezes  and  visa  bans 

32 Joint Communication COM (2011) 0200, 08.03.2011 
33  Joint Communication COM (2011)0303, 25.05.2011 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
                                                 
 
were  applied  in  Libya  (before  the  fall  of  former  Leader  Muammar  Gaddafi)  and  Syria.  In 
parallel,  across  the  entire  Neighbourhood,  the  EU  expanded  its  support  to  civil  society.  In   
May  2011,  HR/VP  Ashton  visited  Benghazi  to  open  the  EU’s  first  office  in  Libya.  An  EU 
office opened in Tripoli in September which two months later was upgraded to a fully-fledged 
EU Delegation. A range of short-term support has backed the transition in Libya. The EU is 
currently the lead donor in the country’s post-conflict needs assessment in a number of key 
sectors. The EU was also one of the first donors to suspend its bilateral co-operation with the 
Syrian  regime.  Not  all  support  has  stopped  however;  several  projects  are  still  ongoing  to 
support non-state actors, Syrian civil society and refugee populations.  

The  EU  also  took  the  initiative to  co-ordinate  and  strengthen  the  coherence  of  international 
response to events of the  Arab Spring, with the establishment of a task force and appointment 
of a an EU Special Representative (EUSR) to co-ordinate task force activities throughout the 
Neighbourhood  South  region.  Further  initiatives  followed.  In  December  2011  the  Council 
approved  mandates  for  negotiating  Deep  and  Comprehensive  Free  Trade  Agreements 
(DCFTA) with Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan. A dialogue on migration, mobility and 
security  was  officially  launched  with  Tunisia  and  Morocco  in  October  2011,with  a  view  to 
concluding, inter alia, mobility partnerships.  

The  EU  also  increased  its  financial  support,  in  addition  to  adjusting  its  ongoing  support  to 
meet  new  policy  objectives.  This  included  support  to  the  SPRING  initiative  (Support  for 
Partnership, Reform and Inclusive Growth) launched in September 2011. It made available an 
additional €350 million for 2011 and 2012 for southern partners showing commitment to, and 
progress in, democratic reforms.  

An additional budget allocated to the Erasmus Mundus programme allowed the funding of an 
additional 743 mobility grants for the academic exchange of students and staff for the 2011/12 
academic  year,  thus  strengthening  academic  cooperation  between  universities  from  the  EU 
and the South Mediterranean region. 

The Eastern Neighbourhood 

In  2011,  the  EU  continued  to  focus  on  its  eastern  partners  who  view  it  as  a  magnet  and  a 
catalyst for reform; as an economic opportunity and a close political partner.  

At the second Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw on 29-30 September 2011, the EU and 
its  eastern  neighbours  renewed  their  commitment  to  these  objectives  and  continued 
implementation  of  the  Eastern  Partnership.  An  allocation  of  additional  resources  (of  up  to 
€130 million) for 2012-2013 will benefit partne rs who are committed to reforms.  

Repeated calls were made by the EU over the course of the year for all political prisoners in 
Belarus  to  be  released  and  rehabilitated  and  for  the  opening  of  political  dialogue  with  the 
opposition. In response to the violent aftermath of  the  December  2010  elections  in  Belarus, 
the  EU  pledged  more  than  €17  million  in  i mmediate  and  medium-term  assistance  to  the 
Belarusian people – mainly for NGOs and non-state actors – to promote freedom of assembly 
and the monitoring of election processes. It also imposed restrictive measures on the authors 
of the repression. 

The EU-Ukraine Summit in December 2011 noted common understanding on the full text of 
the  association  agreement  (AA),  including  the  Deep  and  Comprehensive  Free  Trade  Area 
(DCFTA),  opening  the  way  for  its  final  consolidation  and  subsequent  initialling.  Ukraine’s 

33 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
performance, notably in relation to respect for common values and the rule of law, will be of 
crucial importance for the speed of its political association and economic integration with the 
EU,  including  in  the  context  of  the  conclusion  of  the  Association  Agreement  and  its 
subsequent implementation. 

Negotiations on Association Agreements with the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan 
and Georgia made good progress throughout 2011. The launch of negotiations on a DCFTA 
with the Republic of Moldova and Georgia was announced at the end of 2011.  The EU and 
its  eastern  partners  also  worked  closely  on  increased  mobility  arrangements.  A  Mobility 
Partnership between the EU and Armenia was signed in October, with it thus becoming the 
third country in the region with whom such a Partnership has been concluded (after Moldova 
and Georgia).  

Russia 

In  2011,  EU-Russia  relations  developed  further,  with  significant  progress  in  several  areas, 
notwithstanding  protracted  conflicts  in  the  Neighbourhood  and  new  differences  emerging 
over  the  crises  in  Libya  and  Syria.  The  EU-Russia  Summit  on  14-15  December  2011  in 
Brussels  produced  a  number  of  important  results,  in  particular  relating  to  World  Trade 
Organisation (WTO) accession, solutions to aviation issues, visas, and modernisation. 

Following  close  dialogue  between  High  Representative/Vice  President  Ashton  and  Foreign 
Minister Lavrov on Syria, Russia finally accepted to discuss a UN Security Council resolution 
on Syria. The formal re-launch of the 5+2 process on Transnistria on 1 December in Vilnius, 
after a break of five years, is an encouraging step. 

Russia’s recent WTO accession is a basis on which to reinvigorate negotiations on the new 
EU-Russia Agreement. Significant progress has been made on mobility and visa issues. 

The  partnership  for  modernisation  is  now  being  fully  implemented.  This  is  a  pragmatic 
framework  which  provides  additional  momentum  to  EU  cooperation  with  Russia.  Twenty-
three  EU  Member  States  have  concluded  bilateral  modernisation  partnerships  with  Russia, 
reinforcing and underpinning the EU-Russia partnership. 

1.1.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

Throughout 2011, the EU has been playing a key and instrumental role in donor coordination 
in many partner countries in the eastern and southern Neighbourhood. 

With  the  support  of  Member  States  and  other  co-operation  partners,  the  EU  Delegation  in 
Azerbaijan has taken a lead in donor coordination since end of 2009. The EU Delegation in 
Belarus  organised  regular  co-ordination  meetings  with  EU  Member  States  and  all  major 
donors  active  in  Belarus  (UNDP,  WB,  Swedish  International  Development  Cooperation 
agency  (SIDA),  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development  (EBRD)  etc.)  to 
synchronise  actions  and  avoid  any  overlapping.  This  co-ordination  was  organised  in 
compliance  with  the  principles  of  the  Paris  Declaration  and  aimed  to  ensure  maximum  aid 
effectiveness. 

2011 was a milestone in setting up the donor coordination system in Georgia, including the 
government of Georgia's signing of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in April 2011. 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A  fruitful  dialogue  is  ongoing  in  key  sectors,  such  as:  justice,  agriculture,  health  and  trade. 
The  coordination  is  multi-lateral  and  the  EU  is  strongly  encouraging  dialogue  between  the 
Government of Georgia, EU Member States, international organisations, non-EU donors and 
civil  society.  The  overall  donor  coordination  architecture  counts  13  working  groups  at 
national  level,  in  the  framework  of  which  key  strategies  were  drawn  up  jointly  with  the 
government. 

Sweden  and  Romania  were  the  two  biggest  bilateral  EU  donors  in  Moldova  in  the  areas  of 
energy, trade, public administration etc. A joint project was also implemented with Austria in 
the water sector. Due to the absence of operational government/donor co-ordination structures 
in  Ukraine,  international  donor  organisations  co-ordinated  their  activities  through  the  major 
donor forum and other mechanisms at their own initiative.   

Few  southern  neighbourhood  countries  participated  in  the  2011  OECD  DAC  survey  of  the 
Paris  Declaration.  According  to  this  survey,  Jordan  has  fully  met  four  of  nine  indicators, 
specifically  in  the  areas  of  ownership,  alignment  and  mutual  accountability.  There  has  also 
been  progress  in  the  use  of  country  systems.  In  Morocco,  there  is  progress  on  indicators 
relating to ownership, alignment, harmonisation and accountability for results and in the use 
of national Public Finance Management (PFM) systems. 

Egypt has made progress in meeting many of the Paris Declaration targets including those for 
ownership and management for results; progress was also made on alignment. Future efforts 
should be focused on harmonisation and mutual accountability. 

In the occupied Palestinian territory, results showed that ownership and alignment were very 
strong. As for the indicators on management for results and harmonisation, further efforts are 
required by donors to increase coordination and provide data. 

To  further  deepen  commitments  and  strengthen  development  effectiveness,  the  EU  will 
promote and support specific initiatives. It has been proposed that Tunisia take part in joint 
programming  from  2012  in  order  to  reduce  aid  fragmentation  and  promote  harmonisation. 
Further  assessments  will  be  carried  out  to  confirm  whether  this  exercise  can  go  ahead.  A 
proposal has also been made to implement joint programming (Commission/Member States) 
during 2012 both in Ukraine and Moldova, but not yet decided. 

1.1.3 Working towards the MDGs 

In  2011,  several  ENPI  programmes  in  the  social  sector  were  specifically  designed  to  meet 
MDG objectives. 

“Empowering young women” and “Entrepreneurship as a tool for raising the role of women 
in the society” are examples of initiatives in Armenia that contributed to gender equality and 
empowering  women  (MDG3).  The  first  programme  aimed  at  helping  young  women  with 
vulnerable  backgrounds  by  promoting  their  active  involvement  in  society.  The  second  was 
targeted at helping women become involved in business.  

Armenia also actively participated in regional environmental projects aimed at environmental 
sustainability  (MDG7).  The  Regional  Environmental  Centre–Caucasus  (REC-Caucasus)  is 
currently implementing five projects relevant to Armenia on: climate change, the training of 
environmental inspectors, waste management, forest policy and sustainable land management.  

35 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In  Georgia,  more  than  €25  million  were  granted  to  assist  internally  displaced  people  and 
communities  affected  by  conflicts  (MDG1).  All  programmes  relating  to  the  Public  Finance 
Management reform and technical assistance to trade (including twinning and comprehensive 
institutional building) contributed to MDG8 (global partnership for development). 

The  health  budget  support  programme  in  Moldova  contributed  towards  both  MDG-5 
(maternal  health  improvement)  and  MDG6  (combating  HIV/AIDS,  malaria  and  other 
diseases) by providing financial support to the country's health care reforms, strengthening the 
primary  health  care  system  and  improving  prevention  of  diseases  such  as  HIV/AIDS, 
epidemics, etc. 

Southern neighbours took significant steps to improve the health, education, and standard of 
living  of  its  people.  They  face  a  number  of  challenges,  however,  including  high  youth 
unemployment, persistent gender and social and economic disparities. 

Six of the southern Neighbourhood countries are likely to attain universal primary education 
(MDG2) by 2015. School enrolment and completion rates have reached levels of over 90% in 
Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Tunisia. Morocco has 
also achieved considerable progress in enrolment terms. The Commission contribution to this 
process continued in 2011, with the approval of programmes to support the education sector 
in  Jordan  (€23  million)  and  to  improve  the  quality  and  inclusiveness  of  education  in  Libya 
(€2.4 million). 

Countries  of  the  Middle  East  and  North  Africa  have  made  progress  in  improving  the 
educational  chances  of  girls,  on  the  path  to  meeting  MDG3  on  gender  equality  and 
empowering  women.  The  region  will  remain  far  from  any  real  gender  equality  however,  if 
countries  do  not  undertake  substantial  efforts  to  improve  the  economic,  political,  and  legal 
situation  of  women.  The  Commission  is  supporting  countries  committed  to  such  goals.  In 
to  promote  equality  between  women  and 
2011,  a  programme  of  €45  million  was  approved 
men  in  Morocco.  It  aims  to  ensure  that  women  and  men  are  given  equal  opportunities  to 
participate, influence and steer development policies and development programmes and that 
both women and men are able to benefit from them equally. 

The Commission is strongly committed to contributing to developing a global partnership for 
development  (MDG8)  in  the  southern  Neighbourhood.  Support  here  varies  from  good 
governance-related programmes to justice and rule of law to involvement of youth and civil 
society. The EU’s commitment was highlighted in 2011 in its response to the Arab Spring. 'A 
partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean' was  put 
forward in a Joint Communication in 8 March 201134, stressing the need for the EU to support 
wholeheartedly  the  demand  for  political  participation,  dignity,  freedom  and  employment 
opportunities, and setting out an approach based on the respect of universal values and shared 
interests. It also proposes that the “more for more” principle be used, under which increased 
support  will  be  made  available  to  those  partner  countries  most  advanced  in  bringing  about 
democratic reforms. 

34 http://eeas.europa.eu/euromed/docs/com2011_200_en.pdf  

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
A  second  Joint  Communication,  “A  new  response  to  a  changing  Neighbourhood”  of  25 
May35, took this approach further. Several decisions to finance programmes in line with these 
commitments were taken in 2011: to support youth employment in Algeria (€23.5 million); to 
support the reform of the judiciary system in Lebanon (€5 million) and support for municipal 
finance in Lebanon (€20 million).  

The  new  Civil  Society  facility  for  the  whole  neighbourhood  region  which  has  an  overall 
budget of €26.4 million for 2011 (of which €12 m illion for the southern Neighbourhood), will 
promote domestic accountability and contribute to attaining MDG8.  

1.1.4 Implementation and results 

Bilateral cooperation 

EU assistance to Armenia continued to support reforms in the justice system, public finance 
management,  trade  and  education.  In  addition,  the  comprehensive  institution  building 
programme was set up to strengthen the capacities of central government institutions involved 
in the negotiation process for the AA and to prepare for the DCFTA. An ongoing programme 
in the area of vocational education and training continued to assist reforms in the education 
system,  making  it  more  relevant  to  the  existing  job  market.  The  renovation  of  12  multi-
disciplinary  colleges  across  the  country  and  the  training  of  numerous  directors  and  teachers 
upgraded  the  institutional  set  up.  Improved  access  to  justice  and  increased  transparency 
through e-services were put in place under a budget support programme. 

In Azerbaijan, sector budget support operations continued to boost reforms in the energy and 
justice sectors. Significant progress was made in preparing for a sector budget programme in 
public  finance  policy.  The  twinning  instrument  continued  to  be  very  successful  with  one  of 
the highest rates of implementation in the region. Nineteen twinning projects are currently in 
different  stages  of  implementation  including  six  under  preparation  in  the  areas  of  transport, 
financial services, maritime safety, environment, migration, cartography and tourism. 

After the post-electoral crisis of December 2010 in Belarus, the EU significantly stepped up 
its support to civil society, students and the independent media, with a package of around €20 
million  for  the  period  2011-2013.  The  Commission  also  adopted  a  €13  million  regional 
development programme which will make a difference to the daily lives of local communities 
in Belarus. The promotion of sustainable development in Belarus should result in building up 
competences in regional and local development. 

In Georgia, EU assistance supported policy reforms in the areas of public finance, criminal 
justice,  education. Institution-building  was  enhanced  and  tailored  to  the  specific  capacity 
needs of the core actors involved in preparations for the future EU-Georgia AA. Among them, 
the  public  defender  office  (ombudsman)  gained  international  acknowledgement  for  its 
independency and professionalism. 

In  Moldova,  the  EU  continued  to  encourage  anti-poverty  policies  in  the  areas  of  primary 
health care and rural development. One of the most important assistance projects in 2011 was 
the EU high-level policy advice mission (EUHLPAM). As part of this initiative, 15 high-level 

35 http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/com_11_303_en.pdf  

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
international advisors went to Moldova to provide strategic policy guidance to the Moldovan 
government  in  key  issues  related  to  European  integration.  The  European  Border  Assistance 
Mission  to  Moldova-Ukraine  (EUBAM),  an  advisory  and  technical  body  mandated  to 
guarantee  security  of  the  Ukrainian-Moldovan  border,  continued  to  tackle  criminality 
successfully and assisted legitimate trade and travel. 

A boost to public health in Moldova 

Major  improvements  to  Moldova’s  health  system  are  underway,  assisted  by  a  four-year 
€46.6 million EU-funded programme which started in  2009. It enabled the training of 262 
young  physicians,  757  young  nurses  and  pharmacists  and  the  renovation  of  12  primary 
health care centres in 2011, as well as programmes for the  prevention of HIV/AIDS and 
viral  hepatitis.  It  is  contributing  to  the  implementation  of  the  Moldovan  government’s 
health sector strategy, 2008-2017, designed to improve and public access to health services 
and  increase  the  efficiency  and  quality  of  essential  public  health  services.  Part  of  the 
strategy,  a  national  programme  for  emergency  care  development,  2011-2015,  was 
approved  in  2011.  2011  also  saw  the  setting  up  of  the  first  public/private  partnership  in 
health  at  Chisinau’s  Republican  Clinical  Hospital  with  the  opening  of  a  radiology  and 
medical Imagistics centre. 

In  the  Transnistria  region,  two  sets  of  confidence  building  measures  were  implemented  for 
business development, infrastructure and capacity-building for civil society.  

In  Ukraine,  a  €70  million  sector  policy  support  programme  for  administrative  reform 
was approved in 2011 as well as programmes for regional development, institutional building 
and  to  promote  energy  efficiency.  Technical  assistance  was  provided  in  a  wide  range  of 
sectors and further twinning was set up in the areas of energy efficiency, air transport, public 
order, civil service, statistics and phyto-sanitary legislation. 

Ukraine making Chernobyl safe  

The EU is contributing to the Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) including the 
erection of a new safe confinement structure, a programme  developed by the EU, the US 
and Ukraine to protect the environment and population from the damaged Chernobyl unit 4 
shelter. Three hundred separate activities are ongoing to make the site of the 1986 accident 
environmentally safe. The construction of the new structure will enable the dismantling of 
the existing damaged reactor 4 and its increasingly unstable sarcophagus, erected just after 
the accident. 
Since  1991,  the  EU  has  allocated  more  than  €1.3  billion  to  nuclear  safety  and  security 
projects in the former USSR – mostly in Russia and Ukraine. The total cost of the shelter 
implementation  plan  is  currently  put  at  €1.6  billion.  A  pl edging  conference  marking  the 
25th  anniversary  of  the  Chernobyl  accident  organised  by  Ukraine  and  the  G8  presidency, 
and  with  EU  participation,  resulted  in  a  further  €550  million  being  pledged  for  the 
programme, including €110 million from the EU pledge. 

 Designed  to  be  a  flexible  umbrella  to  promote  reforms,  enhance  growth  and  raise 
competitiveness,  the  partnership  for  modernisation  has  acted  as  a  central  platform  of 
cooperation  between  the  EU  and  Russia  since  2010.  In  2010-2011,  the  EU  supported  the 
partnership  with 
€7  million.  Russia  also  si gned  individual  bi-lateral  modernisation 
partnerships with 23 EU Member States. Trade related issues with an alignment of technical 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
standards,  promotion  of  judicial  reforms  and  dialogue  with  civil  society  are  among  the 
priority areas of this modernisation process.  

There  was  a  range  of  actions  concerning  further  adoption  by  Russia  of  EU  norms  and 
technical standards. There were also justice-related initiatives in the area of rule of law, the 
enhancement  of  the  appeals  system  and  ratification  of  the  Hague  Conventions.  People-to-
people  links  were  other  key  factors  in  the  EU-Russia  relationship  with  the  Commission's 
continuous  support  for  civil  society  organisations  for  advocacy  and  human  rights 
development. 

During  the  Arab  Spring,  bi-lateral  cooperation  continued  with  all  countries  of  the southern 
Neighbourhood – with the exception of Syria – despite the disruptive events. To be able to 
better respond to the historic events in the region, adjustments to existing arrangements were 
made in most countries. 

In Algeria, the EU committed €23.5 million to strengthe n the participation of young people in 
society  and  support  the  government's  youth  policy.  This  programme  puts  a  particular 
emphasis on improving youth employment prospects by helping to develop new initiatives at 
local  level  and  supporting  co-ordination  of  youth  policies  at  national  level.  EU  funds  were 
also committed to a new programme to protect Algeria's cultural heritage (€21.5 million) and 
for continued support to the transport sector (€13 million). 

Given  the  progress  in  the  water  and  sanitation  sector,  the  Commission  released  the  first 
tranche  of  sector  budget  support  to  Algeria  in  December  2011  (€6  million).  The  Algerian 
authorities  started  to  improve  budget  transparency  –  and  public  finance  management  –  by 
submitting  to  the  Parliament  final  audited  accounts  for  fiscal  years  2008  and  2009  after  a 
pause in this practice. 

In view of the changing circumstances in Egypt, cooperation for 2011-13 was reviewed and 
adjusted.  Five  new  programmes  –  amounting  to  €132  million  –  were  approved  during  the 
year,  aimed  at  improving  living  conditions  in  deprived  areas  of  Cairo,  trade  and  economic 
growth (and job creation), agricultural SMEs, as well as the reform of the energy and water 
sectors. Support to good governance and rule of law was further strengthened through a new 
€10 million EU programme signed in 2011 to assist  Egypt in its judiciary reforms. For 2012, 
actions  amounting  to  €160  million  are  already  in   the  pipeline.  The  EU  gave  support  to  the 
elections in Egypt  through two  €2 million  progr ammes,  financed  under  the  IfS,  designed  to 
assist  the  high  electoral  commission  in  its  work  and  provide  support  to  civil  society 
organisations.  

In  Israel,  an  action  plan  for  2011  and  2012  was  agreed,  allocating  €2  million  per  year  for 
institutional  twinning  projects.  €500 000  was  aw arded  by  the  Civil  Society  Facility,  for 
human rights projects. 

The annual action plan for Jordan was reviewed in 2011. A €40 million sum was frontloaded 
from  the  2012/2013  allocation  for  new  programmes  for:  development  of  small  and  medium 
enterprises;  tackling  poverty  and  unemployment  in  less-favoured  areas;  research  and 
innovation to engender growth and employment and for further strengthening public finance 
management. Ongoing programmes (including those from the €71 million for 2011) already 
support  reforms  in  various  sectors,  including  energy  efficiency,  education,  democratic 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
governance and local economic development. Jordan is expected to initiate negotiations for a 
DCFTA in early 2012.  

After  the  collapse  of  Prime  Minister  Hariri's  government  in  January  2011  in  Lebanon,  the 
country  faced  a  six-month  period  under  a  caretaker  government  and  subsequently  an 
institutional  slowdown  resulting  in  severe  delays  in  the  legislative  process.  In  addition,  it 
suffered  from  political  instability  at  regional  level,  in  particular  due  to  the  increasingly 
difficult situation which prevails in Syria. In spite of the specific context and the changes that 
affected the region as a whole during the Arab Spring, the EU was able to continue to support 
Lebanon's  reform  agenda  in  the  areas  of  agriculture,  security,  policy  planning  and 
infrastructure.  In  total,  €33  million  were  ma de  available  in  2011,  providing  key  support  to 
municipal  finance  reform,  independence  of  the  judiciary  and  to  improve  the  technical 
capacity of the Ministry of Environment. Aware of the challenges to implement projects in a 
timely and adequate manner in Lebanon, the EU cooperation is in the process of reviewing 
its cooperation approach with the aim of strengthening capacity at institutional level. 

Libya  was  singled  out  by  the  civil  unrest  which  prevailed  from  early  in  the  year  and 
culminated  in  NATO  intervention.  By  the  end  of  October,  the  former  Libyan  leader, 
Muammar  Gaddafi  had  been  deposed.  The  EU  had previously  adopted a series of sanctions 
against  individuals  and  entities,  aimed  at  preventing  arms  and  money  from  reaching  the 
Gaddafi regime. 

In the meeting organised on 2 September 2011 in Paris with the National Transitional Council 
(NTC), an agreement was reached to cooperate on post-conflict assessments between the EU, 
the World Bank and the UN. The EU was assigned sectoral leadership for integrated border 
management,  civil  society,  gender  issues  and  the  media,  including  public  messaging.  The 
Commission  made  €10  million  available  to  suppor t  the  immediate  stabilisation  priorities  of 
the new Libyan authorities. This consisted of a package for civil society, public administration 
capacity  building  and  education.  In  addition,  programmes  were  re-directed  to  support  the 
stabilisation of communities at risk and to assist in the management of migration flows inside 
and  from  Libya  (€10  million)  and  s upport  for  the  rehabilitation  of  the  war  wounded  (€2 
million). 

Additional support was provided under the Instrument for Stability (€1.7 million to establish an 
"all-inclusive dialogue process") whilst a range of projects implemented by NGOs in the fields 
of democratisation, women rights and media training was allocated €2 million. A programme 
targeting the strengthening of civil society institutions received €3 m illion. In November 2011, 
the EU opened its official Delegation in Tripoli. 

In Morocco, legislative elections on 25 November 2011 were conducted in a transparent and 
fair  manner,  according  to  international  observers,  and  brought  to  power  a  new  political 
majority. These elections came in the wake of an important constitutional reform adopted on 1 
July 2011 which brought significant changes to the equilibrium of power, reinforcing – among 
other things – the role of Parliament and the Judiciary. 

The  EU  has  long  supported  institutional  and  socio-economic  reforms  and  will  pursue  its 
collaboration  with  Morocco  in  the  framework  of  the  association  agreement.  Morocco  enjoys 
'advanced status' (granted in 2008). With regard to financial support, the five priority areas for 
cooperation  stand:  development  of  social  policies,  economic  modernisation,  institutional 
support, good governance and human rights, and environmental protection.  

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three  new  programmes  were  adopted  in  2011  totalling  €155  million:   support  to  the 
implementation  of  the  ‘advanced  status’  (€91  million)  which  seeks  to  foster  regulatory 
convergence with the EU by supporting the adoption of a set of key measures in a number of 
critical sectors; a programme to promote equality between women and men (€45 million), in 
line  with  the  provisions  of  the  new  Constitution  and  an  'integrated  rural  development 
programme  in  the  northern  province  of  Al  Hoceima  (€19  million)  to  help  improve  the 
development of basic infrastructure and the livelihood of rural populations. 

Ten  sector  budget  support  programmes  were  implemented  in  Morocco  in  2011  and  €88.2 
million was disbursed – a reflection of the government’s commitment to to meet the eligibility 
criteria. This type of support has proved valuable in advancing policy dialogue with Morocco 
and  assisting  it  in  the  reform  processes  it  has  embarked  upon  (health  sector  reform, 
modernisation of the water sector, public financial management or civil service reforms, etc.). 
In 2011, for instance, key measures were adopted which will provide more transparency in the 
field  of  public  procurement,  and  groundwork  completed  for  universal  medical  insurance 
which will benefit the poorest.  

The EU is committed to increasing its support to Morocco in order to successfully implement 
the principles and objectives of its ‘advanced status' action plan. Morocco also benefits from 
other  thematic  and  regional  programmes  and  will  receive  further  support  under  the  new 
SPRING  programme,  the  Civil  Society  Facility  and  Erasmus  Mundus.  In  the  area  of  trade, 
negotiations for a DCFTA are expected to be launched early 2012. As regards migration, the 
negotiation of a Mobility Partnership is ongoing and is expected to be finalised before the end 
of 2012. 

Support  to  the  occupied  Palestinian  territory  in  2011  was  considered  as  transitional,  as  it 
should pave the way for more focused and fewer ad hoc programmes. Funds made available 
in  2011  amounted  to  €300  million.  A  financi ng  decision  adopted  at  the  end  of  2011 
(frontloading  2012  budget)  includes  €105  million  to  respond  to  the  priorities  of  the 
Palestinian  Authority  in  supporting  recurrent  expenditure  –  salaries  and  pensions  –  and  €55 
million  to  be  allocated  to  the  core  budget  of  the  United  Nations  Relief  &  Works  Agency 
(UNRWA). 

During  2011,  close  cooperation  between  the  Delegation  and  the  Ministry  of  Social  Affairs 
resulted  in  the  alignment  of  the  Gaza  Strip  with  the  West  Bank  in  terms  of  the  revised 
eligibility  criteria  and  payment  methodology  for  social  allowances.  Given  the  ongoing  split 
between  the  two  entities,  it  is  a  significant  achievement.  A  new  Palestinian  National 
Development Plan (PNDP) for 2011-2013 was approved in 2011. 

In light of the ongoing unrest and the systematic violations of human rights, the EU was one 
of the first donors to suspend its bi-lateral cooperation with Syria on 25 May. Since then, the 
Commission has suspended the participation of Syrian authorities in its regional programmes 
and the European Investment Bank (EIB) has suspended all its loan operations and technical 
assistance to Syria.  

On 30 November, in reaction to the EU restrictive measures, Syria suspended its membership 
and its participation in the Union for the Mediterranean. Several projects are still ongoing in 
the  field  of  support  to  non-state  actors,  Syrian  civil  society,  and  refugee  populations.  The 
Tempus  and  Erasmus  programmes  with  Syrian  students  and  universities  also  continue.  A 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
special measure to support two UNRWA projects targeting both Palestinian refugees and the 
Syrian population was approved by the Commission in late 2011. UNRWA is currently one of 
the  last  executive  agencies  with  a  real  operational  capacity  on  the  ground,  and  support  to 
Palestinian refugees in Syria remains a priority. The first project will enhance the economic 
and social prospects of Palestinian refugee youth through vocational training and participation 
in local development initiatives. The second will provide an integrated package of assistance, 
supporting immediate service delivery and broader early recovery among vulnerable conflict-
affected communities.  

In the immediate aftermath of the events of the Arab Spring, programmes in the pipeline for 
Tunisia were immediately reviewed to ensure that they responded to the new challenges. For 
the period 2011-2013, the EU raised the amount indicatively earmarked for Tunisia by over 
60%  from  €240  million  to  €400  million  (excluding 
humanitarian  assistance).  Financial 
assistance  for  2011  was  doubled  from  the  €80  m illion  foreseen  to  just  under  €160  million. 
Additional funds targeted economic recovery (increasing the initial budget of the economic 
recovery  programme  from  €60  million  by  an   additional  €40  million),  support  to  the 
competitiveness  of  the  services  sector  (€20  million),  and  support  to  the  most  impoverished 
areas (€20 million). Another €10 million from  the 2011 SPRING allocation to Tunisia will 
provide support to the transition and establishment of the rule of law.  

Efforts  were  made  in  2011  to  co-finance  initiatives  with  EU  Member  States  and  other 
international  partners so as to ensure that  EU grant support  to Tunisia leverages  loans from 
financing institutions and private sector investments. One example is the economic recovery 
programme, made up of an EU grant of €100 mi llion, a World Bank loan of $500 million, an 
African Development Bank loan of $500 million, and a €185 million loan from the Agence 
Française  de  Développement  (AFD).  Tunisia  is  one  of  the  countries  expected  to  initiate 
negotiations for a DCFTA in early 2012.  

Tunisia’s economic recovery   
An EU-Tunisia Task Force – the first in the southern Neighbourhood – was set up to ensure 
better  coordination  of  European  and  international  support  for  Tunisia’s  political  and 
economic transition. European and international partners took part in its initial meeting, held 
jointly by the HR/VP and the Tunisian Prime Minister on 28-29 September in Tunis. A joint 
budget support programme was formulated by the Commission, the World Bank, the African 
Development  Bank  (ADB)  and  the  ‘Agence  Française  de  Développement’  (AFD)  in  the 
wake  of  the  Arab  Spring.  The  meeting  secured  an  unprecedented  amount  of  resources:  a 
the  new  SPRING  Programme),  together 
€100  million  EU  grant  (including  funding  under 
with  loans  amounting  €900  million  from  other  partners  to  improve  governance  and  the 
financial and social sectors and boost employment. 

In 2011, 13 new budget support operations totalling €537 million were approved in the ENPI 
region.  A total of €344 million was earmarked fo r seven new operations in southern partners 
(Egypt,  Jordan,  Morocco,  Tunisia),  while  €193  million  was  committed  to  six  operations  in 
eastern  partners  (two  in  Georgia  and  one  in  Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Moldova  and  Ukraine, 
respectively). 

In the ENPI region, the new budget support programmes are largely sector-based and aim to 
support reforms related to, among other sectors: energy, public administration, public finance 
management,  education  and  gender,  while  others  also  target  wider  economic  recovery 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
objectives and the implementation of ENP action plans. Close cooperation with other donors 
is being sought to increase impact, wherever possible. 

Regional cooperation 

EU  cooperation  with  partners  on  a  regional  level  complements  bilateral  cooperation 
programmes.  It  addresses  challenges  with  a  regional  dimension,  and  promotes  cooperation 
among  neighbouring  partner  countries  on  issues  of  mutual  interest.  Since  issues  such  as 
protection of the environment, tackling sea pollution, fighting organised crime and terrorism 
are cross-cutting, they can be most effectively tackled through cooperation at a regional level. 

The  launch  in  2009  of  the  Eastern  Partnership  in  2008  of  the  Union  for  the  Mediterranean 
(UfM)  and  in  2007  of  the  Black  Sea  Synergy  created  new  frameworks  for  regional  co-
operation, further deepening the Eastern and Southern regional dimension of the ENPI. 

In  the  eastern  Neighbourhood,  new  regional  programmes  were  launched  in  the  following 
areas:  energy  (the  INOGATE  secretariat),  climate  change,  environmental  protection  of 
international rivers, youth, democracy, good governance and human rights.   

A  series  of  seminars  and  meetings  took  place  at  regional  level,  issues  corresponding  to  the 
work  of  the  Eastern  Partnership  platforms:  democracy,  good  governance  and  stability, 
economic  integration  (including  environment  and  climate  change),  energy  security  and 
contacts  between  people.  Five  Eastern  Partnership  flagship  initiatives  are  well  underway36, 
touching  on  issues  such  as  border  management,  support  for  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises, energy, civil protection and environmental governance. 

In  the  eastern  Neighbourhood,  several  programmes  were  initiated  in  2011  to  support  the 
region’s  democratic  development  including  the  Council  of  Europe  Facility,  a  €4  million 
programme  promoting  democracy,  good  governance  and  human  rights  by  enhancing  the 
reform  processes  in  the  six  partner  countries.  It  aims  to  bring  them  closer  to  Council  of 
Europe  and  EU  standards  in  the  core  areas  covered  by  the  Eastern  partnership,  such  as 
improved  functioning  of  the  judiciary,  public  administration  reform  and  fight  against 
corruption, and human rights protection.  

The  €34  million  SME  Flagship  Initiative  finan ced  several  activities  in  the  spheres  of 
investment  and  trade  facilitation  (East-Invest  programme),  a  contribution  to  the  TAM  BAS 
(Turn  Around  Management  and  Business  Advisory  Services)  programme  and  an  SME 
Financing Facilities programme with European Financial Institutions, all to nurture economic 
development.  A  SME  policy  performance  study  is  being  conducted  by  the  OECD  with  the 
support of the EU in the Eastern partnership countries. In the field of transport, in 2011 the 
Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) programme launched an initiative to 
support  the  sustainable  development  of  the  logistics  infrastructure  and  multimodal  transport 
along  the  TRACECA  corridor.  On  environment  and  climate  change,  regional  programmes 
contributed  to  strengthening  environmental  and  climate  governance  and  supported  partner 
countries  in  converging  towards  the  EU  acquis.  With  a  total  financial  envelope  of  €50 
million,  these  programmes  addressed  the  main  environmental  challenges  in  the  region, 
ranging  from  waste  management  to  water  and  quality,  including  forestry,  information 
management  and  climate  change,  covering  both  adaptation  and  mitigation.  Thanks  to  the 

36 http://eeas.europa.eu/eastern/initiatives/index_en.htm 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
active involvement of the partner countries, opportunities to move towards a greener economy 
were identified and will be translated into a new regional programme.  

In  2011,  the  implementation  of  the  EaP  flagship  initiative  on  prevention,  preparedness  and 
response  to  man-made  and  natural  disasters  got  underway.  It  is  aimed  at  developing  the 
partner  countries'  capacities  in  the  field  and  bringing  them  closer  to  the  EU  civil  protection 
mechanism. 

Energy  cooperation  remained  a  top  priority  under  the  EaP  in  2011.The  INOGATE 
programme  included  approximately  €53  milli on  of  ongoing  projects  to  support  regional 
energy  markets  and  the  Eastern  Partnership  Energy  Flagship  in  particular  (e.g.  energy 
regulation,  harmonisation  of  standards  and  legislation,  but  also  activities  in  support  of 
renewable  energy  and  energy  efficiency  in  the  building  sector).  The  “Covenant  of  Mayors” 
remains a priority under the Eastern Partnership in the energy field. 

Mayors for sustainable energy 

More  than  3  200  cities  in  the  EU  and  over  40  cities  in  Eastern  Europe,  the  Caucasus  and 
Central  Asia  –  including  the  capitals,  Kiev,  Chisinau  and  Tbilisi  –  have  signed  up  to  the 
‘Covenant  of  Mayors’.  Launched  in  2008,  this  EU  initiative  aims  to  promote  sustainable 
energy  development  at  local  or  regional  levels  and  secure  energy  supplies  for  citizens. 
Signatories  voluntarily  commit  to  increasing  energy  efficiency  and  the  use  of  renewable 
energy sources to meet and exceed the EU’s objective of a 20% reduction in C02 emissions 
by 2020.  

The Commission is encouraging the Eastern Partnership to join the Covenant of Mayors37 and 
has started to  raise awareness and prepare the cities for its Sustainable Energy Action Plan. 
The  October  2010  conference  in  Tblisi,  organised  by  the  Commission,  assembled  150 
participants from over 45 cities, mainly at mayor and deputy mayor level. Two branch offices 
of the Secretariat of the Covenant of Mayors were subsequently opened in September in Lviv 
and  Tbilisi  under  the  project,  ‘Covenant  of  Mayors  –  East’  to  provide  dedicated  support  to 
cites in both Ukraine and Georgia. 

During  2012-2013,  the  Commission  will  expand  co-operation  in  education,  youth,  research 
and  innovation,  culture,  the  audio-visual  sector  and  information  society  through  the  Eastern 
Partnership. 

Eastern Partnership countries continued to participate well in the framework programme for 
research  and  innovation.  Some  254  grant  agreements  have  now  been  signed,  with  an  EU 
contribution of just over €23 million. The calls  launched in 2011 included a specific action to 
develop  and  enhance  the  science  and  technology  partnership  between  the  EU  and  Ukraine. 
Other  topics  included  research  into  advanced  materials  for  high-temperature  power 
generation. Relations between the EU and Moldova in the sphere of science and technology 
were strengthened by the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Russia continues to be 
the most active international cooperation partner country, with Russian participants involved 
in over 300 grant agreements, having received over €59 million of EU funding to date 38. 

37 http://www.conventiondesmaires.eu/index_fr.html 
38 http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?lg=en&pg=countries 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Regional  cooperation  with  southern  neighbours  in  2011  was  steered  towards  meeting  the 
challenges of the popular uprisings that have shaken the Arab world and prompted calls for 
dignity,  democracy  and  social  justice.  A  joint  EU-Council  of  Europe  programme  aiming  to 
enhance  human  rights  protection,  independence  and  efficiency  of  judiciary  and  better 
compliance  with  the  European  legislation  and  democratic  values  in  partner  countries  also 
supported  the  path  to  democracy.  Completed  in  2011,  EuroMed  Justice  II  has  strengthened 
cooperation in civil, penal and family law and has helped establish an open legal system in the 
partner countries. 

Possibilities for foreign direct investment and inclusive growth in the southern Mediterranean 
have been developed through the successful ‘Invest in Med’ project. Under the Union for the 
Mediterranean  (UfM),  the  elaboration  of  sustainable  urban  strategy  to  stimulate  sustainable 
urban development projects and promote best practices and urban innovations, got underway. 

Under  the  EuroMed  IV  scheme,  several  youth  projects  were  supported  which  build  bridges 
with the Mediterranean: promoting mobility, non-formal education and inter-cultural learning 
among  young  people,  youth  leaders  and  youth  workers.  To  tackle  the  region’s  high 
unemployment  rate,  a  new  Youth-Employment  Support  Programme  was  approved  by  the 
Commission  in  2011,  aiming  to  enhance  the  employability  of  young  people  in  partner 
countries. 

In  addition,  the  financing  of  the  current  phase  of  the  Euromed  Youth  programme  has  more 
than doubled; a Youth in Action window will be opened for the Eastern Partnership, together 
with a youth regional unit for capacity building and support for youth organisations is planned 
in  South  Mediterranean  countries.  The  new  regional  programme  for  the  development  of 
culture in the Mediterranean region should help cultural operators to become equal partners of 
European  organisations  in  joint  projects.  In  the  east,  new  projects  were  selected  under  the 
Eastern Partnership culture programme, and a unit to support the capacities of cultural actors 
in the region was set up. 

The  launch  of  EuroMed  Audivisual  III  raised  the  profile  of  the  audiovisual  industry  in  the 
partner  countries  through  a  series  of  national  round  tables,  data  collection  and  networking 
events. 

Around 175 contracts have been signed since 2007 with the Mediterranean partner countries 
for research and innovation with an EU contribution of €39 million. Calls launched in 2011 
included protection of archaeological sites, bio-waste, renewable energy, transport and social 
change  and  political  transformation.  The  European  neighbourhood  policy  instrument  is 
funding several initiatives in the area of research and innovation: the research, development 
and innovation (RDI) programme in Egypt (€20 million, 2010-2012); the ’Projet d'Appui au 
Système Recherche et Innovation (PASRI)’ in Tunisia (€12 million) and support to research, 
technological  development  and  innovation  (SRTD)  in  Jordan  (€5  million,  2011-2013).  An 
institutional  twinning  project  with  Morocco  was  launched  to  support  its  national  research 
system.  A  high-level  Euro-Mediterranean  Conference  on  research  and  innovation  was 
scheduled for 2012.  

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inter-regional dimension 

The  inter–regional  co-operation  programmes  support  both  the  southern  and  eastern  regions 
with  activities  that  can  be  managed  more  efficiently  and  flexibly  at  inter-regional  level.  It 
includes  two  institution-building  instruments  originally  created  for  the  EU  enlargement 
process and also operating in the enlargement countries through the IPA instrument. These are 
the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) and the Support for 
Improvement in Governance and Management (SIGMA). TAIEX aims to foster political and 
economic  cooperation  in  a  number  of  areas,  primarily  the  approximation,  application  and 
enforcement  of  EU  legislation  through  short-term  expertise,  workshops  and  study-visits  for 
the  16  ENP  countries  and  Russia.  SIGMA  is  a  joint  OECD/EU  initiative,  assisting  partner 
countries  in  installing  governance  and  administrative  systems.  Under  the  ENPI,  SIGMA  is 
active  in  11  neighbouring  countries:  Algeria,  Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Egypt,  Georgia,  Jordan, 
Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and Ukraine. It works mainly in the following sectors: 
legal framework, civil service and justice, public procurement, financial control and external 
audit. SIGMA and TAIEX activities are complementary to the twinning projects in the ENP 
countries. 

At an inter-regional level, the Civil Society Facility (total budget of €26.4 million) supports 
democracy,  human  rights  and  the  rule  of  law.  It  provides  funding  for  non-state  actors  and 
complements  existing  initiatives  of  support  to  non-state  actors  in  the  eastern  and  southern 
Neighbourhood.  It  also  attempts  to  make  NSA-oriented  efforts  in  the  ENPI  region  more 
visible and structured, and move beyond the simple provision of financial support to NSAs, 
towards  engagement  with  civil  society  and  increased  policy  dialogue  at  the  partner  country 
level. 

A three-year inter-regional project – the European neighbourhood journalism network (ENJN) 
– to support journalists’ training finished in 2011. Reaching over 1 300 journalists in partner 
countries, workshops were organised in its final phase to provide specific training following 
the dramatic events in the southern Mediterranean.  

The  Joint  Communication,  'A  new  response  to  a  changing  Neighbourhood'  also  provided  a 
solid  policy  framework  and  additional  financial  means  for  academic  mobility  and  youth 
cooperation  between  the  EU  and  the  neighbouring  countries.  There  are  additional  financial 
allocations  for  higher  education  under  the  Erasmus  Mundus  (mobility  of  students  and 
academic staff) and Tempus programmes (modernisation of higher education). The increased 
budget resulted in €66.6 million being made avai lable under Tempus IV in 2011 to modernise 
and reform higher education systems in the neighbourhood region. Erasmus Mundus received 
€70.4 million in 2011 to promote student  and academic staff mobility.  

The Commission is extending the internal eTwinning action for schools to Eastern Partnership 
countries, Egypt and Tunisia. Additional financing has been made available for interventions 
in  vocational  education  and  training  in  the  Southern  Mediterranean  run  by  the  European 
Training  Foundation.  The  Commission  also  plans  to  launch  a  policy  dialogue  on  higher 
education and youth policies in 2012 for the south Mediterranean region. 

The Neighbourhood  Investment  Facility (NIF)  also combines grants  with  loans provided by 
European finance institutions for big inter-regional infrastructure projects as well as for small 
and medium-sized enterprises. Projects include the Mediterranean Solar Plan and the Horizon 
2020 initiative for de-polluting the Mediterranean.  

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cross-border co-operation 

Cross-border  co-operation  (CBC)  programmes  are  a  unique  ENPI  tool  to  enhance  co-
operation  between  EU  Member  States  and  partner  countries  situated  at  the  EU’s  external 
border.  

In  2011,  the  13  operational  programmes  focussed  on  launching  calls  for  proposals  and 
speeding up project implementation. Since the launch of the programmes, 3 000 applications 
for almost €400 million have been received. 200  projects have been contracted to date: 46% 
of  projects  are  people-to-people  initiatives  mainly  benefitting  civil  society;  37%  concern 
social and economic development, and 24% are in other sectors such as environment, health, 
etc. The division of funds between Member States and partner countries is balanced with 53% 
and  47%  respectively.  In  addition  to  standard  projects,  eight  ENPI  CBC  programmes  have 
decided  to  implement  large-scale  projects.  To  date,  40  large-scale  projects  have  been 
submitted  for  approval;  eight  are  already  approved  and  one,  to  build  a  border  crossing 
between Poland and Belarus, is in the process of being contracted.  

Volunteering across borders 

Young volunteers in the border region between Hungary and Ukraine are helping out citizens 
in  their  neighbouring  country  under  a  two-year  EU  project.  The  €85 000  ‘Volunteering 
without  Borders’  scheme,  which  started  in  January  2011,  is  financed  under  the  ENPI  CBC 
Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine  programme.  It  aims  to  develop  the  citizen  skills  of 
young people who not only get to know people of a different nationality, but gain invaluable 
experience  for  both  their  professional  and  social  lives.  Volunteer  activities  include:  helping 
vulnerable old people, distributing hot tea and meals to homeless people, collecting waste at a 
national  park,  visiting  and  teaching  handicrafts  at  an  orphanage  and  distributing  toys  and 
clothes. The groups regularly assess their work and adapt working methods where they need 
to. 

1.1.5 Monitoring 

The  quality  and  flow  of  information  on  the  management  of  EU  external  assistance  and 
cooperation is enhanced by Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM).  ROM co-exists with other 
monitoring  and  review  mechanisms,  such  as  self-monitoring  by  project  management  teams, 
internal  monitoring  by  the  EU  Delegations  and  partner  countries'  own  monitoring 
mechanisms. ROM is hence an intrinsic and important part of the EU’s external cooperation 
mechanisms.  

In  2011,  ROM  missions  were  implemented  in  15  ENPI  partner  countries  (all,  with  the 
exception of Syria). The ROM coverage in the European Neighbourhood reached 25% of all 
ongoing EU operations and represented 22% of the overall budget.  

In all, 243 ongoing operations (205 national and 38 regional projects and programmes) were 
reviewed with the ROM-methodology, as well as 33 closed projects (ex-post ROM). The total 
budget represented by the operations reviewed with ROM was in excess of €900 million.  

The positive ROM results from the previous years for the ENPI region were confirmed. Over 
three quarters  of the assessed national projects were considered as performing very good or 

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
good.  Close  to  9%  of  the  interventions  however  showed  major  difficulties.  As  in  previous 
years,  the  regional  projects/programmes  on  average  tend  to  score  lower  than  the 
national/bilateral  projects  (60%  of  regional  projects  scoring  very  good  or  good),  due  to  the 
challenges faced in inducing national ownership and sustainability issues. 

The majority of monitored operations in the Neighbourhood were in the social infrastructure 
and  services  sector,  where  the  good  results  obtained  for  the  projects  related  to  government 
and civil society (sub-sector) contributed significantly to the good overall sector performance. 
The projects in the economic infrastructure and services sector were reviewed as performing 
particularly  well,  as  opposed  to  those  in  the  productive  sector  (industry,  agriculture,  etc.), 
which scored lower on average. 

When  further  breaking  down  projects’  performance  according  to  the  OECD/DAC-criteria 
(relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability), over 82% of projects assessed in 
the  Neighbourhood  region  obtained  ‘very  good’  or  ‘good’  ratings  for  relevance  and  design. 
Challenges subsist with reference to other review criteria, as a sizeable portion of monitored 
projects (about one third for national and over 40% for regional projects) show a clear scope 
for improved performance both in terms of efficiency (problems in terms of inputs used and 
implementation  of  activities)  and  effectiveness  (some  issues  with  inter  alia  delivery  of 
results). Still, impact or impact perspectives remain very good or good for up to 80% of the 
national projects monitored in the Neighbourhood region over 2011. The level of ownership 
of  a  project/programme  by  counterparts  and  stakeholders  remains  one  the  main  drivers  of 
success  in  ensuring  sustainability,  while  financial  viability  beyond  the  external  assistance 
phase,  often  resulting  from  insufficient  policy  support  and  ownership,  constrains  the 
sustainability of project and programme results in some cases. 

Table 1: 

ROM results according to DAC criteria (national projects)

62.0%

50.7%

59.0%

62.0%

68.3%

Good

Very good

21.0%

14.1%

8.8%

12.2%

7.8%

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Impact

Sustainability

Relevance and
Design

Table 2: 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ROM results by ODA sector (national projects)

Very good performance

Good performance

Performing with Problems

Not performing, major
difficulties

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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1.1.6 Outlook 

In the eastern Neighbourhood, the EU will continue to support the justice sector in Armenia 
as  well  as  preparing  for  DCFTA  negotiations,  both  through  budget  support  and  the 
comprehensive institution building programme. 

Azerbaijan  is  expected  to  benefit  from  budget  support  in  2012  for  agriculture  and  rural 
development,  with  a  view  to  improving  food  security, regional  competitiveness  and job 
creation. A future budget support programme on public finance reform will create a platform 
for  structured  dialogue  in  important  policy  areas  covered  by  the  ENP  Action  Plan  such  as 
governance, reforms in public finance management and budget transparency. 

In  Belarus,  EU  assistance  for  2012  and  beyond  will  target  the  green  economy,  economic 
development,  good  governance  and  people-to-people  contacts.  EU  support  for  Georgia  in 
2012 will focus on sustainable agriculture and regional development to address rural poverty 
in  the  least  advantaged  areas  of  the  country  (according  to  the  latest  Human  Development 
Report, approximately 15% of the Georgian population lives below the poverty line of $1.25 
per  day).  The  launch  of  negotiations  on  the  DCFTA  will  be  accompanied  by  a  targeted 
technical  assistance,  in  co-ordination  with  EU  Member  States  to  further  support  a  non-
discriminatory,  rule-based,  open  trade  and  financial  system.  There  will  be  further  help  for 
sector  reforms,  especially  for  economic  governance  and  justice,  as  well  as  for  peaceful 
settlement of conflicts. 

The  main  focus  of  cooperation  with  Moldova  in  2012  will  be  on  energy  and  justice  sector 
reforms.  Assistance  to  build  institutions  will  accompany  negotiations  on  the  AA  and  the 
DCFTA. A significant package of confidence-building measures will be implemented in 2012 
in  the  Transnistria  region.  In  Ukraine,  there  are  five  actions  planned  for  2012:  in  energy, 
regional development, migration, energy efficiency and comprehensive institutional building. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
All bilateral action plans for the southern Neighbourhood are on schedule for 2012, except 
for  Syria  for  reasons  already  outlined  elsewhere  in  the  report;  allocations  of  approximately 
€900  million  are  expected.  In  2012,  the  SPRI NG  programme  will  focus  on  Tunisia  and 
possibly Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.  

Key  events  are  scheduled  in  various  countries  of  the  region  in  2012.  Elections  are  due  in 
Algeria in May 2012, for which an EU Election Observation Mission will be deployed, and 
the  50th  anniversary  of  Algeria's  independence  will  take  place  on  5  July  2012.  Presidential 
elections will take place in Egypt over May and June 2012, completing the implementation of 
the  road  map  for  the  transfer  of  power  from  military  to  civilian  rule,  whilst  parliamentary 
elections are expected in Jordan towards the end of 2012. Elections are also due in Libya, 
probably before the summer. 

A new programme on the environment will help Algeria develop its national climate change 
policy ('Plan National Climat'). Other priorities are economic diversification and employment 
with  new initiatives currently being identified. Dedicated instruments (EIDHR and the civil 
society facility) will support sector programmes for civil society. 

In Jordan, EU assistance for 2012 will include three programmes targeting justice, security 
and  civil  society  and  the  media;  additional  funds  are  also  expected  from  the  SPRING 
programme.  In  Lebanon,  six  programmes  are  expected  to  be  approved  to:  improve 
infrastructure 
job 
opportunities;  step  up  mine  action  clearance  activities  and  advance  reform  in  the  education 
system and promote social justice. 

in  Palestinian  refugee  camps;  promote  sustainable  growth  and 

With regard to Libya, as soon as the new Libyan Authorities are ready, the Commission will 
explore  relevant  sectors  of  cooperation  for  2012  in  line  with  the  results  of  the  Libya  co-
ordinated needs assessment and the two Joint Communications 'A new response to a changing 
Neighbourhood'  and  'A  partnership  for  democracy  and  shared  prosperity  with  the  southern 
Mediterranean'. 

In  Morocco,  the  democratic  changes  brought  in  by  the  new  constitution  adopted  on  1  July 
2011  will  be  the  focus  of  EU's  attention  in  the  months  and  years  to  come  and  will  be  the 
subject  of  a  sustained  policy  dialogue  with  the  newly-formed  government.  The  important 
principles laid down in the new constitution are still to be translated into reality. Their prompt 
and effective implementation will require solid institutional support and financial assistance. 
The ongoing constructive policy dialogue with the Moroccan authorities will be pursued and 
in the spirit of the ‘advanced status action plan’, adoption of key policy measures to promote 
regulatory  convergence  with  the  EU,  will  be  encouraged.  The  government’s  efforts  to 
alleviate poverty and bridge the existing social divide will continue to be supported. 

Following on from the new Palestinian National Development Plan (PNDP) for 2011-2013, 
new programmes and priorities will be identified. 

In  Tunisia,  the  focus  is  on  establishing  a  functioning  democracy  through:  reform  of  the 
judiciary, support to civil society, assistance to impoverished regions and measures to boost 
employment and bring about economic reforms. A new action plan for 2012-2016, due to be 
presented to the Tunisian authorities early 2012, will contain a roadmap of the joint measures 
envisaged  to  strengthen  political,  economic,  social  and  cultural  relations.  Since  bilateral 
cooperation  with  Syria  is  currently  suspended  and  violence  continues  to  escalate  in  the 
country,  the  EU  does  not  intend  to  work  with  the  Syrian  authorities  for  the  time  being. 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Despite  the  major  operational  constraints  on  the  ground,  the  EU  will  continue  to  support 
Syrian civil society and the refugee populations, and will assess potential new operations in 
light of the 'do no harm' principle. The EU is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation on 
the ground, and is ready to intervene should there be any deterioration. 

1.2  Middle East 

1.2.1 Introduction 

Middle East peace process 

The EU stepped up its efforts to advance the Middle East peace process in 2011. It lent full 
support to the HR/VP in her continuing efforts on behalf of the EU to re-launch direct talks 
between the parties. The HR/VP visited the region numerous times during the year and stayed 
in close contact with stakeholders.  

Against  the  background  of  the  Palestinian  bid  to  be  admitted  to  the  UN  as  an  independent 
state, deposited by President Abbas in September 2011, the EU renewed its efforts to find a 
way  for  the  parties  to  return  to  negotiations.  In  its  statement  of  23  September,  the  Quartet 
called  for  the  resumption  of  direct  bilateral  negotiations  –  without  delay  or  preconditions  – 
aimed at reaching an agreement within a timeframe agreed to by the parties and by the end of 
2012 at the latest. 

The  HR/VP  extended  a  cautious  welcome  to  the  proposals  for  reconciliation  between  Fatah 
and Hamas. However, with no substantial progress on reconciliation since the initial signing 
of  the  reconciliation  agreement  on  3  May  2011,  the  13th  Palestinian  Authority  government 
under  Prime  Minister  Fayyad  continued  to  rule  in  a  caretaker  function  following  its 
resignation on 14 February 2011. The EU has consistently called for Palestinian reconciliation 
under  the  authority  of  President  Abbas  and  commended  the  efforts  of  the  Egyptian 
government to bring about and implement the move towards Palestinian reconciliation since 
the signing of the reconciliation agreement. The EU is ready to continue its support, including 
direct  financial  support,  to  a  new  Palestinian  government  composed  of  independent  figures 
that is committed to the principles set out in President Abbas’ speech on 4 May 2011 after the 
initial  reconciliation  agreement  was  reached.  The  EU’s  expectations  of  such  a  government 
were  set  out  in  the  foreign  affairs  council  conclusions  of  23  May:  a  new  government 
composed  of  independent  figures  should  uphold  the  principle  of  non-violence  and  remain 
committed  to  achieving  a  two-state  solution  and  to  a  negotiated  peaceful  settlement  of  the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, accepting previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s 
legitimate right to exist. 

Direct  EU  financial  support  to  the  Palestinian  Authority  continued  to  contribute  to  ongoing 
state-building  efforts.  The  Palestinian  National  Development  Plan  2011-2013  (NDP)  was 
presented  officially  by  the  PA  in  April  2011  at  the  Ad  Hoc  Liaison  Committee  (AHLC) 
meeting in Brussels. 

Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq and Yemen 

The DCI covers only three countries in the oil-rich Middle East region – Iraq, Iran and Yemen 
– where most countries enjoy good standards of living and high income. The work carried out 
by the EU aims to meet the specific needs of each. Political development, reconciliation and 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reform  in  Iraq  have  remained  difficult  in  2011.  The  ‘national  partnership  government’, 
formed  after  nine  months  of  difficult  negotiations  following  the  2010  general  election,  has 
struggled to  function  properly  since it was set up and the general agreement on governance 
between the major political forces was not fully implemented in 2011. At the end of the year, 
the political situation worsened. 

With  the  adoption  in  November  2010  of  the  first-ever  multiannual  Country  Strategy  Paper 
(CSP)  for  assistance  to  Iraq  (€58.7  million  2011- 13),  the  EU  has  shifted  its  support  from 
emergency reconstruction activities  towards regular development cooperation and long-term 
capacity-building. EU assistance in the medium-term is concentrated on the sustainability of 
Iraq’s  institutions,  the  improvement  of  management  and  civil  service  capacity  along  with 
boosting the provision and quality of basic services (health, education, water and sanitation).  
The EU also continues to assist the Iraqi government in its efforts to better unlock and invest 
its  own  substantial  resources,  by  providing  assistance  in  the  areas  of  good  governance  and 
democratisation. 

EU-Iraq  relations  have  been  further  strengthened  with 
the 
memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation and the Council's decision to authorise 
signature of the partnership and cooperation agreement. 

implementation  of 

the 

In parallel, the financial instrument for cooperation with industrialised and other high income 
countries and territories (called ICI+) was adopted 30 December 2011 and will help the EU 
expand the nature of its cooperation with the region, and notably with Iraq. The ICI+ is a new 
avenue for the EU in promoting political and economic interests and engaging in a partnership 
with  Iraq  based  on  mutual  interests.  Actions  will  cover  public  diplomacy  and  outreach, 
people-to-people  links  and  especially  economic  partnership  and  business  cooperation  in  the 
energy sector. 

During  2011,  the  Yemeni  revolution  resulted  in  some  ten  months  of  violent  unrest. 
Throughout  this  period,  the  EU  closely  co-operated  with  the  Gulf  Cooperation  Council 
(GCC), with a view to achieving an agreement on political transition brokered by the GCC. 

As the political impasse prevailed, clashes between security forces, demonstrators and tribal 
groups  continued,  with  increased  pressure  from  the  international  community  (threats  of 
sanctions)  to  find  a  resolution.  In  October,  the  UNSC  unanimously  adopted  a  resolution  on 
Yemen  and  in  November,  President  Saleh  finally  signed  the  GCC  initiative.  Since  then,  an 
interim  government  has  been  formed  and  presidential  elections  were  called  for  February 
2012. The EU Delegation in Sana’a remained open throughout the unrest. It was actively and 
closely  involved  in  efforts  to  ensure  a  peaceful  and  orderly  transfer  of  power  and  aid  the 
process  of 
these 
developments,  however  the  situation  itself  have  the  de  facto  effect  of  preventing  some 
projects  from  being  executed.  The  2011  DCI  allocation  of  €20  million  was  divided  equally 
between  health  sector  cooperation and  economic  development  focussing  on  job  creation 
among the youth. 

transition.  Co-operation  was  not  formally  suspended 

throughout 

The  humanitarian  situation  was  already  serious  prior  to  the  unrest  and  has  subsequently 
worsened. To tackle this protracted crisis, the Commission released €25 million in 2011. 

Most  of  Yemen’s  multiple  challenges  –  unparalleled  in  the  region  –  became  more  acute 
during the unrest. Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world with a very small middle 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
class, a high level of illiteracy and a youth and population bulge. Greatly contributing to its 
problems  are  issues  such  as  the  most  active  Al  Qaeda  franchise  (AQAP),  Somali  refugees, 
and strong tribal power. While the EU stands ready to do all it can, it also realises that it only 
through  concerted  international  efforts  that  such  issues  can  be  tackled  effectively  and 
sustainably. 

EU co-operation activities in Iran are limited to non-sensitive areas such as anti-narcotics and 
aiding  Afghan  refugees  through  support  for  non-state  actors.  Efforts  to  engage  with  Iran  in 
meaningful negotiations over its nuclear programme continue in line with the EU's dual track 
approach.  

1.2.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

Following the outbreak of violence during the 2011 protests, the security situation seriously 
hampered the effective implementation of development projects in Yemen, and most donors 
saw themselves obliged to withdraw a significant number of their in-country staff. Even under 
such difficult conditions, the Commission is one of the very few donors on the ground to have 
continued  to  implement  projects  and  disburse  funds.  Donor  co-ordination  resumed  in 
December, after the transitional government effectively took over power in Yemen and called 
on donors to assist the country’s recovery. UN agencies, the World Bank and the Commission 
have discussed carrying out a joint social and economic needs analysis, while a larger group 
of  the  so-called  G-10  (Gulf  Cooperation  Council  (GCC)/EU/P539)  have  met  regularly  to 
monitor the political implementation of the GCC agreement.  

At the international conference on Iraq’s reconstruction held in Madrid in December 2003, the 
international  community  and  the  Commission  in  particular,  recognised  that  the  challenging 
situation  in  Iraq  required  urgent  and  coordinated  action.  Due  to  the  lack  of  usable  security 
infrastructure  and  the  absence  of  a  functioning  Iraqi  government  which  prevented  the 
development  of  a  meaningful  bilateral  programme,  the  Commission  was  instrumental  in 
setting up and funding multi-donor trust funds for the country. This multi-lateral approach has 
allowed  the  priorities  of  the  Iraqi  authorities  to  be  taken  into  account,  together  with  EU 
priorities.  The  Commission  has  also  acquired  invaluable  knowledge  for  future  activities  in 
Iraq  through  participating  in  the  international  reconstruction  trust  fund  facility  for  Iraq 
(IRFFI)  since  2004.  With  the  departure  of  US  troops,  it  is  relevant  for  the  EU  to  take  an 
important  role  with  regard  to  political  and  policy  dialogue  with  the  Iraqi  authorities.  EU 
cooperation  is  therefore  moving  from  joint  assistance  (with  UN  agencies)  to  more  direct 
cooperation  targeting  development  of  sector  policies  and  strategies.  It  is  a  key  factor  in 
developing a culture targeting national interest through national policies and will also be the 
opportunity to improve donor coordination and division of labour. 

1.2.3 Working towards the MDGs 

Even prior to the events of 2011, Yemen was the biggest single development challenge in the 
Middle  East.  It  is  a  country  of  deeply-rooted  tradition  with  limited  resources:  scare  water 
reserves, restricted arable land and fast-declining oil reserves. It is the only poor country in a 
rich  Gulf  region,  ranked  154  out  of  187  countries  in  the  2011  UNDP  human  development 
index. The 2011 crisis has exacerbated a simmering humanitarian situation. More than half of 
the population faces multiple socio-economic challenges and a third lives in severe poverty. 

39 the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China France, Russia, the UK and US)  

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Yemen also has the highest gender inequality index in the world. Providing basic services and 
reducing  poverty  are  the  two  main  aims  of  the  EU  budget  development  programmes  in  the 
country, giving support for food security, social welfare, health and good governance. 

Iraq faces considerable challenges in its efforts to meet the 2015 MDG targets. According to 
World  Bank  classification,  it  is  a  lower  middle  income  country  (its  2010  GNI  per  capita 
amounts  to  $2340;  oil  and  gas  contributes  60%  of  GDP,  99%  of  exports  and  90%  of 
Government revenues). The size of oil revenues inhibits efforts to diversify the Iraqi economy 
and makes it difficult to transform growth into inclusive growth and access to public services 
for all. Iraq is classified as a low human development country in the UN human development 
index (ranked 132 of 187). The country’s primary enrolment rate (85%) compares poorly with 
neighbouring  Iran  (94%)  and  Turkey  (92%).  The  maternal  mortality  ratio  stands  at  84  per 
100 000 live births. Iraq is struggling to reduce the number of women dying in child birth to 
meet  its  target  of  29  for  every  100 000  live  births.  The  proportion  of  households  using  an 
improved water source has remained at around 80% since 1990. In rural areas, this figure is 
just  57%.  Even  if  84%  of  the  population  use  an  improved  sanitation  facility,  just  26%  is 
covered by the public sewage network, dropping to 2% in rural areas. 

1.2.4 Implementation and results 

The  2011  review  of  the  Yemen  country  strategy  paper  largely  reconfirmed  the  previously 
identified cooperation priorities. These are support for state-building and governance, social 
development and economic development and livelihoods. The Commission approved the first 
package  of  the  new  three-year  strategy  for  2011-2013,  allocating  €20  million  to  a  health 
support programme and an economic support programme through improved access to finance. 
The  latter  aims  to  develop  an  environment  conducive  to  private  sector  development  and 
international  trade  in  Yemen,  which  would  ultimately  support  the  country's  overarching 
objective  of  job  creation  and  poverty  reduction.  The  focus  is  in  particular,  on  youth  and 
women  entrepreneurs,  whose  access  to  finance  will  be  improved.  The  health  programme 
concentrates  on  strengthening  the  primary  healthcare  delivery  capacities  of  the  local  health 
development councils and the oversight and monitoring capacities of the central ministry of 
public health and population.  

EU  help  to  assist  Iraq  in  meeting  the  MDGs  consisted  in  2009  and  2010  of:  support  to 
emergency  medical  services  and  blood  banks  (€13  million,  in  cooperation  with  WHO); 
putting  in  place  measures  for  improved  water  and  sanitation  services  (€7  million,  with 
UNICEF); support to improve the quality of education (€8.5 million, with  the British Council) 
and improving access to quality basic education (€17 million,  with UNICEF). In the coming 
years,  the  health  sector  will  be  supported  (with  WHO,  €10  million),  as  well  as  higher  legal 
education  (€2  million).  A  €15.7  million  water 
and  integrated  ground  water  management 
programme  which  includes  the  development  of  a  water  monitoring  system  and  public 
awareness-raising measures on water-related issues, is also in the pipeline. The Commission’s 
support has enabled approximately 15 000 returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 
to be sheltered with 19 000 returnees, IDPs and community members assisted through water 
and sanitation projects. Three protection and assistance centres offered counselling to 170 000 
persons;  75 000  were  provided  with  assistance  through  referrals  and  advocacy  with  4 030 
legal cases solved. 

EU  cooperation  with  Iran  is  limited  due  to  the  ongoing  dispute  over  the  country’s  nuclear 
programme.  Implementation  of  projects  by  local  or  international  NGOs  is  hampered  by 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
administrative  obstacles  such  as  difficulties  in  issuing  visas  and  carrying  out  international 
financial  transfers.  The  current  €2.5  million  portf olio  of  ten  projects  for  includes  thematic 
programmes in the fields of democracy and human rights (EIDHR) and non-state actors (DCI-
NSA)  aimed  at  promoting  the  empowerment  of  vulnerable  people,  and  community-based 
initiatives. 

Yemen - creating jobs during the crisis 

The EU was able to assist Yemen and respond to the unfolding events set in motion by the 
Arab  Spring,  despite  a  rapid  deterioration  of  the  security  situation  which  resulted  in  many 
donors withdrawing in-country staff and the  stalling  of  development  programmes.  Working 
through  the  Yemeni  social  fund  for  development,  an  additional  144  projects  were  mounted 
with EU funding in three main areas: job creation, local capacity building and girls' education 
programmes  in  Yemen  in  the  midst  of  crisis.  The  labour  intensive  works  programme  alone 
targeted  almost  30  000  people  by  creating  an  additional  347 576  working  days  for  the 
rehabilitation of more than 80 acres of agricultural lands and terraces. 

Additional activities will aim at constructing rainwater harvesting (cisterns, natural tanks and 
stone tanks), improving and protecting existing rural roads, protecting drinking water sources 
(shallow  wells  and  springs),  paving  public  rural  markets  and  protecting  irrigation  channels. 
EU funds also helped build 250 classrooms for more than 18 000 girls who would not have 
been  able  to  attend  school  otherwise  and  who  would  have  left  their  education  prematurely. 
Yemen has the highest gender inequality index in the world. 

1.2.5 Outlook  

As in some other Arab countries, the Arab Spring movement in Yemen opened a window of 
opportunity  allowing  greater  political  participation  from  all  parts  of  society  and  better 
resource distribution, so as to put the country back on a genuine development track. The road 
ahead is certainly not smooth: contending groups will have to agree to work out their disputes 
peacefully and future growth will have to benefit a larger part of society. There needs to be 
more careful–resource management, notably in the water sector where a crisis looms. One of 
the  first  and  most  important  tests  for  the  transitional  government  lies,  however,  in  dealing 
with humanitarian crisis and supporting a quick and effective return to "normality". 

Iraq's  achievements  in  terms  of  governance,  democracy  and  rule  of  law  remain  fragile  and 
need  to  be  consolidated.  The  country  has  significant  oil/gas  revenues  which  currently 
contribute  only  marginally  to  inclusive  economic  growth.  There  is  the  need  to  improve 
efficiency  of  public  expenditure  and  the  provision  of  basic  services.  Institutional  capacities 
need to be strengthened. 

EU support for state building, governance (including financial and economic governance) and 
human rights – a key component of the NIP 2011-2013 – will be crucial in the coming years. 
Future interventions will continue to target capacity building for state institutions and NSA in 
key  strategic  sectors,  at  both  central  and  decentralised  level.  In  addition  to  support  to  the 
governance sector, the education component of the NIP 2011-2013 will give the opportunity 
to  accompany  the  process  of  economic  diversification  by  increasing  access  to  job 
opportunities and a quality education system which responds to labour market needs. 

The  signature  of  the  EU-Iraq  partnership  and  cooperation  agreement  will  provide  a  solid 
platform  on  which  to  build  the  EU-Iraq  relationship  in  a  wide  range  of  areas  for  the  decade 
ahead. 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
In view of the events of the Arab Spring and the forthcoming presidential election in 2013 in 
Iran, it will be interesting to see whether Iranian civil society is able to steer the authorities 
towards  more  political  freedom,  fewer  human  right  violations  and  lower  the  barriers  to 
foreign cooperation. 

2 

Sub-Saharan Africa & Intra-ACP programmes 

2.1 Sub-Saharan Africa 

2.1.1 Introduction 

2011 saw the birth of a new state in Africa –  South Sudan – the consolidation of democracy 
in a number of countries through credible elections, and an effective African and international 
response to the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. Progress however, is uneven and huge 
challenges  remain.  The  EU  has  launched  several  initiatives  to  enhance  the  coherence  and 
effectiveness of its multi-faceted engagement with the Sahel region, Sudan and South Sudan, 
as well as the Horn of Africa. 

In March 2011, the EU launched a ‘Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel’, one 
of  the  poorest  regions  of  the  world.  The  Sahel  region  faces  the  multiple  and  intertwined 
challenges  of  extreme  poverty,  the  effects  of  climate  change,  frequent  food  crises,  rapid 
population  growth,  fragile  governance,  corruption,  unresolved  internal  tensions,  the  risk  of 
violent extremism and radicalisation, illicit trafficking and terrorist-linked security threats. In 
few  areas  is  the  inter-dependence  of  security  and  development  more  evident.  In  its  initial 
phase,  the  primary  focus  of  the  strategy  is  on  Mali,  Mauritania  and  Niger  around  four 
particular  strands  of  action:  development,  good  governance  and  internal  conflict  resolution; 
political and diplomatic; security and rule of law and countering violent extremism. Building 
on  existing  national,  bilateral  and  multi-lateral  engagement,  the  EU  is  working  in  close  co-
operation with the countries of the region, civil society and regional and international bodies 
to  fight  the  root  causes  of  poverty,  support  economic  development,  good  governance  and 
improve access to key infrastructures and basic services for the local populations. 

The independence of South Sudan in July 2011 marked a milestone in the implementation of 
the  Sudanese  Comprehensive  Peace  Agreement  (CPA).  In  addition  to  opening  a  new  EU 
Delegation  in  Juba,  the  EU  started  to  follow  a  comprehensive  approach  to  both  Sudan  and 
South Sudan. However, despite the optimism of the independence day ceremony attended by 
the HR/VP, the second half of the year saw a worrying deterioration of relations between both 
states.  The  EU  is  still  concerned  at  the  lack  of  progress  in  resolving  outstanding  CPA  and 
post-secession  issues  between  Sudan  and  South  Sudan.  The  security  situation  and  resulting 
humanitarian crises in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and Abyei remain a particular focus.  

Underlining the importance attached by the EU to its relations with the Horn of Africa and the 
breadth  of  political,  security,  development  and  humanitarian  engagement,  it  adopted  a 
Strategic Framework in November 2011. This provides a holistic approach to the EU’s multi-
faceted  engagement  in  the  region  with  a  view  to  supporting  the  people  of  the  Horn  in 
achieving greater peace, stability, security, prosperity and accountable government. To assist 
with  implementation  of  the  framework,  the  EU  appointed  the  first-ever  EUSR  for  the  Horn 
who initially focussed on Somalia and piracy.  

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Building  on  support  to  governance,  the  EU  deployed  five  electoral  observation  missions  to 
Sub-Saharan  Africa  (Niger,  Uganda,  Nigeria,  Zambia  and  DRC)  and  four  expert  missions 
(Benin,  Liberia,  Côte  d’Ivoire  and  Central  African  Republic).  The  EU  will  actively  ensure 
follow-up to the recommendations of the EOMs in dialogue with the governments concerned. 

Africa-EU Partnership 

The  Africa-EU  relationship  reached  new  heights  in  2007  with  the  adoption  of  the  Joint 
Africa-EU  Strategy  (JAES)  at  the  EU-Africa  Summit  in  Lisbon  which  put  in  place  a 
framework for enhanced co-operation based on treating Africa as one. The Africa-EU Summit 
in  November  2010  approved  the  second  JAES  action  plan  2011-2013,  which  confirmed  the 
commitment  to  deliver  in  eight  thematic  partnerships:  peace  and  security;  democratic 
governance and human  rights; trade,  regional integration and  infrastructure; MDGs; energy; 
climate  change  and  the  environment;  migration,  mobility  and  employment;  science, 
information society and space. 

2011 saw results of the second action plan in all eight thematic areas, with initiatives financed 
under  multiple  instruments.  The  newly-created  Africa-EU  platform  for  dialogue  on 
governance  and  human  rights  put  forward  proposals  on  natural  resources  governance  in 
conflict and post-conflict situations, backing recent EU measures on more transparency of the 
activities  of  European  extractive  and  forestry  industries  in  Africa.  The  EU  continued  to 
support the Programme for Infrastructure Development (PIDA) and transport, energy and ICT 
networks  via  the  Infrastructure  Trust  Fund.  The  ACP-EU  Energy  Facility  is  currently 
implementing 62 projects in 34 African countries in the fields of power supply and renewable 
energy. Launched in 2011, the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel initiative aims to 
mitigate  the  region's  desertification  and  land  degradation.  The  two  continents  have  also 
embarked on scientific and technical cooperation, notably by making African research grants 
available in agriculture, renewable energy and water and sanitation. 

Under  the  African  Peace  Facility,  the  EU  renewed  its  support  to  the  African  peace  and 
security  architecture  and  peace  support  operations;  the  African  Union  (AU)  Mission  in 
Somalia  (AMISOM)  and  the  Economic  Community  of  Central  African  States  Mission  for 
Consolidating  Peace  in  the  Central  African  Republic  (MICOPAX).  The  AU’s  peace  and 
security  council  and  the  EU  political  and  security  committee  worked  jointly  towards  crisis 
resolution,  notably  in  Sudan  and  Côte  d'Ivoire,  with  EU  support  for  mediation  channelled 
through the early response mechanism, and reinforced dialogue in the areas of maritime safety 
and  transnational  security.  Through  the  AU  Support  Programme  (€55  million),  the  EU 
contributed  to  the  strengthening  of  the  institutional  capacity  of  the  AU  Commission  and  its 
organs. 

The Commission's cooperation with the AU’s situation room contributed to technical support 
for the further development of its Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) and technical 
training of AU and RECs (Regional Economic Communities) staff. 

In  the  context  of  the  partnership  on  science,  information  technology  and  space,  the 
Commission notably provided further technical and logistic support to the Global Monitoring 
for  Environment  and  Security  (GMES)  and  Africa  process  which  is  intended  to  lead  to  a 
GMES  and  Africa  action  plan  to  inter  alia  optimise  the  use  of  satellite  observation  for 
environmental management. 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.1.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

In 2011, the Commission continued its efforts to strengthen aid effectiveness in Sub-Saharan 
Africa. The  4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan was the key development 
policy  event  of  the  year  and  created  momentum  to  further  enhance  the  use  of  ‘country 
systems’  (national  arrangements  and  procedures  for  public  financial  management, 
procurement,  audit,  monitoring  and  evaluation,  social  and  environmental  procedures)  – 
specific priority of African partner countries. 

In South Sudan, the EU and its Member States endorsed the idea to improve the coordination 
and coherence of aid by programming funds jointly. The resulting  agreement on a single joint 
Country Strategy Paper (CSP),  allocates around €800 million of EU funding to South Sudan 
over  the  period  2011-2013,  focussing  on  a  number  of  specific  priority  sectors:  health, 
education, rural development, rule of law and water, sanitation and hygiene – all part of South 
Sudan's own development plans. The joint CSP includes an EDF contribution of €200 million, 
made available by the Council in 2011. 

In Mali, donor coordination and aid effectiveness are improving through a series of initiatives. 
A  common  country  strategy  for  development  assistance  (SCAP)  has  been  jointly  developed 
by  the  government  and  its  development  partners.  Mali  has  also  been  selected  as  a  pilot 
country  for  the  EU’s  "joint  programming"  exercise.  In  the  interest  of  boosting  aid 
effectiveness, Mali also embarked on a joint evaluation of budget support operations in line 
with  the  OECD’s  new  methodology.  An  evaluation  showed  the  positive  impact  of  budget 
support. As a result of the close coordination among donors and in line with the principles of 
the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action, the EU has signed agreements with 
development  agencies  whereby  partners  delegate  the  implementation  of  their  projects  to  a 
single agency (delegation agreements). Other donors will also transfer funds to the EU for the 
delivery of specific projects (transfer agreements). Countries to have signed such agreements 
include:  France,  Germany,  Belgium,  Sweden,  Switzerland  and  Denmark.  Mali  also 
participates in the ‘fast track initiative’ on the division of labour. 

Togo – building on budget support  

Under  the  EU's  budget  support  programme  with  the  Togolese  government,  2009-2011,  the 
government  progressed  with  important  reforms  to  improve  budgetary  management  and 
oversight  of  public  expenditure.  The  court  of  auditors  –  operational  since  July  2010  – 
produced  and  transmitted  its  first-ever  report  to  the  parliamentary  assembly.  The  general 
inspectorate for finances substantially increased the number of completed financial audits and 
several  'commissions'  responsible  for  the  launch  and  oversight  of  public  tenders  were 
established.  Financial  transparency  was  further  improved  by  the  creation  of  a  website 
concerning the government's budget expenditure and public tenders – where, for example, a 
bi-annual  report  on  the  government's  budget  expenditure  is  now  regularly  published.  A 
second  budget  support  programme  with  complementary  objectives  will  build  on  these 
encouraging results. 

2.1.3 Working towards the MDGs 

The  10th  EDF  Mid-Term  Review  (MTR)  of  the  ACP  country  strategies  and  programmes 
showed that, while the overall picture is diverse, most  ACP countries are lagging behind in 
their schedules to reach the MDGs. The EU thus decided in the context of the 10th EDF MTR 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to devote a share of unallocated funds to support ACP countries’ attainment of the MDGs. At 
a  high  level  meeting  of  the  UN  General  Assembly  in  New  York  in  September  2010,  the 
Commission  announced  the  EU’s  €1  billion  M DG  initiative  to  foster  progress  towards  the 
2015 goals. 

This  initiative  has  two  components,  the  first  being  a  €300  million  window  to  reward  ‘good 
performer’  countries  based  on  their  overall  good  performance  indicated  in  10th  EDF  MTR 
results.  The  remaining  €700  million  was  open  to   all  ACP  countries,  including  those,  on  a 
case-by case-basis, under article 96. The first component is currently in the process of being 
allocated under the MTR. To access the latter component, ACP states were invited to submit a 
proposal demonstrating how a top-up could contribute to improving the attainment by 2015 of 
the  most  off-track  MDGs  in  their  respective  countries:  eradicating  hunger,  improving 
maternal  health,  curbing  child  mortality  and  improving  access  to  water  and  sanitation.  In 
December  2011,  the  €700  million  sum  was  allocat ed  to  proposals  from  36  countries.  All 
proposals  selected  are  results-oriented,  with  clear  and  measurable  indicators  which 
demonstrate the benefits of additional funding.  

Progress  towards  achieving  the  MDGs  varies  among  countries  of  Southern  and  Eastern 
Africa.  While  some  are  making  good  progress  such  as  Ethiopia,  Namibia,  and  Botswana, 
most  show  mixed  results  including  Kenya,  Malawi,  Mozambique,  Tanzania  and  Uganda. 
Progress  towards  MDGs  1c,  4,  5  and/or  7c  is  often  less  encouraging.  Various  forms  of  EU 
support  are  facilitating  the  achievement  of  the  MDGs:  general  budget  support,  including 
MDG-contracts  (Mozambique,  Tanzania,  Uganda,  and  Zambia);  sector  budget  support  and 
projects and programmes. 

In Ethiopia, the multi-donor protection of basic services (PBS) programme is enhancing basic 
government service delivery at decentralised level in health, education, water, agriculture and 
roads. It has been instrumental in the significant progress made by Ethiopia towards many of 
the MDGs. The country’s under-five mortality rate dropped from 123 in 2005 to 88 in 2011. 
The net enrolment rate for primary school children rose from 77.5% in 2005/06 to 85.3% in 
2010/2011.  The  number  of  health  extension  workers  increased  from  2 700  to  more  than 
30 000  in  four  years,  while  development  agents  providing  technical  advice  to  farmers 
increased by 13 000 in just two years. The EU is currently supporting the PBS to with €50 
million, with approval given in 2011 for the financing of a €45 million second phase. 

Safe drinking water in Chad on tap 

The MDG7 goal of reducing the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water 
and basic sanitation by half is on target in Chad due to an €80 million package of assistance 
from  the  10th  EDF  and  other  donor  support,  as  well  as  changes  made  by  the  Chadian 
government. By 2015, 61% of Chad’s population is projected to have access to safe drinking 
water.  Although  Chad  is  still  considered  to  be  a  fragile  state,  an  improved  legal  framework 
and regulations have been put in place by the government to manage the water and sanitation 
sector. A national training scheme for water management and a new plan for the maintenance 
and  monitoring  of  water  supply  points  have  also  been  launched.  Local  populations  have 
especially  been  involved  in  the  management  of  water  points;  frequently  financing  their 
installation and upkeep and respecting the requirement of paying for water which has in turn 
improved sustainability of supply. In 2011, the laboratory of the ministry for water received 
new  equipment  and  staff  skills  were  improved  by  a  training  programme  put  in  place  with 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ADB  support.  Chad  also  improved  its  knowledge  of  groundwater  resources  through  EU-
funded drilling programmes. 

West African countries have seen different levels of progress towards achieving the MDGs. 
While in some countries, such as Liberia and Guinea-Bissau, goals are achievable with some 
further  change,  mixed  results  have  been  recorded  in  most  including  Nigeria,  Niger,  Mali, 
Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. Progress on MDGs 1, 4, 5 is proving the most challenging. 
While  most  governments  have  aligned  their  poverty  reduction  strategies  to  the  MDGs, 
specific  challenges  include  insufficient  health provisions, ensuring sufficient  child  nutrition, 
reaching appropriate levels of sanitation and monitoring and collecting data on progress made 
towards the MDGs. 

MDG contract improving health and education in Burkina Faso  
An  MDG  contract  delivered  through  budget  support,  is  significantly  improving  both  health 
and  education  in  Burkina  Faso,  contributing  to  poverty  reduction.  Mid-way  through  its 
implementation, the programme is showing encouraging results even though this momentum 
must  be  kept  up  if  MDG  targets  are  to  be  met  in  2015.  As  a  result  of  the  programme, 
allocations from the country’s state budget to health rose from 11% to 12.1% and from 14.3% 
to 16.2% for education over three years. Births attended by skilled health staff increased from 
54.6% to 76%. The percentage of people vaccinated against measles went up from 93.9% to 
99.3% whereas the percentage of girls' enrolment in school rose from 61.2% to 75%, over the 
same period and the proportion of students completing primary school increased from 36.4% 
to 52.1%. 

2.1.4 Implementation and results 

In  2011,  the  total  amount  of  EDF  commitments  came  to  €3.2  billion  to  slightly  exceed  the 
overall  target  at  the  beginning  of  the  year.  In  Sub-Saharan  Africa,  the  EU  has  exceeded  its 
target by 15%, with €2.1 billion committed agai nst a target of €1.8 billion. The main reasons 
for  the  higher  than  expected  commitments  are:  the  stabilisation  of  the  political  situation 
following  elections  in  Côte  d’Ivoire  allowing  for  cooperation  to  be  stepped  up,  the 
commitment of a record amount of €478 million in  Nigeria totalling 70% of the total of the 
country’s ‘A’ envelope and the commitment of a larger than expected sum to Sudan. 

As far as EDF payments are concerned, the target for Sub-Saharan Africa was set at €2 394 
million  with  €1  973  million  (82.4%)  disbursed.  Th e  main  reason  that  the  target  was  not 
reached was the non-disbursement of budget support payments, largely due to issues related 
to  eligibility  criteria.  In  2012,  better  results  are  expected  as  far  as  payments  are  concerned, 
given the excellent performance with regard to commitments in 2011. 

In  2011,  bilateral  cooperation  with  East  and  Southern  Africa  (excluding  South  Africa) 
amounted  to  €456  million  and  €316  million  respectively.  Total  budget  support  payments  to 
East  and  Southern  Africa  and  Indian  Ocean  under  the  EDF  amounted  to  €457.5  million  in 
2011, broadly in line with previous years. Commitments under the EDF meanwhile declined 
further  to  €85.7  million  from  their  peak  of  over  €2  billion  in  2008,  reflecting  the  fact  that 
programmes are already in place for most countries benefiting from budget support under the 
10th EDF. A further €271.6 million was committed under the budget. 

General budget support to Zambia 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
€32.8  million  of  general  budget  support  was  disbursed  in  Zambia  following  the  September 
2011  elections,  in  response  to  the  country’s  encouraging  commitment  in  meeting  poverty 
reduction  targets  in  health  and  education.  Despite  mixed  results  on  poverty  reduction,  the 
previous  government  succeeded  in  making  improvements  in  the  net  enrolment  rate,  pupil 
teacher  ratio,  in  transition  rates  for  girls'  education,  and  in  immunisation  rates  in  the  worst 
performing districts. Some improvements to public financial management systems, including 
the  rationalisation  of  the  budget  calendar  and  improved  procurement  regulations,  were  also 
recognised. A joint donor evaluation noted that general budget support had increased national 
budget  allocations  to  exceed  budget  support  inflows.  The  increased  allocations  have  led  to 
tangible improvements in service delivery, most notably in the social sectors. 

There  were  increased  challenges  in  2011  regarding  the  implementation  of  budget  support 
programmes in the region. The combination of macro-economic issues, policy slippages and 
governance concerns prevented the EU from  making planned disbursements in  a number of 
countries including Malawi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Comoros and Tanzania.  

Food crises in the Horn of Africa proved to be one of the largest emerging challenges in the 
region  and  required  a  strong  humanitarian  and  development  response  by  the  EU. 
Development co-operation activities aimed at improving livelihoods and food security in the 
Horn were launched in Ethiopia (€13.75 millio n), Djibouti (about €4.5 million) and Somalia 
(€25 million). In line with the “Agenda for Chan ge”, food security should feature prominently 
in 11th EDF co-operation programmes, especially in the Horn of Africa. 

Seeds improve food security in Somalia  

Now  in  its  second  phase,  the  improvement  and  sustainable  use  of  plant  genetic  resources 
programme in the country’s southern region – a seed improvement project – has increased the 
yields  of  Somalia’s  farmlands  and  has  led  to  an  agricultural  commercial  sector  taking  root. 
The  use  of  improved  seeds  can  yield  production  increases  of  between  50-100%.  Since  the 
establishment  of  seed  growers  associations  in  2008  and  subsequent  commercialisation  of 
seeds  from  2010,  farmers  are  now  self-supporting  and  seed  growers  have  increased  their 
income.  During  the  recent  drought  and  famine  crises  in  the  country,  the  maize  growers’ 
association, produced 1 800 MT of maize seed, which was distributed at the same time as the 
‘agricultural emergency package’ by different donors in various crisis-affected regions during 
the 2011 humanitarian operation. This seed distribution is expected to increase next season’s 
maize production in the southern region. 

Food-security- Support to Livestock in Somalia 

The livestock emergency interventions to mitigate the food crisis in Somalia is a €4.8 million 
24-month project ended in September 2011 and enabled  the mass treatment and vaccination 
of sheep and goats against three major diseases that impact negatively on the productivity of 
the  animals  and  the  export  trade  in  live  animals.  It  sought  to  reduce  the  negative  impact  of 
soaring food prices on Somali pastoralists and agro-pastoralists and has mitigated the negative 
impact  of  the  current  food  crisis.  In  preventing  disease  in  over  6.7  million  livestock  which 
were hence able to stand the recent drought, 72 485 pastoralists’ households have benefited 
from the project which has also created short-term employment for 600 youths. 

The creation of an independent South Sudan in July was an opportunity for the EU and its 
Member States to embark on a joint programming exercise, establishing a coordinated donor 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
response  to  South  Sudan's  development  strategies  and  priorities.  Co-operation  with  the 
country is transitioning from humanitarian relief to supporting government-owned sustainable 
development  and  state-building.  An  example  of  practical  work  being  undertaken  is  the 
inclusion  of  Juba  University  in  a  higher  education  pilot  initiative  supported  under  the  EU-
Africa strategy 

In the specific case of Zimbabwe, the EU has targeted its interventions in areas such as food 
security,  agriculture,  health,  education,  human  rights  and  rule  of  law,  adding  governance-
related  support  to  reforms  foreseen  in  the  global  political  agreement,  signed  back  in  2009. 
This  support  has  proven  important  in  restoring  confidence  among  the  population  and 
generating a sense of hope for the future. The principles of Article 96 were maintained and 
support  was  channelled  through  UN  organisations  and  local  and  international  NGOs.  Since 
2009,  the  Commission  has  provided  an  average  of  €80  million  per  year,  including 
humanitarian funding (which is being phased out). These funds were drawn from the reserves 
of the 10th EDF in the form of ad hoc allocations, as well as from DCI budget lines. 

Support to livestock smallholders sector in Southern Angola 

A €10 million programme supports the Angolan vete rinary services to develop the livestock 
sector in Southern Angola. Around 30 000 smallholder farmers were trained in the control of 
diseases through the use of vaccines and basic veterinary drugs, assisted to construct simple 
wells and create pastoralist managed organisations that can market cattle, manage pasture and 
water  resources  and  provide  members  with  training  and  veterinary  supplies.  In  the  drought 
prone  semi-arid  regions  of  south  west  Angola,  the  raising  of  livestock  through  avian 
production  and  agro-pastoralist  system  are  the  main  source  of  income  and  food  for  over 
200 000  families.  These  farmers,  who  possess  a  very  strong  and  distinct  cultural  identity, 
produce approximately 23% of the national meat requirement and 78% of meat produced in 
Angola. The EU is supporting a 4-year program to build capacity in the veterinary services, to 
support  pastoralists  systems  along  transhumance  trekking  routes  and  to  develop  the 
production  of  vaccines  for  domestic  poultry.  A  veterinary  laboratory,  to  produce  these 
vaccines, has been recently rehabilitated and inaugurated by the Ministry of Agriculture.  

In  West  Africa,  nearly  all  countries  are  ranked  by  the  UNDP’s  2011  index  as  having  ‘low 
human development’. 

While  democratic  processes  are  becoming  more  fluid  –  such  as  in  Benin  and  Liberia  –  the 
region remains on the whole fragile and subject to instability. In Guinea Bissau and Guinea 
Conakry, EU co-operation is still partly suspended following Council decisions on the basis 
of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement. 

2011  was  marked  by  the  post-electoral  crisis  in Côte  d'Ivoire  and  the  resumption  of  aid  to 
help the new authorities restore political and economic stability and to support the country's 
regional role as a driver of economic growth. The EU immediately allocated the country €125 
million  when  the  new  government  took  office.  The  President  of  the  European  Commission, 
José Manuel Barroso, announced during a visit to Brussels by the Côte d’Ivoire’s President 
Alassane  Ouattara  that  the  EU  was  willing  to  top-up  the  country’s  aid  package  by  €100 
million to support the government post-crisis. 

The  EU  also  resumed  aid,  including  budget  support  disbursements,  in  Niger  where  a  new 
government was installed in April 2011. Ensuring the stability of Niger, as well as the other 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sahel  countries,  is  a  key  challenge  for  the  international  community  in  a  context  of  growing 
insecurity.  Visiting  West  Africa  in  November  2011,  Commissioner  Piebalgs  stated: 
"Instability  in  the  Sahel  is  threatening  the  sustainability  of  development  in  the  region".  The 
Commission has hence worked closely with the EEAS to develop and implement the ‘Sahel 
Security  and  Development  Strategy’  which  includes  a  new  €150  million  package  of  funds 
divided  between  Niger,  Mali  and  Mauritania  for  development  and  governance  activities, 
including the strengthening of respective justice systems.  

Mali makes good progress in education 

Improvements to education in Mali and reform in the sector have been assisted since 2008 by 
an  MDG  contract  earmarking  €150  million  of   general  budget  support  and  €44  million  of 
sector budget support. The funding has resulted in the opening of 13 000 more classrooms and 
has increased the number of students registered at public schools across the country from 1.3 
million to nearly two million. Funds have also been invested to improve education at the local 
level  under  the  sector  budget  support  programme  and  resulted  in  the  percentage  of  girls  in 
school climbing in the regions of Kidal, Mopti, Ségou and Sikasso from 50% in 2003-2004 to 
65% in 2011. 

Other highlights in the region include a €478 million comprehensive aid package for  Nigeria, 
demonstrating  the  EU’s  full  commitment  to  support  the  country’s  development,  focusing 
more particularly on governance and the Niger Delta area. All in all, the EU has committed 
close to €1 billion in West Africa for bi-later al co-operation in 2011 with payments totalling 
some €700 million. 

Presidential  and  parliamentary  elections  in  the  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo  (DRC)  in 
November 2011 saw wide political debate and large popular participation in the second free 
elections  since  independence.  Despite  some  security  problems,  the  elections  took  place 
without violent incidents getting out of control. However, irregularities, failings and errors in 
the electoral process led the opposition and a proportion of the population to reject the results. 
During 2011, the EU has been working continuously to encourage candidates and the public 
to  remain  peaceful  in  respect  of  democratic  principles.  The  EU  will  follow  closely  the 
remainder  of  the  electoral  cycle  and  is  calling  for  greater  transparency  and  respect  for  the 
electoral law in the future. Development cooperation was not affected by the elections since 
the  main  cooperation  activities  took  place  prior  to  the  electoral  period,  supported  by  the 
government and assisted by a favourable macro-economic situation.  

DRC – continuing EU support to the national health services development plan 

EU  support  (€51  million)  is  helping  to  bring  quality  health  services  to  2.9  million  people, 
including improved supply of essential medicines. The country faces many health challenges, 
notably in relation to child mortality and maternal health where the respective MDGs 4 and 5 
are  unlikely  to  be  met.  Building  on  its  previous  assistance,  the  EU’s  support  is  geared  to 
implementing the national plan for the development of health services (PNDS) to which the 
EU  is  the  largest  donor.  EU  funding  is  specifically  going  to  the  conflict  affected  eastern 
districts - under the stabilisation and reconstruction programme in conflict areas (STAREC) - 
to improve the health  care of  victims of sexual violence. Additional humanitarian aid and a 
€40 million sum under the MDG Initiative  will further boost health care. 

63 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  stable  political  and  security  situation  in  Rwanda  combined  with  very  good  public 
financial  management  and  pro-poor  policies,  are  contributing  to  a  favourable  social  and 
macro-economic  situation  in  the  country.  This  good  overall  performance  will  lead  to  a 
substantial  increase  in  its  10th  EDF  allocation.  European  institutions  continue  to  press  for 
greater political and democratic openness and are closely following the implementation of the 
commitments  made  by  Rwanda  in  the  framework  of  the  Human  Rights  Council’s  last 
universal periodic review. 

Sector budget support improves justice in Rwanda  

A  €12  million  sector  budget  support  programme  for  Rwanda,  ‘Justice,  Reconciliation,  Law 
and Order’ has improved the rule of law and respect for people’s basic human rights as well 
as universal access to justice. Results include: a big rise in the number of cases processed by 
civil  and  penal  courts;  an  increased  proportion  of  those  responsible  for  genocide  doing 
community  service  and  a  lowering  of  the  percentage  of  prisoners  receiving  jail  sentence. 
There is strong commitment to co-ordination and harmonisation with performances in sectors 
being jointly evaluated under a common performance assessment framework.   

2011 was a difficult year in the Central African Republic, marked by widespread insecurity 
and banditry. Presidential and parliamentary elections – held in line with commitments under 
the 2008 peace process – took place in a generally peaceful environment but did not enjoy the 
support  of  the  opposition  who  largely  refrained  from  participating.  The  EU  also  denounced 
irregularities and widespread fraud. With a lack of progress on security-related sectors reform 
and  an  unpaid  budget  support  payment  due  to  inadequate  public  financial  management, 
development co-operation was sluggish. However, an area-based development programme is 
underway  and  will  contribute  significantly  to  rehabilitating  infrastructure  for  basic  services 
and increasing state presence in areas where the security situation allows. 

In Cameroon, elections took place without any major outbreaks of violence but they suffered 
from low voter participation and widespread delays. The EU supported the electoral process 
through funding for society activities relating to the elections and the training of local election 
observers.  

In Chad, improved stability resulting in part from the 2007 political agreement facilitated the 
holding  of  parliamentary  and  presidential  elections  without  any  major  security  incidents. 
Implementation  of  bi-lateral  cooperation  also  benefited  from  the  more  stable  political 
environment, particularly with regard to, the MDGs, infrastructure and justice.  

Educational opportunities for marginalised Somali youth  

Strengthening  access  and  participation  in  secondary  education  (SAPIS)  is  an  ongoing  €4.44 
million  36-month  project  (October  2009-October  2012)  targeting  marginalised  youth  in 
Somaliland, Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government areas in Mogadishu. It led to 
growth in secondary education enrolment of 23% and 17% in 115 target secondary schools in 
Somaliland and Puntland respectively during the 2009-2010 academic years with an increase 
in girls’ enrolment of 35 and 18% in Somaliland and Puntland respectively. The educational 
performance of girls has also improved: in the two regions, 79.7% of the girls graduated from 
High  School  in  2011  with  a  score  of  Grade  C  (60%  out  of  100%)  and  above  in  the  key 
subjects,  by  far  exceeding    the  project’s  target  of  45%.  Dedicated  ministry  of  secondary 
education units in Somaliland and Puntland have supported the programme through payment 

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of  monthly  incentives  to  some  teachers,  policy  guidance  and  quality  assurance;  key  project 
decisions  being  made  in  the  six-monthly  steering  committee  meetings  attended  by  key 
ministry  of  education  officials.  Further,  an  EU-funded  teacher  training  programme 
implemented  by  Save  the  Children  is  currently  training  390  (229  male  and  91  female) 
secondary  school  teachers  to  improve  the  overall  quality  of  secondary  education  across  the 
three regions of Somalia. 

Kenya - food security for households 

The  Kenya  dairy  goats  and  capacity-building  project  in  the  drought-prone  districts  of  Kitui 
and Mwingi (€1.4 million)  aimed to improve 
the income of poor farmers though increasing 
livestock  productivity,  in  particular  goats,  as  well  as  providing  training  and  access  to 
affordable loans. Some1 750 goats were given to farmers as breeding stock and around 2 000 
cross-bred goats were born. The project also trained 168 government officers and 36 shallow 
wells were dug by families. Around 1 000 households benefited from the project.  

Regional Co-operation 

EU  regional  development  co-operation  is  mostly  channelled  through  the  regional  economic 
communities and is accompanied by trade relations (e.g. Economic Partnership Agreements - 
EPAs)  as  well  as  political  dialogue  in  the  area  of  peace  and  security.  Given  the  complex 
nature of most regional programmes, their implementation is somewhat slower than national 
ones, meaning that it is yet too early to measure the impact of EU support. Large increases in 
respective  Regional  Indicative  Programme  (RIP)  allocations  were  not  matched  by  similar 
increases  in  the  capacities  of  the  regional  organisations,  nor  in  the  staffing  of  regional 
Delegations.  Delays  in  concluding  EPAs  and  constraints  on  execution  modalities  have  also 
had negative consequences on RIP commitment rates. 

The  10th  EDF’s  regional  programme  allocated  an  €645  million  envelope  to  Eastern  and 
Southern  Africa  and  the  Indian  Ocean  (2008-2013).  This  translates  into  programmes  which 
are proposed, led or coordinated by any of the four regional organisations (RO), namely: the 
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community 
(EAC)  the  Intergovernmental  Authority  on  Development  (IGAD),  and  the  Indian  Ocean 
Commission (IOC). The strategy remains highly relevant as it focuses on the fastest-growing 
region  in  Africa  and  relates  to  regional  processes  such  as  the  tripartite  process,  the  EU 
partnerships  at  the  AU  level,  and  the  Horn  of  Africa  initiative.  However,  the  future 
configuration of the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region might have 
to  be  re-considered  in  line  with  emerging  political  priorities  and  a  better  matching  of  the 
operational configuration which may be required under the 11th EDF.  

Alignment  of  the  regional  programmes  with  the  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy  (JAES),  new 
developments  in  EPA  negotiations  and  enhancement  of  the  Southern  African  Development 
Community  (SADC),  are  all  required.  Weak  institutional  capacity  and  a  lack  of  effective 
procedures  have  hampered  co-operation  with  SADC  for  several  years,  and  have  limited  the 
extent to which EU assistance could be used. However, towards the end of 2011, SADC and 
the  EU  reaped  the  benefits  of  several  years  of  intensive  work  and  co-operation  to  bring 
SADC's  internal  procedures  up  to  international  standards.  External  audits  showed  that 
SADC's accounting, procurement and audit procedures have improved remarkably, meaning 
that direct EU contributions to the SADC budget are hence within reach in the years ahead. 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Efficiency  and  effectiveness  should  be  improved  given  the  complexity  of  regional  co-
operation.  The  EU’s  response  should  be  to  reach  greater  critical  mass  in  its  regional 
integration support. 

In  Central  Africa,  the  commitment  rate  (75%)  is  higher  than  in  most  other  regions.  New 
phases of existing programmes are underway in the areas of biodiversity (ECOFAC V) and 
peace  and  security.  Over  the  years,  ECOFAC  has  successfully  raised  the  visibility  of 
environmental  issues  in  the  region  and  has  played  a  role  in  preserving  the  Congo  basin’s 
tropical  forests.    A  major  regional  economic  integration  (€68  million)  programme  was  also 
approved in 2011. 

In West Africa, a transnational environmental programme (Programme d'Appui aux Parcs de 
large project to be implemented under the 10th 
l'Entente, €17 million) was signed – the first 
EDF.  Additional  support  was  also  provided  to  a  peace  and  security  project  as  well  as  to  a 
regional  integration  project  to  improve  product  quality  in  the  private  sector.  Overall,  the 
regional  programme  will  strengthen  regional  inter-connectivity  both  in  the  energy  and 
transportation sectors, and will also focus on food security. 

Higher  education  has  been  firmly  placed  on  the  EU-Africa  cooperation  agenda  and 
partnership.  The  African  higher  education  harmonisation  and  tuning  initiative,  is  a  good 
example of the JAES in action. Sixty universities continent-wide started work in November. 
Despite  strong  competition  from  all  over  the  world,  African  students  and  researchers  are 
performing well under the Erasmus Mundus programme and in the context of the FP7 Marie 
Curie  programme.  The  intra-ACP  academic  mobility  programme  was  launched  and  initial 
partnerships have begun. 

In  the  area  of  research  and  innovation,  some  256  contracts  have  been  signed  with  Sub-
Saharan Africa countries since 2007 with an EU contribution totalling €102 million. The calls 
launched in 2011 included a study on renewable  energy in Sub-Saharan Africa (€1 million) 
and  others  on  bio-waste  and  zoonotic  diseases.  The  European  Clinical  Trials  Partnership 
(EDCTP) continued to receive support. 

In the context of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, a new action plan was drawn up for 2011-2013 
with a major focus on capacity-building in the area of science and technology. Under the ACP 
Research  for  Sustainable  Development  Programme,  the  call  for  proposals  for  African 
Research Grants (€15 million from the 10 th EDF) was launched by the AU Commission. The 
first Africa-EU high level science and technology policy dialogue in Addis Ababa in October 
reinforced scientific and technological cooperation, coordination and political dialogue. 

Sweet success of Malawian farmers 

Farming  families  in  Malawi  have  the  opportunity  to  gain  a  livelihood  selling  irrigated 
sugarcane – a high cash crop – under the Kasinthula Sugarcane Growers Scheme (KSCGS). 
Continued EU support has enabled accumulated debt to be localised by expanding the scheme 
to 200 new families from Chikhwawa, one of the poorest districts. KSCGS got underway in 
2010 with land preparation and the installation of irrigation equipment. A conservative yield 
of 100t of cane per hectare is scheduled to bring in gross revenue of €1.3 million per annum 
from  2012.  EU  support  to  the  scheme  further  includes  a  capacity  building  programme 
addressing technical, economic and cross-cutting issues. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.1.5 Monitoring 

Sub-Saharan Africa (including South Africa) 

In  2011,  421  on-going  national  projects,  23  on-going  regional  programmes  and  7  Sector 
Policy  Support  Programmes  representing  a  total  EU  commitment  of  more  than  €2.8  billion 
were reviewed by independent experts in 47 Sub-Saharan African countries (no mission could 
be  organized  to  Ivory  Coast  due  to  the  political  situation).  Additionally,  49  closed  projects 
(ex-post ROM) benefiting of a total EU contribution of €213 million were also assessed.  

Table 3: 

ROM assessment: Grades by evaluation criteria (national 
projects)

Very good (a)

Good (b)

74.3%

6.7%

Relevance and
Design

56.5%

3.1%

54.9%

2.1%

Efficiency

Effectiveness

70.8%

4.0%

Impact

52.0%

1.9%

Sustainability

Analysis of the results reveals that 71.5% of national on-going projects perform very good or 
good,  22.6%  of  reviewed  projects  present  problems  and  only  5.9%  encounter  major 
difficulties.  This  represents  a  major  improvement  compared  to  2010,  when  only  60%  of 
national on-going projects were performing very good or good and 15% were experimenting 
major  difficulties  -  although  it  must  be  noted  that  the  comparison  is  not  based  on  the  same 
sample of projects. In terms of assessment of closed operations, 61% of them received good 
marks. 

In general, 81% of assessed projects received very good and good ratings in relation to their 
relevance  and  design.  Some  constraints  persist  in  terms  of  efficiency  (as  40.3%  of  projects 
reviewed face problems in terms of input used and implementation of activities), in regards to 
effectiveness  (with  43%  experimenting  some  difficulties  in  delivering  results)  and 
sustainability  (46%  with  problems).  However,  despite  this,  potential  impact  remains  very 
good or good for almost 75% of projects. 

As it had been in 2010, also in 2011 sectors mostly concerned by external monitoring were 
social infrastructure and services (with 223 ongoing monitoring reports produced covering a 
budget of € 952 million) and economic infrastruc ture and services (49 ongoing reports, €988 
million). 71.3% of social infrastructure projects assessed received very good and good marks 
while  for  economic  infrastructure  this  figure  rises  to  77.5%.  In  both  sectors,  the  rate  of 
projects with major difficulties remains under 7%.  

Table 4: 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ROM assessment: Performance category by ODA sector (national projects)

85.7%

81.3%

82.9%

70.0%

75.5%

84.2%

9.5%

4.8%

12.5%

6.3%

17.1%

22.9%

1.3%

5.8%

2.0%

16.3%

6.1%

60.0%

60.9%

32.7%

28.3%

7.3%

2.2%

8.7%

13.2%

2.6%

Health

Population Water and
Sanitation

Other Social
Infrastructure
and Services

Economic
Infrastructure
and Services

Production
sectors

Multisector -
Crosscutting

Commodity
Aid + General
Programme
Assistance

Very good performa nce
Performing with Probl ems

Good performa nce
Not performi ng, ma jor di ffi culties

Ongoing national interventions in the areas of health, population and water and sanitation are 
performing  particularly  well,  with  95.2%,  87.5%  and  82.8%  of  very  good  and  good  marks, 
respectively. 

2.1.6 Outlook  

The  Cotonou  Agreement  foresees  a  performance  review  of  the  10th  EDF  by  the  Council, 
together with the ACP States, on the basis of a proposal prepared by the Commission in 2010. 
A  special  report  was  published  in  September  201140.  It  contains  a  summary  of  10th  EDF 
programming and results with an examination of the added value of main areas of 10th EDF 
activities  and  an  assessment  of  its  programme  funding.  The  objective  of  this  staff  working 
paper is to provide a basis for discussions on the future of EU-ACP cooperation, with a view 
to the drafting of the external action package for the next MFF.  

Over  the  past  ten  years,  the  EU  has  improved  its  development  cooperation  performance; 
modernising its partnerships and financial instruments, putting in place mechanisms to ensure 
policy coherence and rallying its Member States around shared policy approaches. The report 
recalls  that  the  ACP-EU  partnership  is  the  focus  of  this  renewed  development  policy.  It 
highlights the 10th EDF’s added value by virtue of its programming – with funding earmarked 
at different levels national, regional and intra-ACP – and its ability to respond to ACP needs.  

The  report  also  shows  that  all  the  key  issues  highlighted  in  the  “Agenda  for  Change”  are 
features of the 10th EDF and provide the basis on which to increase the concrete impact of EU 
programmes  in  pursuit  of  MDG  targets:  differentiation,  an  incentive  approach,  financial 
leverage, co-financing and good governance.  

To overcome the challenge of mainstreaming an innovative continental strategy into existing 
fragmented financial instruments, and in line with the third Africa-EU Summit commitments, 
the  Commission  is  proposing  that  a  €1  billion  Pan  African  Programme  be  set  up  under  the 
DCI. This will address the JAES in a more structured way and will boost implementation of 
its  successive  action  plans,  with  dedicated  and  significant  financing  available  for  initiatives 
covering the whole African continent. In the meantime, and as agreed by both parties in the 
last  summit,  the  Commission  will  set  up  a  flexible,  demand-driven  technical  and 

40 SEC(2011) 1055, 08.09.2011 

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
administrative support mechanism to improve the functioning of the thematic partnerships of 
the joint strategy and achieve concrete results.  

2.2 South Africa  

2.2.1 Introduction  

A  strategic  partnership  was  established  with  South  Africa  in  2006  in  recognition  of  the 
country’s  key  role  both  in  Africa  and  globally.  Under  the  partnership,  the  EU  and  South 
Africa  co-operate  on  a  broad  range  of  political,  trade  and  economic  matters,  as  well  as  on 
issues  such  as  science  and  technology,  the  environment  and  energy.  During  2011,  further 
steps were taken to build on the partnership’s existing achievements and strengthen ties with 
the  country.  The  fourth  annual  South  Africa-EU  summit  was  an  opportunity  to  strengthen 
dialogue  and  to  discuss  a  number  of  key  issues  such  as  global  governance,  climate  change, 
trade, development and peace and security in Africa. Given South Africa’s strong engagement 
in conflict prevention and resolution in Africa, the EU and South Africa continued in 2011 to 
step up their dialogue on peace and security matters and to jointly review respective assess-
ments and commitments. Cooperation was also taken a step further in the fields of mobility 
and  migration,  health,  higher  education,  science  and  technology,  ICT  and  the  environment 
and climate change.  In the sphere of space collaboration, the EU and South Africa continued 
to work towards extending the coverage of  the European Geostationary Navigation  Overlay 
Service  which  is  a  platform  to  enhance  global  navigation  satellite  system  services  in  South 
Africa.  

2.2.2 Aid effectiveness and donor cooperation 

As  a  contribution  to  the  Busan  High-Level  Forum,  a  performance  assessment  was  made  in 
2011  in  South  Africa  which  indicated  good  progress  on  development  strategies,  public 
financial management and results orientation. It also indicated more could be done on the use 
of  country  systems  and  joint  implementation  arrangements.  Efforts  continued  in  2011  to 
improve  aid  effectiveness.  EU+  working  groups,  cluster  workshops  of  all  EU  Members 
assembled  under  the  leadership  of  the  National  Treasury  provided  a  forum  for  sharing 
experiences and ideas. 

The EU was a particularly good performer in using country systems with 87% of its aid so far 
committed being in the form of budget support. In the spirit of an effective division of labour, 
an agreement was signed with the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) to 
deliver  technical  cooperation  as  part  of  the  EU's  support  to  the  primary  health  care  sector. 
Plans  are  underway  to  further  enhance  coordination  through  a  jointly-prepared  multiannual 
indicative programme and in the areas of analysis of public financial management, improved 
predictability of aid flows and evaluations. 

Plans are underway to further enhance coordination through  a jointly prepared multi-annual 
indicative  programme,  joint  analytical  work  in  the  area  of  public  financial  management, 
improved predictability of aid flows and joint evaluations. 

2.2.3 Working towards the MDGs  

South  Africa  is  a  middle  income  country  but  is  a  young  democracy  scarred  by  decades  of 
apartheid  and  one  of  the  most  unequal  societies  in  the  world.  Overall,  South  Africa  has 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
advanced  in  meeting  the  MDGs,  especially  in  relation  to  poverty  reduction  (MDG  1)  and 
education  (MDG2).  Progress  on  health/HIV  (MDGs  4,  5  and  6)  is  still  very  much  lagging 
behind, mainly due to the spread of the HIV epidemic. There has been satisfactory progress 
on gender equality (MDG3). 

During  2011,  the  MDGs  received  heightened  attention  in  parliamentary  debates.  There  has 
also  been  a  focus  on  addressing  the  HIV/AIDS  pandemic,  as  well  as  on  the  quality  of 
education  and  health  services.  The  rise  in  unemployment  in  recent  years  is  likely  to  have  a 
negative impact on the MDGs in the future. The EU is supporting South Africa to achieve the 
MDGs in the areas of employment, education and health as well as through a new programme 
to  assist  the  national  development  policy  in  addressing  job-related  issues  and  improved 
service delivery. 

2.2.4 Implementation and results 

Development  co-operation  with  South  Africa  continues  to  be  marked  by  the  objective  of 
ensuring  that  support  brings  value  added  through  innovation,  pilot  programmes,  capacity 
development and the sharing of skills and knowledge. Several programmes were approved in 
2011: a €250 million national development policy  support programme to help implement the 
national  development  strategy,  €5  million  contribution  to  the  broadening  of  the  on-going 
legislative sector policy support programme to regional and international arenas, a €5 million 
top-up  to  the  Erasmus  Mundus  Programme  and  a  further  €5  million  contribution  to  the 
EDULINK II higher education programme. 

At  the  end  of  2011,  €720  million  or  73%  of  the 
total  2007-2013  envelope  for  South  Africa 
(€980  million)  had  been  committed  with  pr ogrammes  supporting  employment,  capacity 
development,  governance,  regional  cooperation  and  dialogue.  2011  was  a  record  year  for 
payments  with  €139.7million  disbursed.  There  wa s  progress  in  a  number  of  areas  including 
implementation  of  a  dialogue  facility  to  continue  the  momentum  in  South  Africa/EU 
exchanges with a number of activities on green jobs, taxation, health, and ICT. The legislature 
programme has been implemented smoothly with a second consultative conference focusing 
on the MDGs, and steps taken to improve parliamentary oversight through local and regional 
public accounts committees. The innovation for poverty alleviation programme and access to 
justice programmes are starting to yield results. 

Budget support programme improves access to justice 

Improved  access  to  justice  for  vulnerable  and  marginalised  groups,  and  enhanced 
participatory  democracy  have  resulted  from  a  budget  support  programme  for  the  sector. 
Eighteen new community advice offices and 382 equality courts have been set up to examine 
unfair  discrimination  cases.  Training  sessions  have  taken  place  for  over  9 000  officials  and 
five radio talk shows reached 20 million listeners. Over 10 400 refugees, asylum seekers and 
undocumented  migrants  benefited  from  community  support  services  and  183  civil  society 
organisations participated in public policy dialogue. 

In the social sectors, the primary education programme (PrimEd) was formally launched and 
results  already  seen  in  its  foundation  phase:  the  provision  of  teacher  education  materials; 
research  in  the  area  of  early  childhood  education;  and  an  expansion  in  the  number  of 
universities  offering  teacher  training  at  foundation  level  (up  from  13  to  20).  The  primary 
health care programme (PrimCare) has been approved and officially launched during a visit of 

70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commissioner  Piebalgs.  Its  results  include  a  new  aid  effectiveness  framework  for  better 
coordination,  exchanges  on  the  proposed  national  health  insurance  system,  and  timely 
personnel and asset management improvements. 

Building on the successful implementation of a range of sectoral budget support interventions, 
and acknowledging the mid- term review conclusions that recommended the consolidation of 
such programmes, the Commission approved in 2011 a general budget support programme for 
South  Africa  –  the  national  development  strategy  support  programme  (NDSP).  The  NDSP 
envisages a judicious combination of budget support and targeted capacity development and 
provides  a  strong  platform  upon  which  the  EU  can  continue  to  pursue  meaningful  and 
substantive  dialogue  around  key  policies  of  mutual  interest  in  the  areas  of  service  delivery, 
public financial management in sub-national levels of government and inclusive growth.  

Under the MIP, the main aid delivery modality in South Africa has been budget support. This 
approach  has  shown 
the 
government's  focus  on  results.  It  has  led  to  improvements  in  clean  water,  capacity  of  the 
judiciary, legislative oversight and job creation.  

in  promoting  dialogue  and  enhancing 

impressive  results 

Innovation creates jobs 

The  Innovation  for  poverty  alleviation  budget  support  programme  is  helping  to  set  up  pilot 
activities in the science and technology fields – especially in high risk rural areas – to create 
jobs  and  reduce  poverty.  The  provision  of  seed  funding  to  test  new  applications  for 
commercialisation  has  created  new  jobs.  The  programme’s  results  so  far  include:  730  new 
jobs, assistance for 1 760 research and vocational trainees, 22 new small and micro businesses 
and the installation of wireless networks in 182 schools and colleges in rural areas.  

2.2.5 Monitoring  

An independent results-oriented monitoring mission took place in 2011 to assess the quality 
of  19  projects  and  programmes  covering  areas  as  diverse  as  governance,  justice,  rural 
development,  and  urban  development.  Eleven  of  the  projects  were  considered  to  be 
performing well while eight were assessed as performing with problems but without serious 
deficiencies. While there is not a large difference in the scores for the five criteria (relevance, 
efficiency,  effectiveness,  impact  and  sustainability),  on  average  the  efficiency  criterion 
received the highest assessment and the sustainability one, the lowest.  

2.2.6 Outlook 

The  EU  will  continue  to  implement  existing  programmes  in  the  areas  of  employment, 
capacity  development,  governance,  regional  cooperation,  and  dialogue.  The  new  national 
development policy support programme, to be launched in 2012, will address the key themes 
of job creation, improved service delivery, the environment and public financial management. 
Future programmes include a possible investment facility which will blend grants and loans 
with  the  involvement  of  South  African  and  European  development  banks.  People-to-people 
contacts,  dialogue,  exchange  of  knowledge  and  tri-lateral  cooperation  will  continue  to  be 
promoted in the context of the SA-EU strategic partnership. A Joint Declaration between the 
EU  and  South  Africa  on  enhanced  cooperation  in  education  and  training  is  to  be  signed  in 
May  2012.  There  are  also  plans  following  the  Busan  outcome  document  to  assess  and 
conclude an agreement at country level. 

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
One  of  the  most  important  activities  in  2012  will  be  the  preparation  of  the  2014-2020 
multiannual  indicative  programme  which  will  be  concluded  jointly  with  the  South  African 
government  based  on  the  partnership’s  past  performance  and  on  the  government's  current 
programme. Of particular importance will be the debate in South Africa on the proposed long-
term national development plan. 

2.3 Intra-ACP programmes  

The 2011 annual action programme for intra–ACP cooperation under the 10th EDF, benefiting 
all ACP States, was approved in December 2011. It consists of 14 programmes in the fields of 
health,  climate  change,  trade  and  private  sector  development,  agriculture  and  rural 
development amounting to €169 million.  

The  package  includes  a  €15  million  contribu tion  to  the  global  fund  to  fight  AIDS, 
tuberculosis and malaria and €10 million for th e partnership for strengthening pharmaceutical 
systems and improving access to quality medicines in African nations. The latter programme 
aims to develop, implement and monitor national drug policies, increase equitable access to 
essential medicines. It also seeks to guarantee their quality, safety and effectiveness through 
drug regulation and a more rational use of medicines by health professionals and consumers. 

In  the  area  of  climate  change,  €37  million  have  been  allocated  for  the  monitoring  for  the 
environment  and  security  in  Africa  (MESA)  programme.  MESA  addresses  the  need  for 
improved  satellite  and  land-based  earth  observation  monitoring,  analysis  and  diffusion  of 
information  to  assist  environmental  protection,  climate  and  food  security  policies  and 
programming and decision-making in four regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. 

In  the  field  of  rural  development,  the  EU  has  allocated  €20  million  to  the  intra  ACP 
agriculture  policy  programme.  Its  aim  is  to  enhance  the  ability  of  regional  agricultural 
development  organisations  in  the  developing  states  of  the  Caribbean  and  Pacific  regions  to 
address the development needs of smallholder farmers. 

A  new  €9  million  programme  under  the  10 th  EDF  is  supporting  the  air  transport  sector  and 
satellite  service  applications.  Its  objective  is  to  contribute  to  the  harmonisation  of  aviation 
safety and aviation security regulations at both regional and national levels, mainly through 
technical assistance, training and equipment. 

The newly-launched programme with €15 million from the 10 th EDF will help ACP countries 
deal  with  technical  barriers  to  trade.  Its  objective  is  to  improve  ACP  exports  and  ensure 
proper protection of their citizens.  

The Commission approved a €10 million contributi on to the 'consolidation of the participatory 
slum upgrading programme' mounted with UN-HABITAT which aims to address some of the 
problems  created  by  one  of  the  century’s  huge  challenges,  the  transition  to  urban  dwelling. 
Slums  in  ACP  countries  have  resulted  from  rapid  and  high  rates  in  a  context  of  economic 
decline and urban impoverishment. Without relevant policies and concrete urban action, the 
global population of slum dwellers is expected to reach 1.4 billion globally in 2020. 

For over 20 years, the activities of farmers and farmers’ organisations in ACP countries have 
also  been  enhanced  by  the  Technical  Centre  for  Agricultural  and  rural  Cooperation  (CTA) 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
which has a €16 million budget from the EU fo r its activities 2011-2015. CTA’s new strategic 
plan, has the following goals: conducive agricultural policies in ACP regions, the setting up of 
profitable  smallholder  value  chains  and  improved  information  and  communication  and 
knowledge management capacity in ACP organisations. 

CTA-led  activities  in  2011  include  the  organisation  of  an  international  conference  on  rural 
extension  in  Nairobi  in  November  on  current  policies,  thinking  and  practice,  successes  and 
failures  of  ongoing  and  past  reforms  and  advisory  services41.  In  view  of  the  success 
encountered  by  the  Brussels  Development  Briefings  organised  by  the  CTA,  targeting  the 
wider  development  community  in  Brussels42,  CTA  has  organised  similar  briefings  in  ACP 
regions since 2010, with more planned for 2012. 

The annual action plan also includes a decision to finance the 2012 budget of the Centre for 
the Development of Enterprise (CDE). This joint ACP/EU institution remains one of the most 
important  channels  through  which  the  Commission  supports  the  private  sector  at  the  intra-
ACP level. The CDE works at both meso and micro levels to provide non-financial services to 
small  and  medium  enterprises  and  intermediary  organisations  representative  of  the  private 
sector.  CDE’s  objectives  are:  facilitating  ACP-EU  business  partnerships;  developing 
enterprise  support  services  in  ACP  nations  through  capacity  building  with  private  sector 
organisations  and  service  providers;  assisting 
investment  promotion  activities  and 
organisations and improving; technology transfer and management skills. 

In the science sector, 33 projects are ongoing under the ACP Science and Technology (S&T) 
programme which aims to strengthen the internal science and technology capacity of all ACP 
countries. A new €20 million ACP science and te chnology decision has been signed.  

To  accelerate  achievement  of  the  MDGs,  EU-supported  international  research  and  research 
capacity  building  in  the  developing  world  has  intensified,  especially  in  Africa,  where  an 
Africa-EU high level policy dialogue on science, technology and innovation was inaugurated 
in Addis Ababa in October. 

At the day-to-day level, the ongoing €20 million ACP research for sustainable development 
programme  generated  a  call  for  proposals  of  €7  million  from  its  African  research  grants 
component  which  targeted  MDG-related  research  in  agriculture,  renewable  and  sustainable 
energy  and  water  and  sanitation.  There  will  be  a  €7  million  call  in  2012  and  the  overall 
programme is expected to evolve into a durable pan-African research framework programme.  

Another  ACP  capacity-building  initiative,  the  10th  EDF  ACP  Science  and  Technology 
programme, was expected to lead to a €23 milli on call for proposals in the first half of 2012, 
targeting MDG-related agriculture and food security and energy access and efficiency. At the 
same  time,  satellite  technology,  which  has  a  vital  role  in  enhancing  crop/fisheries 
management,  controlling  the  spread  of  poverty  diseases  and  responding  to  environmental 
challenges,  was  given  a  boost  with  the  adoption  of  the  €37  million  monitoring  for 
environment and security in Africa earth observation programme. 

41 http://extensionconference2011.cta.int/ 
42 http://brusselsbriefings.net/ 

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
On sustainable fisheries, the ACP FISH II Programme is a 4-year programme financed by the 
EDF which aims to improve fisheries management in ACP countries so as to ensure that the 
fisheries resources belonging to these countries are exploited in a sustainable manner.  

Turning to water, the 10th EDF ACP-EU water facility (€21 2 million) approved proposals to 
support  water  governance,  resources  management  and  sustainable  development  of  water 
infrastructure, with further projects to target increased access to sanitation in urban and peri-
urban areas. A pool funding mechanism was also launched. 

The energy facility concentrates on improved access to energy services, energy management 
and  governance,  while  focusing  on  renewable  energies  and  efficiency.  The  first  energy 
facility (€220 million) funded  71 activities in rural and peri–urban areas of the ACP region. 
These projects are now either entering their final phase of implementation, or were closed in 
2011.  A  mid-term  evaluation  was  undertaken  and  confirmed  the  added  value  of  the  energy 
facility and its positive impact on people. In 2009, a second energy facility was granted €200 
million with the aim of combating poverty through provision of energy services. A first call 
for proposals (€100 million) led to the selec tion of 66 projects which started up in 2011.  

An innovative blending instrument – a pooling mechanism – has also been launched by the 
Commission under the energy facility with a €40 million sum made available. Other donors 
(development  banks,  national  agencies,  IFIs)  are  expected  to  pledge  resources.  This  new 
mechanism was conceived as a flexible tool to enhance private sector participation, maximise 
the  impact  of  the  energy  facility  grants  and  to  better  coordinate  at  EU  level  available 
resources  and  expertise  in  the  sector.  An  initial  project  to  foster  access  to  modern  energy 
services in West Nile rural Uganda has been submitted by the KFW bank group. 

In  the  area  of  environment  and  space  applications,  within  the  framework  of  the  African 
Monitoring  of  Environment  for  Sustainable  Development  programme  (AMESD),  the 
Commission  has  developed  a  data-processing  platform,  named  'eStation',  to  streamline 
environmental  information  provision  from  satellites  to  support  policy  formulation  and 
implementation. The system has been installed in all Sub-Saharan countries. 

3 

Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) 

Introduction 

In accordance with part four of the EU Treaty, the OCTs are closely associated with the EU. 
The purpose of this association "shall be to promote the economic and social development of 
the countries and territories and to establish close economic relations between them and the 
Union as a whole". 

In 2009, the Commission published a communication43
 suggesting more focused cooperation, 
concentrating  on  issues  of  mutual  interest  and  narrowing  the  scope  of  co-operation 
accordingly. Three central objectives have been identified: to enhance the competitiveness of 
the  OCTs,  to  strengthen  their  resilience  and  reduce  their  vulnerability  and  to  promote 
cooperation  between  OCTs  and  their  regional,  European  and  international  partners.  The 

43 COM(2009)623 final, 06.11.2009 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
communication is guiding further work on replacing the current overseas association decision 
when it expires in 2013. 

Issues covered include: regional integration, the principal challenges and the opportunities of 
each  OCT,  identification  of  their  potential,  their  level  of  competitiveness,  and  possible 
adaptation  of  the  rules  of  origin,  and  possible  financing  mechanisms.  All  of  these  were 
examined in the impact assessment exercise the Commission carried out in 2011. An impact 
assessment was also carried out on the renewal of the Council decision on relations between 
the EU, Greenland and Denmark.44. 

In 2011, the Commission adopted its proposals for the 2014-2020 for the OCTs which foresee 
€217.8  million  under  the  general  budget  for  the  partnership  with  Greenland  and  €343.4 
million under the 11th EDF for the other OCTs45. 

During 2011, the Commission held several meetings with the OCTs and their related Member 
States and pursued political dialogue on the modernisation of the association. At the annual 
OCT-EU  forum  in  March  2011,  the  OCTs  and  the  four  EU  Member  States  concerned 
addressed  a  jointly-prepared  paper  to  the  Commission  on  the  future  of  the  association  of 
OCTs  with  the  EU.  The  Commission  also  undertook  a  series  of  technical  initiatives  in 
preparing  its  legislative  proposals  to  revise  the  overseas  association  decision.  Furthermore, 
the  Commission  organised  six  tri-lateral  meetings  with  OCTs  and  the  Member  States  and 
three partnership working parties on trade, environmental issues and on the future of EU-OCT 
relations. 

Implementation and results 

Atlantic and/or isolated OCTs 

During 2011, EU cooperation with Greenland continued to support the education sector with 
disbursement  of  €27.2  million  and  a  new  commi tment  of  €28.4  million.  It  has  helped  to 
increase  student  intake  in  post-elementary  education  and  provide  vocational  training  for 
unskilled workers and support for the government's education sector reforms. 

For the other Atlantic OCTs – St. Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan 
da Cunha, and the Falkland Islands – implementation of budget support programmes began in 
2011  with  the  completion  and  approval  of  the  programming  documents  and  the  subsequent 
financing  agreements  for  St.  Pierre  and  Miquelon,  Saint  Helena,  Ascension  and  Tristan  da 
Cunha.  In  Saint  Pierre  et  Miquelon,  the  programme  aims  at  enhancing  the  economic 
development of the territory and promoting the diversification of its economy through general 
budget support totalling €20.7 million. The Commi ssion is proposing to continue its support 
to transport infrastructure in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha with a total of 
of  €16.6  million.  The  programming  process  in  the  Falkland  Islands  is  expected  to  be 
completed during 2012. 

Pacific & Indian Ocean OCTs 

44 COM(2011)846 final, 07.12.2011 
45 COM(2011)837 final, 07.12.2011 and COM(2011)846 final, 07.12.2011 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In 2011, the  Commission completed the programming process  for New Caledonia with the 
approval and signature of the programming document which foresees sector budget support of 
€19.8 million for vocational training. 

In other OCTs of the Pacific, the Commission worked on the completion of its programming 
document  in  Wallis  and  Fortuna  where  it  intends  to  launch  projects  to  support  capacity 
building and transport infrastructure (€16.5 million). In  French Polynesia, the finalisation of 
the Commission’s programming document is on course with a view to mounting projects in 
the  areas  of  capacity  building  and,  water  and  sanitation  (€19.8).  The  Commission  pursued 
discussions with Pitcairn and the EU Delegation in Fiji to finalise the 10th EDF package for 
the territory (€2.4 million). Concerning  Mayotte, the Commission continued discussions with 
the territorial authorities and the EU Delegation in Mauritius over the foreseen budget support 
under the 10th EDF (€22.9 million). 

In  2011,  the  Commission  also  approved  two  financing  decisions  of  €2  million  and  €1.1 
million  respectively  for  French  Polynesia  and  Wallis  and  Futuna  for  reconstruction  of 
infrastructure following the damages caused by the Cyclones Oli and Tomas, financed out of 
the ‘B’ envelope.  

Caribbean OCTs 

In the former Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba), 
the Commission worked on finalising the 10th  EDF programming document which foresees 
support  for  infrastructure:  urban  infrastructures  for  socially  deprived  areas  of  Curacao  and 
Saba,  improvements  to  sewerage  in  St.  Maarten  and  Bonaire  and  port  development  in  St. 
Eustatius  totalling  €24  million.  The  Commis sion  completed  in  2011  its  programming 
document  for  Aruba  which  earmarks  funds  for  education  (€8.9  million).  The  10 th  EDF’s 
resources  for  Turks  and  Caicos  (€11.8  million)  will  be  used  for  infrastructure  and  macro-
economic  reforms,  as  well  as  post-disaster  rehabilitation.  The  10th  EDF  allocation  for 
the  government’s  medium-term  economic 
Anguilla  (€11.7  million)  will  help  implement 
strategy  2010-2014  (MTES)  via  general  budget  support.  The  10th  EDF  allocation  to 
Montserrat  (€15.7  million)  will support the territory’s sustainable development plan (SDP) 
and the sustainability roadmap through general budget support. 

Regional Programme 

 Approval  was  given  in  2011  for  the  programming  document  which  sets  out  the  regional 
cooperation strategy with the OCTs under the 10th EDF (€40 million). 

4 

Latin America & the Caribbean 

4.1 Latin America 

4.1.1 Introduction 

Progress was made  throughout 2011 in implementing the outcomes  of the EU-LAC Madrid 
summit,  held  in  May  2010.  Work  continued  on  negotiating  comprehensive  agreements,  the 
first ever region-to-region Association Agreement was concluded with Central America, and a 
multi-party  trade  agreement  was  initiated  with  two  of  the  Andean  American  countries, 
Colombia and Peru. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In  2011,  four  rounds  of  negotiations  on  the  EU-MERCOSUR  association  agreement  took 
place  in  Brussels,  Asuncion  and  Montevideo.  Considerable  progress  was  achieved  during 
negotiations  on  all  chapters  of  the  normative  part  of  the  agreement.  A  timetable  for 
negotiations in the first six months of 2012 was agreed upon. 

The  EU-LAC  Foundation’s  headquarters  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  were  inaugurated  in 
November.  Benita  Ferrero-Waldner  was  appointed  as  its  president  and  former  Peruvian 
Ambassador to the EU, Jorge Valdezas its executive director. It was expected to begin work 
in 2012.   

The  Latin  American  Investment  Facility  (LAIF)  continued  its  successful  implementation. 
Two  operational  boards  were  organised  in  2011,  giving  approval  to  three  projects  and 
provisional approval to one. The second LAIF forum was organised in El Salvador to further 
promote  the  initiative  and  draw  attention  to  its  opportunities.  The  implementation  of  the 
Madrid Action Plan has also seen considerable progress. 

Preparations for the forthcoming EU-LAC Summit – due to take place in Santiago de Chile in 
January  2013  –  are  underway.  The  summit’s  main  theme,  “An  alliance  for  sustainable 
development: promoting investments of social and environmental quality” seems particularly 
relevant  to  the  EU-LAC  Partnership.  Three  EU-LAC  senior  officials  meetings  have  taken 
place in the run up to the summit. A number of specific preparatory events to be co-financed 
by the EU have been identified, notably on ICT, investment-related issues and civil society. 

The  EU-LAC  structured  dialogue  on  migration  continued.  The  Fifth  high  level  meeting  on 
migration took place in May in Brussels and covered issues related to regular migration and 
integration. The thirteenth High Level meeting of the EU-LAC Coordination and Cooperation 
Mechanism  on  Drugs  was  held  in  June  in  Bogota,  Colombia.  Several  meetings  of  the 
subsidiary technical committee took place in Brussels between May and November. The sixth 
High  Level  Meeting  on  migration  will  take  place  in  2012  and  will  be  devoted  to  migration 
and economic growth. 

Security continued to be one of the main priorities on the EU agenda with the LAC region. 
The EU took part in the international conference on Central American security issues, held in 
Guatemala  City  in  June.  A  new  Central  America  regional  strategy  on  security  was  adopted 
with  EU  follow-up  through  the  Group  of  Friends  mechanism  bringing  together  all  donors 
active  in  the  sector.  The  EU  will  support  some  pillars  of  this  regional  strategy  through  its 
regional  cooperation  with  Central  America.  Dialogues  on  security  have  been  launched  with 
both Central America (in February) and Mexico (in July). 

The fifth EU-Brazil Summit took place in Brussels in October, confirming the buoyant state 
of  the  relationship  and  the  willingness  on  both  sides  to  further  strengthen  the  strategic 
partnership.  It  was  the  first  EU-Brazil  summit  co-chaired  by  President  Rousseff.  Leaders 
highlighted the cultural and historical proximity of both parties, but above all, the proximity 
of values which enable the two sides to work more effectively together both bilaterally and in 
the  multilateral  context.  Letters  of  intent  were  signed  on  cooperation  between  the 
Commission and Brazil in the fields of space, tourism, and science. 

In the context of existing contractual frameworks with individual Latin American countries, 
association councils took place with Chile and joint committees with Central America, Brazil 

77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  Mexico.  Political  consultations  were  held  with  privileged  partners  including  the  United 
States,  Canada  and  Russia.  In  addition  to  a  discussion  on  overall  policy  towards  the  LAC 
region,  the  meetings  discussed  important  issues  such  as  security,  trade  and  investment  and 
regional  integration,  as  well  as  –  where  appropriate  –  specific  country-related  matters. 
Bilateral and regional projects and programmes totalling €351 million were financed for Latin 
America in 2011 out of the DCI.  

4.1.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

The  widely  varying  levels  of  dependency  on  Official  Development  Aid  (ODA)  in  Latin 
America  reflect  the  different  degrees  of  development  of  the  continent’s  nations.  In  a  few 
countries  (Nicaragua,  Honduras,  Bolivia),  ODA  is  higher  than  4%  of  GNI  and  for  others 
(Colombia,  Peru,  Uruguay),  it  is  less  than  0.5%46.  However,  due  to  sustained  economic 
development and the reduction of international cooperation flows, the overall trend is towards 
a reduction. 

Increased commitment towards aid effectiveness has been observed with an increased number 
of countries (14) having adhered to the Paris Declaration and its monitoring. Latin American 
countries  are  also  strongly  represented  in  various  international  instances  of  the  aid 
effectiveness agenda. In April 2011, a regional workshop on division of labour was hosted by 
the  ministry  of  planning  and  external  cooperation  of  Honduras,  in  Tegucigalpa,  notably  in 
view of the EU’s fast-track initiative on division of labour. During the workshop development 
partners  insisted  on  the  importance  of  increasing  the  authority  of  their  respective  country 
offices  and  recommended  that  partner  countries  increase  their  mid-term  planning  and 
strategically manage international cooperation.  

Some  of  the  emerging  economies  in  the  region  are  not  only  aid  recipients  but  increasingly 
becoming aid providers. However, their specific situation – a high level of inequality in the 
distribution  of  revenues  and  social  exclusion  –  should  be  better  taken  into  account  in  any 
decisions to reduce aid. In addition, the potential of South-South and triangular cooperation is 
highlighted.  A  number  of  partners  in  Latin  America,  namely  Brazil,  Mexico  and  Chile,  are 
specifically interested in triangular cooperation with the EU. 

EU Delegations continued their pro-active role in promoting overall aid effectiveness agenda 
and  fostering  policy  dialogue  with  partner  governments  through  regular  participation  in 
donors/governments/civil  society  platforms  and  support  to  partner  governments'  own 
coordination initiatives.  

Aid effectiveness continues to improve across the region. In Ecuador, the EU Delegation was 
the  donor  focal  point  for  the  2011  OECD-DAC  survey  on  the  implementation  of  the  Paris 
declaration.  In  Colombia,  a  joint  mission  of  the  EU  heads  of  cooperation  on  the  very 
important  issue  of  land  restitution  was  carried  out  in  the  Chocó  department  in  June  2011. 
Sweden,  Netherlands,  Spain,  Great  Britain,  Poland  and  France  participated.  Since  most 
donors  are  launching  new  initiatives  in  the  field,  a  second  joint  mission  took  place  in 
November 2011 to gather at first-hand, experiences of land restitution and formalisation.  

Social cohesion programme in El Salvador –  ‘Comunidades Solidarias’ 

46 http://www.aideffectiveness.org/busanhlf4/en/countries/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/644.html  

78 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The  newly-launched  (€47.4  million)  social  support  programme,  “ Programa  de  Apoyo  a 
Comunidades Solidarias en El Salvador (PACSES)” follows on from a previous EU-funded 
budget support programme, “Poverty Alleviation Programme in El Salvador (PAPES)”. The 
programme  was  drawn  up  in  close  cooperation  with  international  cooperation  agencies 
(AECID and Lux-Development), who agreed a common matrix of objectives and indicators. 
It  is  the  first  programme  of  its  kind  both  in  the  country  and  Central  America  and  could  be 
replicated  elsewhere.  In  addition  to  the  Commission,  Spain  and  Luxembourg,  it  is  also 
supported by KfW, the WB, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), USAID, Italian 
Cooperation and JICA. 

4.1.3 Working towards the MDGs 

Progress on reaching the MDGs over the last year has taken place in the context of a global 
economic crisis which could jeopardise improvements already made. Previous scenarios have 
anticipated that if 1990-2008 trends were maintained, poverty would halve in Latin America 
by 2015. However, in the current situation, it is reasonable to expect that the economic crisis 
will  have  a  significant  impact  on  poverty  levels  in  the  region,  known  as  one  of  the  most 
inequitable in the world with an imbalance between economic growth and poverty reduction. 
Most  of  the  region’s  countries  are  experiencing  difficulties  in  maintaining  current  levels  of 
public  spending  and  in  responding  to  emerging  needs  either  directly  or  through  social 
protection mechanisms, in order to cushion the negative effects of the financial crisis. 

Latin  America  met  the  MDG47  related  to  hunger  reduction.  However,  malnutrition  is  a 
significant problem in a number of countries, putting at risk the achievement of MDGs 1 and 
4. 

Supporting Peru in tackling malnutrition 
The  EU  has  contributed  €60.8  million  for  the  implementation  in  Peru  of  the  “ Programa 
Articulado  Nutricional”  (PAN)  following  a  constructive  and  open  dialogue  with  the 
government. PAN aims to reduce chronic malnutrition and fight poverty. Since its launch, the 
programme has brought about positive changes: between 2007 and 2010, chronic malnutrition 
in children under five years of age has been reduced from 25.4% to 17.9% with a higher rate 
persisting in rural populations (-5.6%) than in urban areas (-1.7%). 

While the average rate of malnutrition in Latin America is around 16%, there is a high rate of 
chronic  malnutrition  in  Peru  among  the  under-fives,  varying  from  25%  at  national  level  to 
47% in areas of extreme poverty. Its causes are a shortage of quality food and poor feeding 
practices, combined with inadequate sanitation and living conditions.  

This region is also on track to meet the child survival and gender equality targets. However, 
progress  has  not  been  as  outstanding  in  other  areas  including  environmental  sustainability, 
education, health, and poverty reduction. 

Paraguay: poverty reduction 

Poverty  rose  in  Paraguay  between  2005  and  2006  by  more  than  five  percentage  points  and 
then declined steadily in 2009 when 35% of the total population was considered to be living 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
in  poverty.  While  the  incidence  rate  of  total  poverty  fell  by  about  three  percentage  points 
(from 38% in 2008 to 35% in 2009), extreme poverty remained at 18.8%. One of the reasons 
for  the  high  levels  is  the  unequal  distribution  of  income  among  the  population.  In  the 
framework  of  the  MDGs,  the  Commission  provided  €31  million  for  a  social  development 
public  policy  support  programme  whose  main  aim  is  to  contribute  to  reducing  poverty  and 
inequality among the Paraguayan population. The programme has strengthened dialogue and 
the co-operation between public entities resulting in improved social protection. Furthermore, 
a social equity fund (FES) has been implemented. Technical assistance was given to develop 
a solid national social development plan. 

Unequal  access  to  quality  health  services  is  a  major  obstacle  in  Latin  America  to  overall 
health  improvements,  as  well  as  economic  and  social  development.  This  is  reflected  across 
health indicators, but especially those for maternal and child health, which have been slow to 
improve  among  poor,  rural,  or  otherwise  marginalised  groups.  Trends  in  fertility  and 
contraceptive prevalence rates for the region overall are positive, but large pockets of unmet 
needs exist for family planning and reproductive health services.  

4.1.4 Implementation and results 

Bilateral co-operation 

To strengthen  social cohesion and promote reconciliation, the EU is financing (€2 million) a 
“Place of Memory” in Peru, which aims to offer all Peruvians a space for reflection on the 
causes  and  consequences  of  the  period  of  Peru's  internal  armed  conflict  (1980-2000)  and 
encourage  peace  and  reconciliation.  In  Colombia,  a  crucial  law  on  victims'  reparation  and 
land  restitution  was  approved  in  June  2011.  The  EU  is  contributing  to  this  key  process 
through the financing of a project (€3 million)  which supports the implementation of the land 
and rural development policy at local level. In Uruguay, a €5 million project was launched to 
back the reform of the penal and penitentiary justice systems and improve respect for human 
rights  in  national  detention  centres.  In  Paraguay,  a  €31  million  programme  to  improve  the 
economic inclusion of the poorest and most vulnerable in the population was approved. 

In 2011, a major poverty reduction programme was approved for Honduras. The 'water and 
quality  sectoral  budget  support  programme  –  PAPSAC'  (€42.1  million)  seeks  to  improve 
provision of basic water and sanitation services which are key to developing and improving 
the  living  conditions  of  the  poor,  in  particular  in  rural  areas.  It  also  aims  to  enhance  the 
quality  of  agri-food  products,  thereby  increasing  the  country's  capacity  to  access  external 
markets  and  generating  more  revenue  for  producers.  Support  for  these  two  sectors  will 
contribute to the achievement of MDGs 1 (1B: job creation) and 7 (7C: improved water and 
sanitation  coverage).  2011  also  saw  the  approval  of  another  highly  relevant  programme  for 
Honduras in the area of human rights. Its aim is to put in place a public policy and action plan 
in  the  area  of  justice  and  human  rights  in  conformity  with  international  standards  and 
strengthen key institutions involved in the promotion and protection of human rights. At the 
same  time,  it  aims  to  develop  mechanisms  for  co-ordination  and  exchange  of  information 
between public institutions, civil society and donors and harness synergies between them for 
appropriate monitoring of human rights in Honduras and the implementation of national and 
international recommendations. The goal of improvements in respect for human rights, and in 
the  security  and  justice  sector  as  a  whole,  remained  at  the  top  of  the  EU  agenda  in  other 
countries  of  Central  America  too.  The  €13  million  "Programade  Seguridad  Ciudadana” 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(PROSEC)  was  approved  for  Costa  Rica  to  support  the  national  security  strategy  and 
contribute to the country's public security reform.  

In Guatemala, the EU confirmed its continuous appreciation of the work of the international 
commission  against  impunity  in  Guatemala  (CICIG)  and  approved  an  additional  €4  million 
for its extended mandate until September 2013. The democratic processes in El Salvador also 
received EU financial support in 2011: a project aimed at strengthening citizens' participation 
and  the  country’s  electoral  institutions  was  approved  and  contributed  to  'residential  voting'. 
Another  programme,  “Comunidades  Solidarias”,  is  improving  the  social  conditions  of  the 
poorest  (see  insert).  In  Nicaragua,  a  €32  million  project  which  aims  to  improve  learning 
conditions  in  primary  and  secondary  education  was  launched,  while  a  €5.2  million  was 
committed to enhance Argentina’s participation in the Erasmus Mundus Programme.  

The first EU-Brazil meeting of political dialogue on education took place in November, and 
aims to improve international academic mobility, the development of transparency tools and 
cooperation projects. A high-level seminar is planned for early 2013.  

Sectoral  policy  dialogue  is  underway  with  Mexico  in  the  field  of  higher  education  and 
culture.  A  comparative  joint  study  on  the  internationalisation  of  higher  education  was 
launched in December and will be completed in autumn 2012. A call for proposals focussing 
on culture was launched in 2011, and specifically on Mexico. 

EU  development  funds  for  Mexico  saw  some  serious  cuts  in  2011.  Two  projects  have  been 
withdrawn  from  the  programming  period  2007-2013,  namely  support  to  higher  education 
(€4.95  million)  and  to  the  sustainable  econom y  and  competitiveness  (€8.25  million).  The 
remaining  €11  million  will  focus  on  enabling  coopera tion  in  the  key  priority  area  of  social 
cohesion. 

Promoting human rights in Mexico  

The  EU-Mexico  human  rights  project  (EU  contribution  €350  000)  ended  in  2011  having 
supported different initiatives at federal level such as: legislative reform on the use of force in 
Quintana Roo and Campeche; legislative reform and public policies regarding the indigenous 
interpreters  in  Yucatan;  the  drafting  of  a  proposal  of  the  National  Registry  of  Complaints 
against torture and the drawing up of protocols with regard to gender violence in Campeche. 

A  €7.5  million  programme  was  approve d  for  the  private  sector  in  Argentina  to  encourage 
local  economic  development.  Following  the  conclusion  of  negotiations  leading  to  the  trade 
agreement  between  Colombia  and  the  EU  in  May  2010,  in  the  margins  of  the  EU-LAC 
summit in Madrid, a joint declaration was signed providing EU support of up to €30 million 
over seven years for the Colombian dairy sector. In this context, a programme to support the 
diary sector (€8.6 million) was approved in 2011. In  Bolivia, a €35 million programme was 
adopted  for  increasing  financial  inclusion  and  setting  up  appropriate  fiscal  and  financial 
instruments, particularly for small business. 

In the Central American region (CA), two projects were approved: one to support Central 
American  economic  integration  and  the  implementation  of  the  EU-CA  Association 
Agreement  (€10  million),  and  another  (€20  m illion)  to  contribute  to  socio-economic 
development in the Gulf of Fonseca, a region of high socio-economic interest and known for 
its vulnerable borders shared between Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In line with its commitments in the area of environment and climate change, the Commission 
adopted  a  €7  million  programme  to  apply   adaptation  measures  to  combat  the  effects  of 
climate change in the Andean Community, a particularly vulnerable region. In Nicaragua, €8 
million were assigned to a project aimed at fostering the sustainable development of the wood 
value chain. 

Budget support financed programmes represent almost 75% of bi-lateral co-operation in Latin 
American. During 2011, seven new budget support financed operations were approved with 
an overall value of €178.5 million. All budget s upport operations in Latin-America concern 
sectoral  policies.  Budget  support  financed  programmes  in  Nicaragua  are  still  suspended 
following a decision by the Commission and other EU donors in January 2009 in the wake of 
the municipal elections of November 2008 which were deemed to be flawed. 

ALFA  III:  "Kick  Start  -  Key  Initiatives  in  the  Commercialisation  of  Knowledge  – 
Ways to teach innovation" 

The  KICKSTART  (www.alfa-kickstart.org)  project  is  creating  a  network  of  academic 
entrepreneurship  and  knowledge  transfer  to  spur  innovation.  Innovation  has  become  a 
key to policy-making at all levels, not only within governmental and inter-governmental 
bodies but also within companies and public institutions such as universities. The new 
project  aims  to  strengthen  and  expand  the  network.  With  the  involvement  of  local 
stakeholders, three one-year innovation support programmes are being set up in Bolivia, 
Colombia and Peru, as well as the designing of an international master’s programme in 
innovation. The consortium running the programme is also producing books and tools, a 
web  portal  and  a  series  of  conferences  under  the  theme  “Innovation  Support  in  Latin 
America  and  Europe.  What  has  been  achieved?”  The  programme’s  results  so  far:  90 
innovation  projects  have  been  generated;  a  total  of  600  researchers  participated  in 
related workshops; 75 trainers have been trained in how to teach innovation; three pilot 
centres  have  been  established  in  Colombia,  Peru  and  Bolivia  with  a  total  of  450 
participants;  an  innovation  market  place  was  organised  in  Scotland  with  over  150 
participants from Europe and Latin America and an innovation awards programme for 
Latin America has been successfully launched. 

URBAL III  –“Fronteras Turísticas” 

 Located  in  the  Andean  border  region,  “Fronteras  Turísticas”  (EU  contribution  –  €1.9 
million)  is  a  tourism  promotion  programme  between  sub-national  governments  in 
northern  Argentina,  Central  and  Southern  Bolivia  and  southern  Peru,  co-ordinated  by 
the province of Frosinone, Italy. It is improving regional competitiveness in the tourism 
sector, by fostering heritage tourism and cultural identity. By integrating Hispanic and 
colonial  routes  and  creating  the  Aymara  ethno-ecotourism  tourist  corridor,  the 
destination now has a strong identity. The programme has also built Latin American and 
European partnerships leading to agreements between travel agencies and the promotion 
of  more  than  100  tourist  sites.  It  has  further  trained  250  young  local  people  as  tourist 
guides  and  60  technicians  from  local  government  administrations  in  inter-regional 
tourism development and has set up eight IT centres to promote the area. A dedicated 
marketing  website  and  funds  to  enable  participation  in  at  least  three  tourism  fairs  in 
both Latin America and Europe are helping to market the brand.  

82 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AL-Invest IV: ‘The "Jeweller from Lambayeque’ receives  presidential prize 

Assistance from the EU’s AL-Invest programme has helped Peruvian jewellery maker, 
Ignacio  Puicón,  to  become  competitive  and  go  global.  Such  achievements  for  his 
company, ‘MCP Joyería’, seemed out of the question only a few months ago when his 
sales were limited to the local market. Participation in AL-Invest – along with Ignacio’s 
creativity and entrepreneurial spirit and – has played a part in his success by enabling 
training in design business management and export procedures.  By participating in an 
international  jewellery  business  group  (nucleo  empresarial)  and  international  fairs, 
Ignacio developed a collection which is now sold in Sweden and Ecuador. In 2011, his 
company received the Prize of the President of the Republic of Peru for the best SME in 
the crafts category. 

Several regional projects for Latin America continued in 2011. They include: the cooperation 
programme  of  high  level  scholarships  for  Latin  American  students  and  young  professionals 
(Alßan)  and  ALFA  III,  a  cooperation  programme  between  the  EU  and  Latin  America  on 
higher education. AL-INVEST IV continued to promote Latin American SMEs in the global 
market  and  @LIS  2  (alliance  for  information  society)  pushed  ahead  with  Latin  America’s 
integration into the global information society. EURO-SOLAR is assisting rural communities 
without  electricity  in  eight  countries  (Bolivia,  Ecuador,  El  Salvador,  Guatemala,  Honduras, 
Nicaragua,  Paraguay  and  Peru)  and  is  providing  access  to  renewable  electric  energy.  Other 
ongoing programmes are Erasmus Mundus which is promoting exchanges between European 
and  Latin  American  higher  education  institutions,  COPOLAD,  a  programme  on  anti-drugs 
policies and EUROCLIMA, a successful EU-LA programme on climate change, as well as a 
€3  million  project  on  migration  focused  on  impr oving  data  collection  on  migration  flows, 
strengthening migration institutional structures and policies and promoting alternatives for the 
use of remittances. 

EUROCLIMA programme: Soil Action 

Soil degradation can lead to massive release of greenhouse gases. The new ‘Soil Atlas 
of  Latin  America’,  developed  under  the  EUROCLIMA  programme,  helps  an 
understanding  of  the  soil  degradation  processes,  by  updating  the  cartographic 
information  of  Latin  American  soils.  It  also  contributes  to  assessing  the  impact  and 
potential of soils in climate change mitigation and consequently improves food security. 
The  network  of  soil  scientists  is  helping  to  strengthen  scientific  cooperation  among 
Latin American and European soil scientists. The overriding aim of EUROCLIMA is to 
increase  knowledge  about  climate  change  problems  and  their  consequences  in  Latin 
America. Through cooperation with the UN Economic Commission for Latin America 
and  the  Caribbean  (ECLAC)  and  the  European  Commission  Joint  Research  Centre 
(JRC), EUROCLIMA is playing a crucial role in helping the Latin American scientific 
community and decision-makers boost and exchange knowledge on climate change with 
a view to  integrating the science in development policies and sectoral strategies. 

EUROSOCIAL: Promotion of fiscal education in El Salvador    

The  need  to  provide  the  state  with  necessary  resources  to  ensure  a  sustainable  and 
inclusive  development  of  the  society  is  a  major  challenge  in  Latin  America.  The 
regional programme for social cohesion in Latin America, EUROSOCIAL is promoting 

83 

 
 
 
 
 
efficient and fair fiscal policy and supports Latin American governments in their efforts 
to  transfer  economic  prosperity  to  the  whole  of  society.  Under  EUROSOCIAL,  El 
Salvador’s  ministries  of  finance  and  education,  in  collaboration  with  the  federal 
administration  of  public  revenue  of  Argentina,  have  implemented  a  programme  for 
fiscal  education  in  El  Salvador.  It  is  aimed  at  increasing  fiscal  culture  within  the 
population  through  the  introduction  of  fiscal  education  in  the  official  primary  and 
secondary curricula. In 2011, the programme was awarded the prize of the President of 
the  Republic  for  best  quality  in  practice.  On  the  basis  of  the  programme,  the 
government has introduced a policy to cultivate fiscal awareness in El Salvadorians and 
make  them  responsible  citizens,  conscious  of  their  rights  and  obligations.  The 
programme has fast become a reference in the region. 

The  FLEGT  South  America  project  aims  to  create  an  enabling  environment  and  increase 
South America’s capacity to develop initiatives to reduce illegal logging and bring the timber 
trade in line with EU FLEGT objectives. There is a particular focus on exports to the EU from 
Brazil, Colombia,  Ecuador and Peru. In 2011, new  phases of the Latin America Investment 
Facility (LAIF) and Erasmus Mundus Action 2, strand 1 programmes were also launched for 
Latin America countries. 

In  the  field  of  research  and  innovation,  some  244  contracts  have  been  signed  with  Latin 
America  and  15  with  the  Caribbean  since  2007,  with  EU  contributions  of  €66  million  and 
€2.7  million  respectively.  Under  the  EU-LAC  joint  initiative  for  research  and  innovation,  a 
regular science, technology and innovation dialogue has been established with the first senior 
officials meeting taking place in March 2011. It adopted a roadmap and set up four thematic 
working groups to implement the initiative and encourage joint cooperation. 

4.1.5 Monitoring 

In  2011,  21  ROM  missions  (18  country  missions  and  3  Regional  programmes  missions) 
examined  projects  in  all  18  countries  in  the  Region.  A  total  of  173  ongoing  projects  were 
monitored  including  bilateral,  regional,  sub-regional  projects  and  sector  policy  support 
programmes (SPSP). Two SPSP were monitored: in Honduras and in Paraguay. 

The total value of ongoing projects monitored amounts to €546 million, which represents 34% 
of  the  overall  value  of  ongoing  projects  in  the  Region.  In  addition,  a  total  of  43  completed 
projects were monitored ex-post with a total value of €262.5 million. 

As  the  table  shows,  78%  of  projects  in  Latin  America  are  performing  well  or  very  well 
(categories  I  and  II),  while  17%  have  some  problems  and  5%  experience  major  difficulties 
(categories III and IV). The percentage of projects doing well or very well has increased from 
76%  in  2008  to  78%  in  2011,  though  lowering  from  85%  (2010).  The  number  of  projects 
facing difficulties fell from 24% in 2008 to 22% in 2011 though increasing from 15% to 22% 
with reference to 2010. 

Table 5: Latin America – performance of ongoing projects (bilateral and Regional) 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Performance of Ongoing Projects (national and regional)

100%

80%

74%

82%

84%

77%

60%

40%

20%

0%

21%

15%

13%

2%

3%

1%

2%

1%

2%

1%

17%

5%

2008

2009

2010

2011

Category I

Category II

Category III

Category IV

Table 6: Latin America – 2011 Project performance per ODA sector 

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

85.2%

75.0%

70.4%

75.0%

66.7%

Very good performance

Good performance

Performing with Problems

30.3%

Not performing, major difficulties

12.5%

12.5%

9.3%

5.6%

25.9%

20.0%

3.7%

5.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

3.0%

110 - Education

150 - Government
and Civil Society

160 - Other Social
Infrastructure and
Services

Production sectors

Multisector -
Crosscutting

Ongoing  projects  monitored  in  2011  in  Latin  America  show  that  80%  have  been  positively 
assessed  for  relevance,  impact  and  sustainability.  However,  concerning  efficiency  and 
effectiveness,  the  performance  level  reached  62%.  Amongst  the  reasons  for  lower 
performance levels with regard to efficiency and effectiveness are delays in the formulation 
and  implementation  of  the  programme-estimates,  relevance  (sometimes  obsolete  because  of 
changes of Government priorities) and project design not revised, insufficiently focused and 
occasionally over-ambitious. 

4.1.6 Outlook 

In  line  with  the  Commission  Communication  “Increasing  the  impact  of  EU  development 
policy:  an  agenda  for  change”48,  future  EU  development  aid  spending  will  target  countries 

48 COM(2011) 637, 13.10.2011 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
that  are  in  greater  need  of  external  support  and  where  it  can  really  make  a  difference, 
including  fragile  states.  Future  aid  should  be  allocated  to  better  address  different  needs, 
capacities,  commitments  and  performance  of  partner  countries.  Differentiation  will  affect 
cooperation  with  some  Latin  America  countries  in  the  next  programming  period  starting 
2014.  This  means  that  bilateral  cooperation  will  take  different  paths.  Innovative  ways  of 
financing development – like blending of grants and loans – will be further explored. 

Following  the  mid-term  review  (2010),  2011-2013  programming  for  the  region  will  lead  to 
new  bilateral  cooperation  initiatives  which  will  be  approved  up  to  the  end  of  2013  with 
implementation  until  2017/2018.  As  for  regional  programmes  for  Latin  America  (LA), 
implementation  will  progress  in  line  with  the  regional  programming  documents.  Regional 
EU-LA  programmes  continue  to  enable  LA  countries  to  benefit  from  cooperation  between 
themselves, as well as from the European experience in a wide range of areas, such as higher 
education,  enterprise  networks,  green  energy,  social  policy,  migration  and  security,  and 
development. 

EU efforts to improve aid effectiveness will be further enhanced. Closer cooperation with EU 
Member States and other donors will be pursued as well as promotion of dialogue for policy 
development  and  consolidation,  and  ownership  by  partner  countries.  Calls  to  tackle  the 
region’s  growing  problems  are  anticipated:  security  (including  citizen's  security),  good 
governance, climate change, energy and social protection. 

4.2 Caribbean  

4.2.1 Introduction 

Relations  with  the  Caribbean  region  during  2011  centred  on  follow-up  to  the  significant 
number of initiatives launched in 2010. Pursuing and strengthening political dialogue with the 
region remains a priority and a political dialogue between the EU and the Caribbean Forum of 
African, Caribbean and Pacific states (CARIFORUM) is expected to take place in 2012. 

A  final  draft  of  the  EU-Caribbean  joint  strategy,  under  discussion  at  the  EU-CARIFORUM 
Summit in 2010, was prepared and is expected to be agreed during 2012. In the areas of trade 
and  cooperation,  the  implementation  of  the  EPA  gained  pace  with  the  organisation  of  the 
trade  and  development  committee,  the  establishment  of  EPA  implementations  units,  and  a 
consultation with EU Member States over optimising the EPA’s impact. The kick-off of the 
regional  MTR  process  confirmed  the  relevance  of  maintaining  the  focal  sector  of  regional 
integration, and documented that the Caribbean region is in the lead amongst ACP regions in 
terms  of commitment rates under  the 10th EDF  regional envelope. Finally, the long-awaited 
Caribbean  infrastructure  trust  fund  was  approved  by  the  EDF  committee  in  the  form  of  a 
Caribbean investment facility and will begin in 2012. 

The  sixth  EU-Cuba  political  dialogue  took  place  on  23  February  2011  in  Brussels.  Human 
rights  issues  were  raised,  as  well  as  issues  on  the  international  agenda,  notably  climate 
change. The reflection launched by the foreign affairs council of 25 October on the future of 
EU-Cuba relations continued. In 2011, the EU continued to provide crucial humanitarian aid 
and  cooperation  assistance  to  support  Haiti's  reconstruction.  The  appointment  of  Prime 
Minister  Garry  Conille  and  the  establishment  of  a  new  cabinet  in  the  third  quarter  of  2011 
allowed renewed bilateral EU-Haiti political dialogue. In the area of human rights, the EU has 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
provided a significant contribution to the preparation of Haiti's first universal periodic review 
under the UN HRC. 

4.2.2 Aid effectiveness and donor co-ordination 

The  Commission  remains  committed  to  strengthening  donor  coordination  in  the  region. 
Information  sharing  takes  place  on  a  regular  basis.  Budget  support  and  public  finance 
management  continue  to  be  important  areas  of  cooperation.  The  Commission  sits  on  the 
steering  committee  of  the  Caribbean  Regional  Technical  Assistance  Centre  (CARTAC)  and 
works closely with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), DfID and 
the  Caribbean  Development  Bank  (CDB)  on  those  issues  that  provide  support  on  macro-
economic  and  public  finance  management  issues.  Close  working  relations  with  the  World 
Bank and UNDP are maintained on sub-regional social protection reform and with the Food 
and  Agriculture  Organisation  (FAO)  on  agriculture.  Co-ordination  is  becoming  increasingly 
important in the context of the coordination and cooperation mechanism on drugs between the 
EU, Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In  addition,  at  local  level,  EU  Delegations  participate  and/or  lead  donor  coordination 
mechanisms with locally present EU Member States and other donors. At regional level, the 
Commission continues to stimulate the Caribbean forum of ACP States to enhance donor co-
ordination  activities.  Funds  are  available  for  this  purpose  under  the  9th  EDF  (Caribbean 
integration support programme). In this context, the secretariat of the Caribbean Community 
(CARICOM)  organised  comprehensive  donor  co-ordination  meetings  in  July  and  in 
November 2011. The setting up of a number of working groups on donor co-ordination was 
announced  with  a  view  to  examining  how  to  further  promote  donor  interaction.  The 
Caribbean–EU  EPA  trade  and  development  committee  meeting  of  June  2011  discussed 
development  cooperation  with  Caribbean  and  EU  Member  States.  The  newly-adopted  EPA 
support  programme  foresees  that  the  Caribbean  forum  of  ACP  States  will  set  up  a  specific 
donor co-ordination mechanism involving other development partners. 

4.2.3 Working towards the MDGs 

The  lack  of  adequate  data  and  information  systems  in  the  region  hampers  an  assessment  of 
MDG achievement, but evidence points to Caribbean countries making fairly good progress 
on  most  of  the  goals.  However,  this  has  been  unequal  and  heterogeneous,  and  on  some 
objectives,  there  has  not  been  enough  progress.  The  EU  supports  the  Caribbean  countries’ 
efforts  to  combat  poverty  through  a  number  of  interventions  addressing  comprehensive 
strategies to address the challenge of poverty alleviation and income distribution. 

Information reported in Jamaica’s latest national report on the MDGs (2009) suggests that the 
country  has  achieved  target  1.A  (eradicate  extreme  poverty),  while  the  latest  report  on  the 
MDGs  produced  by  the  government  of  the  Republic  of  Suriname  shows  that  between  2000 
and 2008 extreme poverty increased. The region may not reach MDG2 addressing universal 
primary education – even if net enrolment rates of over 90% are reported – due to a marginal 
increase  in  the  last  10  years.  Greater  efforts  are  also  needed  to  improve  the  quality  of 
education and the completion rates of both girls and boys. The high maternal and neo-natal 
mortality rates of a number of Caribbean countries reveals the weaknesses and rather deficient 
performance  of  national  health  systems  and  the  urgent  need  of  investing  in  its  main  pillars 
including accessibility and the strengthening of both the quantity and the competence of the 
human resources working in the health sector. 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
General budget support helping the Dominican Republic attain the MDGs  

Sustained  economic  growth  over  the  last  30  years  has  contributed  to  the  welfare  of  most 
Dominicans  and  accelerated  poverty  reduction.  Nevertheless,  the  Dominican  Republic 
experiences unequal and unjust social distribution of the benefits of growth. The EU supports 
with  €60.7  million  the  implementation  of  the  government’s  sustainable  development 
investment strategy, providing financial and policy incentives to promote poverty eradication 
and  help  realise  the  MDGs.  It  has  meant  that  the  EU  has  engaged  in  substantive  policy 
dialogue with the government in building a national development strategy. For the first time, a 
large consultation process on the main vectors of future growth and social development has 
taken  place.  The  process  culminated  in  the  adoption  by  the  Dominican  Republic’s 
government  in  2011,  of  a  long-term  national  development  strategy,  with  medium-term 
detailed  implementation  modalities.  The  2012  national  budget  has  been  prepared,  and 
approved on this basis. The Dominican Republic now has a shared country vision.  

In  recent  years,  there  has  been  a  slight  decline  in  new  HIV  infections  in  the  region  where 
about  240  000  individuals  are  estimated  to  be  infected.  Nevertheless,  outside  Africa,  the 
Caribbean region has the highest HIV prevalence in the world with an average prevalence rate 
of  one  per  cent  for  adults  aged  15  to  49.  The  HIV  burden  varies  considerably  between  and 
within  countries.  Cuba,  for  example,  has  a  very  low  HIV  prevalence  of  0.1%,  while  the 
Bahamas has the highest HIV adult prevalence in the region, at 3.1%. 

Progress on MDG 7 is mixed. The region is on track for access to water, but quality should be 
improved. Although the total area covered by protected areas has grown steadily over the last 
decade, there are still signs of a loss of biodiversity.  

4.2.4 Implementation and results 

Bilateral cooperation 

In 2011, an amount of €194 million was committed  to the Caribbean region from the various 
cooperation instruments managed by the Commission. Five annual action programmes were 
approved  under  the  10th  EDF,  totalling  €29  million.  Nine  other  financial  decisions  were 
adopted  totalling  €106  million.   Guyana,  Jamaica,  and  Trinidad  and  Tobago  benefited  from 
sugar accompanying measures financed under the EU budget to increase the competitiveness 
of their sugar industries following the reform of the EU sugar market. In 2011, these countries 
received  €56  million  in  commitments.  In  a ddition,  one  programme  was  financed  from  the 
thematic  programme  for  the  global  climate  change  alliance  for  an  amount  of    €3  million. 
Although generally speaking, budget support is a very important implementation modality in 
the region, in 2011 only 31% of all approved programmes were implemented in this way. 

Payments totalled €319.8 million in 2011 for Caribbean countries and the OCTs. With regard 
to  the  EDF,  disbursements  reached  €210.3  million.  Moreover,  the  Caribbean  received 
significant support under the special framework of assistance for traditional ACP suppliers of 
bananas: €17.5 million were paid in 2011. These f unds are contributing to the diversification 
of  the  local  economies  and  assisting  the  seven  beneficiary  countries  (Belize,  Dominica, 
Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname) to cope with the 
effects  of  changes  in  the  banana  market.  A  €72.8  million  sum  was  disbursed  for 
accompanying  measures  for  sugar  protocol  countries.  Further,  a  total  of  €19.2  million  was 
spent under other instruments, such as on the thematic programmes, including food security.  

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
A new source of income for Dominica – the Waitukubuli National Trail   

The  upgrade  of  the  184  km  long  Waitukubuli  national  hiking  trail  aims  offset  the  loss  of 
income caused by the banana industry’s collapse. Connecting the south of the island with the 
north,  it  has  considerable  potential  to  become  a  worldwide  attraction  for  hikers  and  nature 
lovers.  Dating  back  to  the  1720s,  it  is  of  both  historical  and  cultural  interest  and  passes 
through a variety of beautiful landscapes with diverse fauna and flora. Opened in 2011, it is 
expected to attract some 10 000-12 000 visitors per year, generating profitable opportunities 
both for the private and public sectors whilst laying the path of economic diversification. 

In  2011,  the  budget  support  modality  proved  to  be  a  challenging  instrument  because  of  
difficulties  to  maintain  sound  macro-economic  policies  (Jamaica)  or  to  implement  robust 
national development strategies and sector strategies (Guyana and Barbados). A lack of firm 
ownership of reform processes have had a negative impact on progress in some sector reform 
programmes. This has slowed down disbursements and a number of new programmes planned 
for  2011  had  to  be  postponed  until  2012.  On  the  small  islands,  limited  administrative 
capacities  to  deal  with  the  complex  monitoring  mechanisms  that  should  be  put  in  place  in 
order  to  track  performance  progress  in  the  supported  sectors,  is  the  main  constraint.  In 
addition, the requirement to show progress on an annual basis in public finance management 
systems, remained challenging in MICs where systems are frequently more advanced than in 
lower  income  countries.  In  such  situations,  the  reform  requirements  in  public  finance 
management can be less visible and may need more time to implement. 

For  the  Caribbean  region,  out  of  four  budget  operations  approved,  two  have  been  financed 
under the EDF totalling €34 million, and two under the sugar accompanying measures budget 
line (€56 million).  Out  of the four operations  approved, two supported sectoral policies and 
there were two general support programmes for Jamaica and Haiti respectively. 

Renewed cooperation with Cuba producing results first  

Since  resuming  cooperation  with  Cuba  in  October  2008,  the  first  significant  batch  of 
monitoring  reports  became  available  in  2011.  Very  good  results  were  reported,  with  all 
monitored  projects  found  on  the  whole  to  be  performing  well.  Although  it  is  too  early  to 
measure  any  real  impact,  substantial  increases  in  production  and  productivity  –  doubling  or 
tripling  in  many  cases  –    of  participating  farmers  and  cooperatives  are  expected  under  the 
flagship project “PALMA”which is promoting food security (€16.1 million). The programme 
has provided capacity – building, tools and equipment to co-operatives and individual farmers 
– as well as asistance to municipalities for the de-centralisation of food security strategies. It 
has    been  selected  by  UNDP  as  one  of  two  projects  (out  of  60  regional  projects)  to  win  an 
award  under  the  “‘sharing  knowledge  for  development”,  a  scheme  which  singles  out 
initiatives  with  good,  innovative  and  relevant  practices  of  interest  to  other  countries  of  the 
region.  The  $10 000  prize  is  given  so  that  others  can  learn  from  a  project’s  good  practices. 
The continuation of the PALMA project is foreseen under a new financing decision with the 
country’s NIP, 2011-2013.  

Regional cooperation 

The  10th  EDF  Caribbean  regional  programme,  signed  in  November  2008,  pays  particular 
attention to deepening regional integration, to achieving maximum benefits from the EPA and 
to  mitigating  potential  adverse  effects  of  the  resulting  adjustment  process.  In  2011,  the 
Commission  financed  programmes  totalling  €81  million  to  support  the  establishment  of  the 
Caribbean  single  market  and  economy,  the  implementation  of  the  Economic  Union  of  the 

89 

 
 
 
Organisation  of  Eastern  Caribbean  States  (OECS),  as  well  as  to  assist  CARIFORUM  with 
implementation of the EPA. These instititional programmes complement the regional private 
sector  development  support  programme  decided  in  2010.  Another  €16  million  has  been 
committed  in  2011  under  the  regional  programme  to  finance  the  bi-national  programme 
Dominican Republic/Haiti. 

4.2.5 Monitoring 

In 2011, eight ROM missions examined projects in 14 countries in the Caribbean region. 71 
ROM  reports  were  produced.  A  total  of  58  ongoing  projects  were  monitored  including 
national  and  regional  projects.  Six  sector  policy  support  programme  were  monitored  in 
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Dominican Republic. The total value of 
ongoing projects monitored amounts to €345.4 million, which represents 40% of the overall 
value of ongoing projects in the region. In addition, a total of seven completed projects were 
monitored ex-post with a total value of € 31 million. 

As  the  tables  below  show,  in  2011,  65%  of  ongoing  national  projects  in  the  Caribbean  are 
performing  well  or  very  well,  while  12%  have  some  problems  and  23%  experience  major 
difficulties.  The  percentage  of  projects  doing  well  or  very  well  has  decreased  from  73%  in 
2010 to 65% in 2011. The number of projects facing difficulties increased from 27% in 2010 
to 35% in 2011. If we combine ongoing national and regional projects, overall percentage of 
projects performing well or very well has decreased from 74.6% in 2009, to 72.9% in 2010 
and 61.5% in 2011. 

The difference between the 2010 and 2011 results are due to the introduction of a sample of 
new  projects  which  performed  less  well  in  average,  not  to  any  deterioration  of  the  same 
projects,  since  data  show  that  performance  of  the  limited  sample  of  projects  re-monitored 
remained  stable.  The  degradation  of  the  overall  results  is  mainly  linked  to  efficiency  and 
effectiveness. The difference is greater for regional projects, although the sample is too small 
for a discussion beyond individual cases. 

Table 7: Caribbean – overall performance of National ongoing projects  

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

73.2%

72.6%

62.8%

23.2%

23.3%

13.7%

13.7%

11.6%

0.0%

3.6%

0.0%

2.3%

2009

2010

2011

Very good performance (I)

Good performance (II)

Performing with problems
(III)

Not performing, major
difficulties (IV)

Table 8: Caribbean – 2011 National project performance per ODA sector  

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ongoing projects monitored in 2011, show that 82.7 % have scores of "very good" or "good" 
for  relevance  and  quality  of  design.  Regarding  the  impact  criteria,  67.3  %  of  projects  have 
been  scored  as  "very  good"  impact  or  potential  impact  (i.e.  contribution  to  improving  the 
livelihood of the people and/or the overall environment in which they operate). However only 
44.2 % scored "very good" and "good" for efficiency and respectively 48 % scored "good" for 
effectiveness.  A  particular  attention  will  have  to  be  given  to  the  implementation  of  projects 
with lower scoring on efficiency and effectiveness. 

4.2.6 Outlook 

Under the accompanying measures for former sugar protocol countries, an amount of  €120 
million is scheduled to be committed in 2012. Barbados, Belize, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis 
and Trinidad and Tobago are preparing annual action plans to this effect. The available funds 
will  be  used  for  sugar  sector  reform,  macro-economic stability,  employment and growth. In 
Trinidad and Tobago support will be provided for diversifying out of the sugar sector and into 
other economic sectors. 

The  main  banana-exporting  countries  in  the  Caribbean  –  Belize,  Dominica,  Dominican 
Republic,  Jamaica,  Saint  Lucia,  Saint  Vincent  and  the  Grenadines  and  Suriname  –  are 
benefitting from allocations under the banana accompanying measures programme. National 
adaptation  strategies  and  annual  action  programmes  will  be  prepared  to  strengthen  the 
competitiveness  of  the  banana  sector,  promote  economic  diversification  and  put  in  place 
social and environmental measures.  

Implementation  of  budget  support  operations  remains  a  challenge  in  the  Caribbean  and  the 
policy dialogue with the authorities on macro-economic performance and sector policy results 
should be further deepened and strengthened. The Commission will continue using the public 
expenditure and financial accountability methodology (PEFA) tool to encourage  weaknesses 
in public finance management to be addressed. Special attention will be paid to the definition 
of  progress  and  result  indicators  that  will  be  used  to  trigger  disbursement,  in  particular  for 
sector  budget  support  in  non-traditional  sectors,  such  as  private  sector  development  and  the 
promotion of trade. 

91 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The  bulk  of  the  10th  EDF  financial  envelope  for  regional  integration  and  EPA  support 
measures has been committed. In 2012, close attention will be paid to the implementation of 
regional activities decided in previous years. 

In 2012, the programming exercise for the period 2014-2020 will start, taking due account of 
the  Commission’s  communication  “Increasing  the  impact  of  EU  Development  Policy:  an 
Agenda for Change” and in particular placing a stronger focus on human rights, democracy 
and other key elements of good governance and inclusive and sustainable growth for human 
development as well as taking into account the concentration of EU activities in each country 
and increased volume and share of EU aid to the countries most in need and where the EU can 
have a real impact. 

5 

Asia, Central Asia & the Pacific 

5.1 Asia 

5.1.1 Introduction 

The  EU  has  taken  forward  cooperation  with  the  Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations 
(ASEAN), building upon the EU-ASEAN plan of action to underpin the integration process 
and intensify political engagement in areas of mutual interest. It has also intensified relations 
with individual ASEAN countries, notably through the negotiation and implementation of bi-
lateral  partnership  and  co-operation  agreements  (PCAs)  and  free  trade  agreements  (FTAs). 
Following  up  on  EU-India  security  cooperation,  a  meeting  on  cyber  security  was  held  in 
Ispra, Italy, in October. The third EU-India forum on effective multilateralism took place, 27-
28 September, in New Delhi. 

2011  saw  progress  in  human  rights  legislation  in  Pakistan.  Nevertheless,  the  overall  the 
situation  remains  worrisome.  There  has  been  further  slippage  in  human  rights  and 
governance,  against  some notable positive developments, including the adoption  of  the new 
shelter  regulation  for  women  fleeing  violent  households.  EU  political  dialogue  with  the 
country  took  a  major  step  forward  with  the  conclusion  of  negotiations  for  an  EU-Pakistan 
five-year engagement plan in November 2011. The plan raises the level of existing political 
dialogue and sets out an approach for dialogues in a range of strategic areas for EU-Pakistan 
cooperation,  including  governance  and  human  rights,  security,  trade,  energy  and  migration 
among other subjects. The EU's Foreign Affaire Council (FAC) concluded in July 2011 that 
there is a need for EU-Pakistan relations to increasingly balance the interests and concerns of 
both  partners.  The  council  looked  forward  to  the  launch  of  a  first  EU-Pakistan  strategic 
dialogue at the earliest possible time. This is expected to take place in April 2012. 

In Afghanistan, the transition process was launched in July, implying increased efforts, also 
on  the  civilian  side,  to  implement  the  provisions  of  the  London  and  Kabul  conferences  of 
2010. In July 2011, the FAC also endorsed an Afghan-led peace process while emphasising 
the need for Afghanistan to address governance issues in the context of the transition process. 
In November, the FAC authorised, ahead of the international conference on Afghanistan, the 
opening  of  negotiations  for  a  cooperation  agreement  on  partnership  and  development  with 
Afghanistan.  At  the  international  conference  on  Afghanistan  held  in  Bonn  on  5  December, 
participants  re-affirmed  their  long-term  commitment  to  Afghanistan  beyond  the  end  of  the 
transition period in 2014. The FAC has also extended the EU’s police mission in Afghanistan 
until at least 2014 and following the 2 November conference on security and cooperation in 

92 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the heart of Asia, encouraged countries of the region to open up trade, transit and investment 
possibilities  for  Afghanistan,  and  through  Afghanistan.  The  EU  will  continue  to  provide 
practical assistance in fostering regional cooperation.  

5.1.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

At  the  high  level  forum  in  Busan  the  emerging  donors  –  China  and  India  (together  with 
Brazil)  –  signed  up  to  a  document  defining  common  goals  and  shared  principles  of 
development partnership for the first time.  

As part of the agreement, both aid recipient and donor Asian countries helped to set up a more 
inclusive global governance structure for effective development cooperation, thus marking an 
important  shift  from  aid  effectiveness  to  aid  and  development  effectiveness.  For  donor 
coordination at country level, the EU will continue to support ownership around Asia and all 
EU Delegations will participate in national coordination mechanisms and working groups put 
in place by partner governments, for instance in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. 

There  is  an  improved  exchange  of  information  and  coordination  within  EU  on  both 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, enabling a common EU view to be expressed in dialogue with both 
governments  and  in  donor  fora.  In  Afghanistan,  joint  donor  programmes  are  implemented 
through two multi-donor trust funds. In Pakistan, the EU is actively seeking structured donor 
coordination  providing  synergies  and  complementarities  of  activities  in  education,  public 
finance  management  and  human  rights.  Vietnam,  which  became  a  pilot  country  of  the  EU 
fast-track initiative for division of labour in 2007, is one of the most active countries showing 
strong ownership and commitment to the implementation of the Paris and Accra agendas. The 
EU  is  the  lead  facilitator,  supported  by  France  and  Ireland.  The  government  of  Vietnam  is 
outlining  the  country's  new  national  aid  architecture  and  the  EU  will  co-chair  with  the 
Vietnamese ministry of planning and investment the 2012 aid effectiveness forum. In Nepal, 
there  is  progress  in  donor  co-ordination  along  with  political  progress,  but  the  long-awaited 
country development forum foreseen in 2011 was again postponed.  

With regard to division of labour between EU donors, some progress was made in Bangladesh 
and Laos where prospects for EU joint programming after 2013 were confirmed at the end of 
2011. A further joint programming is likely to occur in the future for Afghanistan. 

As for collaboration with donors outside the EU, a good example of aid effectiveness is the 
joint  education  sector  programme  in  Indonesia,  undertaken  together  with  Australia  and  the 
Asian  Development  Bank  (ADB).  The  EU  has  also  advanced  in  applying  Asia  transfer 
agreements  and  delegated  co-operation  between  Member  States  and  the  Commission.  In 
Nepal, for instance, since 2010, the UK department for international development, DfID, has 
transferred  funds  to  the  Commission  to  support  the  education  sector  whilst  DfID  has  itself 
received Commission funds to implement climate change initiatives in the country. 

In  Asia,  EU  development  assistance  is  increasingly  using  country  systems  in  a  move  from 
project  to  sector  policy  support  programmes.  Thus,  projects  and  programmes  are  being 
gradually replaced by support to sector strategies and reforms (among others through sector 
budget  support).  The  EU  is  now  providing  general  budget  support  to  three  Asian  countries 
and sector budget support to nine. These programmes are supported by institutional capacity 
development and technical assistance. 

5.1.3 Working towards the MDGs 

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Whereas  Asia  shows  economic  vitality  and  global  integration,  it  is  also  home  to  the  largest 
population  in  the  world  living  in  absolute  poverty,  and  many  countries  are  still  off-track  to 
reach  MDG  targets  on  poverty  reduction.  Even  those  countries  that  have  experienced  rapid 
economic growth in recent years are lagging behind, most notably India and the Philippines, 
despite their middle-income country status. The numbers of people living in extreme poverty 
remain  particularly  high  in  Afghanistan,  Nepal,  Bangladesh  and  India.  Therefore,  the  EU 
maintains  its  commitment  to  help  Asian  countries  eradicate  extreme  poverty  and  hunger 
(MDG1)  by  deploying  food  security  programmes  as  well  as  rural,  social  and  economic 
development  programmes  throughout  Asia.  Asia  as  a  whole  has  made  impressive  progress 
towards  other  MDGs,  especially  in  education  (MDGs2  and  3)  with  a  net  enrolment  ratio 
above 90% in 15 Asian countries. EU aid is helping improve primary school completion rates 
as well as the quality of education, and is promoting gender equality in secondary education, 
particularly  in  Bangladesh,  India,  Nepal,  Cambodia  and  Indonesia.  The  EU  supports  the 
implementation of education reform measures in Pakistan with a focus on the enhancement of 
socio-economic  development  through  investment  in  human  capital,  better  access  and  better 
quality of service delivery through improved sector governance. 

Water and natural resources in Afghanistan  
 The  EU  contributed  2004-2011,  some  €93  m illion  to  water  and  natural  resources 
management in the Panj-Amu River Basin (40% of the water resources in Afghanistan). The 
programme  supports  the  national  regulatory  framework  and  the  drafting  of  the  Integrated 
Water  Resources  Management  strategy.  It 
irrigation 
infrastructure (more than 65 major irrigation schemes, covering 150 000 ha), promotes a more 
equitable  water  management  (95  water  user  associations  and  training  of  staff  for  the  river 
basin  agencies)  and  seeks  to  protect  natural  resources  in  upper  catchment  areas.  The 
programme has improved water use efficiency and increased the area under double cropping, 
directly benefitting more than 500 000 people. 

the  rehabilitation  of 

includes 

Whilst all countries show progress for MDG4 on reducing child mortality, this is too slow to 
meet the objectives in many countries. This stems from a lack of access to health services for 
the very poor, but also from cultural and social factors. Therefore, EU-supported programmes 
in Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar and the Philippines seek to improve poor people’s access to 
health services, reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health. 

Support to health in Afghanistan 
Since 2001, a total of €216 million has been  committed by the EU to support Afghanistan’s 
health policy management, infectious disease control and basic health care. The EU facilitates 
access to health for more than five million Afghans in ten provinces, including some of the 
most insecure and under-served areas of the country. In EU-supported provinces, the assisted 
delivery  of  nearly  100  000  babies  who  were  subsequently  vaccinated,  has  significantly 
decreased  mortality  of  children  under  five.  The  EU’s  support  to  health  contributes  to 
improved access to primary health care from 9% in 2002 to 65% in 2010. 

Development  has  also  been  accompanied  by  environmental  challenges,  which  is  a  new 
strategic  focus  of  EU  cooperation  (MDG7).  The  EU  has  widened  its  support  to  China’s 
policies for efficient energy as well as containing CO2 emissions. In India, specific measures 
for renewable energy, clean technologies and energy efficiency are being implemented in the 
framework  of  an  EU-India  joint  plan  of  action  in  this  area.  Climate  change  mitigation 
activities are ongoing in the Maldives and support to forest management has been prepared 
for Malaysia. The EU has implemented a regional FLEGT programme for South-East Asia as 

94 

 
 
 
 
well  as  an  Asia-wide  programme  to  support  sustainable  production  and  consumption 
(SWITCH). 

In  the  region  of  the  Eastern  and  Southern  Africa-Indian  Ocean  (ESA-IO),  the  Smartfish 
programme  will  run  for  two  years  until  2013,  enhancing  fishery  governance,  promoting 
monitoring, control and surveillance to fight against illegal fishing and developing a regional 
trade strategy. 

5.1.4 Implementation and results 

Bilateral co-operation 

Almost  all  cooperation  with  Asian countries is implemented  through  EU  Delegations  in  the 
region and, as of 2011, the EU’s representative office in Kathmandu became a fully-fledged 
Delegation.  In  2011,  €748  million  were  committe d  to  development  programmes  across  the 
region. The bulk of these funds will be channelled via the beneficiary country's institutions or 
in partnership with other donors, including Member States. 

Significant development packages and programmes were decided for Pakistan during 2011, 
where  the  EU  is  active  in  the  sectors  of  education  -  where  it  continued  its  support  to  the 
National  Education  Programme  to  improve  access,  equity,  quality  and  governance  -  rural 
development and support to democratic institutions. There was significant progress in 2011 in 
human rights legislation in Pakistan, although the implementation of the changes needs to be 
closely  monitored  by  the  EU.  In  Indonesia,  the  focal  sectors  of  intervention  are  education, 
trade and investment, law enforcement and justice.  

In Bangladesh, 65% of the multi-annual indicative plan, 2011-2013, was committed in 2011 
to programmes targeting core development issues such as good governance and education (the 
latter  assisted  with  an  initial  sector  budget  support  programme).  Initiatives  were  also 
approved  to  reinforce  local  institutions,  improve  climate  change  resilience  and  support  the 
national population and housing census, successfully carried out by the authorities in March 
2011.  The  EU  also  took  steps  to  support  human  rights,  i.e.  the  consolidation  of  an 
independent electoral framework and the implementation of the Chittagong Hill tracts peace 
accord. 

Food security programmes helping Bangladesh to reach MDG1  

€105  million  were  committed  by  the  EU,  2006-2011  for  food  security  programmes  in 
Bangladesh.  These  contributed  to  the  eradication  of  extreme  poverty  and  hunger  (MDG1) 
with  a  particular  focus  on  poor  households  in  rural  disaster-prone  areas.  The  programmes 
have improved food security and the livelihoods of poor female-headed households, marginal 
farmers and share-cropper households. 

 Support to primary education in Bangladesh 

A €105 sum was committed 2004-2009 to improve  primary education in Bangladesh. The EU 
funding has benefited schools, teachers and pupils, with over 60 million textbooks distributed 
to pupils every year during the course of the programme. 30 000 new classrooms have been 
equipped with furniture, tube-wells for safe drinking water, and hygienic toilets. Over 35 000 
new  teachers  have  been  recruited,  and  over  90 000  teachers  receive  enhanced  pre-service 

95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
training. The teacher-pupil ratio has declined and the number of contact hours a teacher has 
with pupils has increased, resulting in better learning. 

In  the  Philippines,  the  EU  supported  reforms  to  increase  health  insurance  coverage  and 
upgrade health facilities. EU cooperation in the trade sector had numerous positive results, for 
instance  enabling  continued  fish  exports  to  the  EU  and  standardisation  of  electrical  and 
electronic appliances which represent 50% of the Philippines’ exports. It also contributed to 
the  preparation  of  the  Philippine  export  development  plan,  2011-2016.  Particular  attention 
was  paid  to  the  situation  in  Mindanao.  The  continuous  challenges  of  reconstruction  and 
development in this conflict-affected region are being tackled through support to the national 
authorities, and specific targeted and thematic interventions. 

In  Cambodia,  2011  saw  the  inception  of  new  sector  budget  support  in  education  and  an 
expanded  partnership  with  UNICEF  for  technical  cooperation.  The  EU  notably  assisted 
governance  reforms  (public  finance  management  reform  and  sub-national  democratic 
development)  trade  development  and  management  of  natural  resources  (land,  forestry, 
fisheries, livestock), along with mitigating the sensitive land concession issue.  

sector-wide  approach 

(SWAp).  Despite  deteriorating 

EU-Afghanistan cooperation in 2011 developed according to plan. Health and agriculture are 
core sectors with technical co-operation provided to the government and grants made via civil 
society organisations. In the health sector, the Commission successfully promoted a roadmap 
security  conditions, 
for  a 
implementation  of  the  agricultural  services  and  water  management  programmes  continued 
throughout 2011. The programme to rehabilitate irrigation schemes was almost completed and 
30 000  metric  tonnes  of  certified  seeds  were  produced.  In  line  with  the  'Kabul  process' 
commitments,  EU  funds  are  mostly  implemented  through  multi-donor  trust  funds.  This 
modality has increased aid coordination, predictability and ownership. Civilian police, justice 
and public administration reforms were amongst the areas that received attention in 2011 with 
a  total  of  €200  million  being  committed.  This  por tfolio  of  governance  programmes  will  be 
implemented  via  the  law  and  order  trust  fund  for  Afghanistan,  as  well  as  the  Afghanistan 
reconstruction trust fund. The EU also provides continuous support to the justice institutions 
to  prepare  a  national  priority  programme  for  justice  sector  reform,  and  it  pursued  the 
promotion of public administration reform in close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance 
and the Civil Service Commission. 

EU  cooperation  with  India  continued  in  the  education  sector  through  specific  support  to 
reforms  and  by  providing  student  exchanges  via  the  Erasmus  Mundus  programme.  A  new 
environmental  programme  was  adopted,  and  the  health  sector  support  programme  –  after 
initial  difficulties  -  took  off.  For  Malaysia,  support  to  the  trade  voluntary  partnership 
agreement  has  been  prepared  in  anticipation  of  concluding  negotiations.  In  Nepal,  the  EU 
remained an active donor for peace and stability. Two sector budget support programmes - in 
education  and  peace  and  stability  -  started  to  show  results  in  2011.  The  renewable  energy 
programme ended in December 2011, successfully providing sustainable energy to over 900 
remote communities. 

In  China,  EU  cooperation  has  remained  focused  on  strengthening  the  rule  of  law  and 
environmental  governance  as  well  as  policy  dialogue,  in  particular  on  trade  and  the 
environment.  Some  previously-approved  projects  were  launched  in  2011.  The  EU  civilian 
police  training  project  will  support  the  training  and  recruitment  components  of  the  ongoing 

96 

 
 
 
reform  of  Chinese  police.  The  “Occupational  health  and  safety  in  high-risk  sectors”  project 
will support China's capacity to design an effective strategy based on prevention and the direct 
involvement  of  workers  in  risk  management.  The  “disaster  risk  management”  project  will 
strengthen  China’s  management  capacities  and  expertise  in  disaster  prevention,  risk 
mitigation and management, and post-disaster response. Two new projects were adopted – to 
support access to justice and promote low carbon environmental sustainability. 

The  EU  and  China  have  recently  launched  the  EU-China  High-Level  People-to-People 
Dialogue  (HPPD),  aiming  to  deepen  understanding  and  mutual  trust.  This  dialogue 
encompasses past and future joint and bilateral initiatives in education and training, culture, 
multilingualism  and  youth.  The  first  HPPD  formal  meeting  will  take  place  in  Brussels  in 
April 2012. After the successful EU-China Year of Youth in 2011, the two partners are also 
currently  engaged  in  the  implementation  of  the  2012  EU-China  Year  of  Intercultural 
Dialogue. 

The EU is committed to supporting China in its transition to a low carbon economy, notably 
through  joint  work  on  energy  efficiency  in  the  building  sector,  smart  grids,  connection  of 
renewable sources of energy to the grids and clean coal technologies. Existing energy projects 
(such as the Euro-China clean energy centre, the institute for clean and renewable energy and 
Switch Asia) have delivered in several areas and regions. Equally, the EU-China trade project 
has  been  instrumental  in  supporting  the  Chinese  administration  on  issues  regarding 
standardisation for grids. Thanks to the strengthened partnership, the EU and China are now 
willing to move to a higher level of commitment, and agreed to convene the first EU-China 
high  level  meeting  in  2012  between  EU  Member  States  and  members  of  China’s  national 
energy commission. 

In  Vietnam,  the  EU  funded  two  new  programmes.  The  first  is  promoting  trade  and 
investment  through  improved  public  and  private  sector  capacity  for  policy  making  and 
commitments to international treaties, environmental and labour standards. The second has set 
up a strategic dialogue facility to promote constructive dialogue with the country and support 
activities foreseen in the EU-Vietnam partnership and cooperation agreement. In Sri Lanka, 
intense  negotiations  with  implementing  partners  and  local  authorities  took  place  in  2011 
which led to the approval of a new integrated reconstruction and rehabilitation programme for 
the north and east of the country which absorbed €60 million, 2011-2012. 

In  the  interest  of  a  deeper  mutual  interest-driven  cooperation  with  Asian  middle  income 
developing  countries,  previously  adopted  initiatives  in  this  direction  for  China,  India, 
Malaysia  and  Thailand  were  implemented,  especially  in  the  areas  of  business  and  trade  as 
well  as  joint  scientific  research.  During  2011,  EU  institutions  negotiated  the  amendment  of 
the ICI regulation – the so-called ICI plus – which was published in December 2011 and will 
provide  a  legal  basis  for  co-operation  activities  with  industrialised  and  other  high-income 
countries in 2012. 

Regional cooperation 

The  Asia-Europe  meeting  has  been  the  official  platform  for  dialogue  between  Asia  and 
Europe  since  1996.  The  Commission  underpins  the  process  through  the  ASEM  Dialogue 
facility, a Commission instrument created in 2007 to support the ASEM dialogue on a number 
of  issues:  economic  and  financial  matters,  employment  and  social  policy,  environment, 
information 
cultural  diversity  and 
technology  and  maritime  affairs.  The  Singapore-based  Asia-Europe  Foundation  (ASEF), 
funded by ASEM partners, promotes understanding and collaboration between the peoples of 

intercultural  dialogue,  development  cooperation, 

97 

 
 
 
 
 
Asia  and  Europe  through  cultural,  intellectual  and  people-to-people  exchanges.  ASEF’s 
outreach to civil society and the wider public complements the official ASEM dialogues. 

Some 366 contracts were signed with Asia in the area of research and innovation with an EU 
contribution of €82 million since 2007. Cambodia held  a senior officials meeting between the 
EU  and  ASEAN  on  science  and  technology  in  May  2011.  The  EU  and  ASEAN  jointly 
decided to make 2012 the year of science, technology and innovation49. 

SWITCH-Asia – promoting sustainable production and consumption 

 In  promoting  sustainable  production  and  consumption,  the  EU-funded  €150  million  seven-
year SWITCH-Asia programme, launched in 2007 is contributing to poverty reduction and a 
better quality of life (MDGs1 and 7). The programme works simultaneously with producers 
and consumers, and at policy level. 

By  2011,  SWITCH  had  funded  47  projects  in  15  Asian  countries.  In  Laos,  Cambodia  and 
Vietnam,  for  example,  the  programme  funded  a  project  that  supports  small  and  medium 
enterprises  in  moving  to  cleaner,  more  sustainable  production  in  all  three  countries.  In 
Bangladesh, leather production is a big industry but its waste water and solid waste and gas 
emissions  place  high  demand  on  available  water  resources.  A  SWITCH  project  which  got 
underway  in  2008  has  led  to  more  efficient  use  of  resources,  reduced  waste  emissions,  and 
better  standards  of  occupational  health  and  safety.  There  is  also  heightened  respect  for 
international  standards  which  has  improved  the  leather  producers'  access  to  export  markets. 
SWITCH-Asia  has  fast  gained  recognition  for  good  practice  in  moving  towards  a  green 
economy which could be replicated elsewhere. 

Regional response to the threat of infectious diseases in Asia 
Severe epidemics or pandemics can have a devastating socio-economic impact, in addition to 
the  human  suffering  they  bring.  This  is  particularly  the  case  for  the  poorest  and  most 
vulnerable segments of societies. In Asia, several zoonotic diseases have emerged in the past 
decade  causing  serious  epidemics  among  the  human  population.  Most  recently,  the  highly 
pathogenic  avian  influenza  (HPAI)  H5N1  spread  in  the  region,  with  a  significant  economic 
impact and loss of human life. The EU is a leading actor and partner in global endeavours to 
address  the  threat  of  avian  influenza  and  other  emerging  and  re-emerging  diseases.  It  has 
provided substantial funding of over €70 million to  the Avian and Human Influenza Facility 
(AHIF),  a  multi-donor  trust  fund  managed  by  the  WB.  It  has  also  supported  influenza 
research activities through a €65 million programme as well as  through the on-going “Highly 
pathogenic  emerging  and  re-emerging  diseases  Asia”  (HPED  Asia)  programme,  2009-2013, 
for which €20 million have been made available. In implementing the HPED programme, the 
EU is collaborating with several international and regional bodies.  

5.1.5 Monitoring 

In  Asia  72%  of  the  monitored  projects  recorded  good  or  very  good  performance  in  2011, 
whereas  29%  indicate  that  projects  are  encountering  difficulties.  This  compares  with  2010 
when 79% were in the good/very good project performance category, and 21% indicated that 

49 http://www.yearofscience2012.com 

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
projects  were  encountering  difficulties.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  any  straightforward 
conclusions  can  be  misleading  as  the  type  of  and  portfolio  of  monitored  projects  vary 
considerably from year to year  

Breaking  down  the  ROM  results  data  by  MDG  shows  that  104  projects  monitored  in  2011 
related to MDG1 (eradicating poverty) with MDG7 (environmental sustainability) being the 
second most prevalent programme category. 

On  the  basis  of  2011  ROM  data,  it  appears  smaller  projects  perform  less  well  than  larger 
ones, except in terms of efficiency, and that recent projects suffer more problems than older 
ones  (in  particular  efficiency  rates  low).  Low  ratings  for  efficiency  this  year  are  mainly 
attributable to the high number of newer projects monitored this year as projects tend to suffer 
from delays earlier in the project cycle. 

As for regional programs, a total of 26 were monitored. Large programmes, like ERASMUS, 
TEIN 3, and SWITCH-Asia, are performing very well. 

Table 9 - Overall performance of ongoing national projects by category in Asia 

Sustainability,  in  particular  financial  sustainability  of  projects,  was  the  weakest  of  all  five 
performance criteria rated by the ROM exercise in 2011. 

Table 10 - Performance by evaluation criteria –very good and good ratings for ongoing 
national in Asia 

99 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The ROM criterion receiving the highest rating in 2011 was relevance and quality of design, 
closely followed by impact. Efficiency and potential sustainability scored lower rates. 

5.1.6 Outlook 

Overall,  EU  relations  with  Asia  are  changing,  requiring  a  re-shaping  of  EU  development 
cooperation in the years to come. China and India already now play a role also as donors to 
developing  countries,  while  other  upper  middle  income  countries  like  Thailand,  Indonesia, 
Malaysia  and  Pakistan  show  increased  presence  on  the  donors’  map  as  well  as  in  trade  and 
global issues. 

The  EU  will  continue  to  focus  on  strengthening  the  strategic  dialogue  and  deepening  its 
relations with key countries like China and India. With regard to the most developed countries, 
the  EU  will  pursue  ongoing  negotiations,  ratifications  or  implementation  of  partnership 
cooperation  agreements  and  free  trade  agreements  in  the  region  as  key  instruments  for 
advancing  political  and  economic  interests  and  deepening  bi-lateral  relations.  Regional 
cooperation will be strengthened. The current and potential sources of instability in the whole 
region  will  continue  to  be  monitored  closely  with  support  for  regional  and  local  solutions. 
Regional  security,  protection  and  promotion  of  human  rights,  governance  and  tackling  the 
challenges of climate change will remain high on the EU development agenda in countries like 
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Philippines/Mindanao and Sri Lanka. 

In line with the “Agenda for Change”, the EU will apply the principle of differentiation to its 
development cooperation, including with countries in Asia, with the objective of focusing on 
those  countries  and  populations  who  are  most  in  need.  As  committed  by  Commissioner 
Piebalgs, EU commissioner for development, during his mission to Burma/Myanmar, the EU 
will  mobilise  additional  resources  to  support  the  transition  process  in  Burma/Myanmar, 
provided that the political conditions for lifting EU sanctions are in place. Additional funds 
will  support  democratic  reforms  and  inclusive  development  in  the  country,  including  key 

100 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
sectors such as health, education, and livelihoods, as well as supporting displaced people and 
strengthening civil society. 

For Afghanistan, post-transition funding for the country’s development will be discussed at a 
conference in Tokyo in July 2012. Its outcome will to a great extent depend on finalisation 
and  firming  up  of  the  outstanding  national  priority  programmes,  including  such  important 
areas  as  justice.  Progress  made  in  the  health  sector  gives  grounds  to  expect  it  should  be 
possible  to  switch  to  the  sector  approach.  In Pakistan,  political  relations are becoming  more 
prominent  and  a  strategic  dialogue  is  due  to  start  in  2012.  In  the  sphere  of  development 
cooperation, there is a rising importance of the governance sector. 

On  a  regional  dimension,  the  EU  will  continue  to  express  direct  interest  in  Asia's  regional 
architecture  which  is  reflected  in  ASEAN's  central  role  in  East  Asian  regional  fora  and 
organisations. Part of the bolstering of EU cooperation with Asia is by being directly involved 
in East Asia summits as well as  having an active dialogue with other multi-lateral fora of the 
region. 

5.2 Central Asia 

5.2.1 Introduction 

The  adoption  by  the  European  Council  of  a  strategy  for  a  new  enhanced  partnership  with 
Central Asia in June 2007 around the common goal of achieving stability and prosperity by 
means of peaceful interaction provided new impetus both to regional and bilateral dialogue. It 
also  allowed  for  strengthened  EU  cooperation  with  the  five  Central  Asia  countries 
(Kazakhstan,  Kyrgyzstan,  Tajikistan,  Turkmenistan  and  Uzbekistan)  on  the  major  issues 
facing the region, such as poverty reduction, sustainable development and stability and their 
integration  in  the  global  economy.  The  strategy  is  driven  by  a  shared  commitment  to 
developing  long-term  partnerships  on  the  basis  of  common  objectives  and  undertakings  to 
strengthen peace and stability in Central Asia, respect for human rights and the development 
of the rule of law and democracy. 

In  2011,  the  EU  maintained  its  strong  focus  on  Central  Asia  with  encouraging  results. 
Country partners from the region increasingly view the EU as a close political partner and a 
trusted supporter for the challenging transition process on which they have embarked, as well 
as offering economic opportunity. 

At the EU/Central Asia foreign ministers’ meeting in Tashkent on 7 April 2011, the EU and 
its  Central  Asia  partners  renewed  their  commitment  to  the  objectives  and  continued 
implementation  of  the  EU/CA  Strategy,  with  mobilisation  of  resources for  the period  2012-
2013 aimed at benefiting crucial political and socio-economic reforms. A joint plan of action 
on implementation of the UN global counter-terrorism strategy in Central Asia was endorsed 
at a ministerial meeting in Ashgabad on 30 November 2011. 

In  the  course  of  the  year,  the  EU  continued  to  support  the  path  for  democratic  reforms  in 
Kyrgyzstan. It pledged over €15 million to assist the people affected by the violent events in 
spring  2010,  notably  in  South  Kyrgyzstan,  supporting  reconstruction  activities  and 
confidence-building  measures,  and  providing  assistance  for  the  election  processes  and 
consolidation of the new democratic framework embedded in the new constitution.  

The EU-Kazakhstan co-operation council in December 2011 launched negotiations on a new 
enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement which opened the way for a substantial and 

101 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
comprehensive  strengthening  of  relationships  based  on  common  values.  The  EU  side  made 
clear that political reforms were integral part of the agenda, and committed itself to support 
the process, also in co-operation with the Council of Europe (Kazakhstan notably acceded to 
the  cultural  convention,  and  the  Bologna  Process).  In  the  energy  sector,  the  EU  launched 
negotiations in October for a tri-lateral agreement between Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the 
EU on a legal framework for a Trans-Caspian (natural gas) pipeline system. This document is 
the  first  of  its  kind  and  aims  to  support  the  realisation  of  the  southern  corridor  and  the 
diversification of energy supply routes (as well as sources and counterparties) to Europe; it is 
a  unique  document  without  precedent  confirming  EU  concrete  involvement  to  facilitate 
energy investments in the region. 

The  EU  has  strengthened  its  presence  in  the  region,  with  the  opening  of  a  Delegation  in 
Uzbekistan, following others opened in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2010. 

5.2.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

The coordination of donor support in the region to avoid any overlapping or duplication is a 
pre-requisite  for  targeting  resources  well  and  achieving  objectives.  Donor  coordination  is 
improving  across  the  region,  in  part  thanks  to  the  EU-Central  Asia  strategy  and  its 
implementation mechanisms, and in part as a result of country-level efforts. The EU has also 
increased  its  cooperation  with  international  financing  institutions  in  the  region,  enhancing 
overall coordination and enabling a sharper focus on priority areas to improve the impact of 
assistance. 

During  2011,  the  Commission  made  further  efforts  to  foster  donor  coordination  and   
implement  the  EU  code  of  conduct  on  division  of  labour  in  Central  Asia.  Results  have 
notably  been  achieved  recently  in  Tajikistan  and  Kyrgyzstan,  where  joint  cooperation 
strategies  with  other  donors  have  been  in  place  since  2008/2009.  In  Kyrgyzstan,  the  EU 
became  co-chair  of  the  broader  donor  group  –  the  development  partners'  co-ordination 
council – which meets monthly. In 2011, it assisted the government in drawing up medium 
and  long-term  development  plans  to  replace  the  former  country  development  strategy.  The 
EU cooperates with the UN on elections, human rights, social protection, prison reform, and 
border management issues.  

Cooperation between the EU and international organisations in the focal sectors of the EU’s 
bi-lateral  cooperation  with  Tajikistan  has  been  further  increased  through  joint  work  in  the 
areas  of  governance,  public  finance  management,  health,  social  protection,  agriculture  and 
private  sector  development.  Donor  coordination  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  and  Tajikistan 
focused  on  public  finance  management  issues.  For  the  period  2011-2013,  budget  support 
assistance  is  being  consolidated  by  appropriate  policy  advice  and  close  monitoring  of 
progress in public finance management, enabling the use of country systems in accountable 
and transparent ways, thereby increasing ownership and effective impact. 

5.2.3 Working towards the MDGs 

Achievement of the MDGs is supported by the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) 
with  an  overall  objective  of  alleviating  poverty  and  promoting  sustainable  economic  and 
social development.  

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kazakhstan  has  already  achieved  the  first  three  MDGs  on  poverty  reduction,  access  to 
primary  education  and  gender  equality  and  has  consequently  adopted  more  ambitious 
objectives for those areas (the MDG+ targets). This enhanced version of the MDGs is aimed 
at strengthening and consolidating these early achievements and setting a new roadmap for 
the period 2010-2015. 

The Kyrgyz Republic is also an early achiever of MDG1 and MDG3 targets and is well on 
track to reach MDG2. But both the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan need to deploy greater 
efforts  in  fighting  HIV/AIDS  and  other  infectious  diseases  (MDG6)  and  in  enhancing 
environment sustainability (MDG7) where they are regressing in many indicators.  

Despite  improvements  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic  and  Tajikistan  with  regard  to  MDG1  and 
MDG2,  these  countries  remain  among  the  poorest  in  Asia  according  to  the  Human 
Development Index (HDI). The challenge still remains for Uzbekistan where the number of 
extremely  poor  people  remains  significant.  Progress  as  regards  HIV/AIDS  prevalence  has 
been made in all countries except for Tajikistan. 

All  central  Asia  countries  are  off  track  on  MDG4  (child  mortality).    With  an  under-five 
children mortality average rate of 44 per 1000 and an infant mortality average rate of 38 per 
1000 live births, all central Asia countries are off track on MDG4 (child mortality). Country 
performances  for  MDG5  (maternal  health)  are  mixed,  Tajikistan  and  Kazakhstan  are 
advancing  slowly,  or  even  regressing.  Others,  such  as  Uzbekistan,  have  either  already 
attained both goals, or remain on track to reach them. In Uzbekistan, the “Mother and Child” 
programme  is  helping  achieving  MDGs4  and  5  as  shown  by  the  trends  in  indicators  for 
under-five mortality (down 8% between 2005 and 2009) and the infant mortality rate (10% 
down over the same period). 

EU  aid  under  the  DCI  contributes  to  the  fight  against  poverty  with  assistance  to  human 
capacity  development,  agricultural  reform  and  pro-SME,  investment  and  business  capacity 
programmes to raise living standards. EU support also goes to improving health management 
systems,  to  enhance  social  protection/pensions  and  to  improve  education  systems. 
Governance  and  the  rule  of  law  are  particularly  targeted  by  the  EU  through  assistance  for 
judicial  reforms,  strengthening  public  administration  and  public  finance  management. 
Attention is also given to environmental issues and the illegal drugs trade. 

5.2.4 Implementation and results 

In  2011,  EU  development  cooperation  commitments  to  Central  Asia  totalled  €93  million. 
There was a strong emphasis on education, social protection, and the investment facility for 
Central Asia. 

In  Kazakhstan,  the  EU  continues  to  support  public  sector  reform  and  modernisation.  A 
project  to  provide  access  to  justice  for  women  and  a  judiciary  reform  programme  has  in 
particular been successful. Other initiatives focus on developing a solid legal framework, and 
investment  environment.  The  economic  diversification 
are  promoting  a  favourable 
programme helps to reduce Kazakhstan's over-dependence on the energy sector by creating 
new  business  opportunities  and  increasing  competitiveness.  The  programme  is  strongly 
supported and co-financed by the Kazakh government.  

In Kyrgyzstan, a €40 million five-year pr ogramme which started in 2008 to improve social 
protection  and  public  finance  management,  has  resulted  in  more  effective  social  protection 

103 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and social insurance systems and has reduced delays in the payment of pensions and social 
benefits . Specific actions have been taken to incorporate childcare social protection, improve 
the  targeting  of  benefits,  and  to  establish  effective  de-centralised  social  services  to  support 
vulnerable  families  and  children.  Progress  has  also  been  made  towards  establishing  the 
legislative  and  institutional  framework  for  reforms,  and  in  putting  in  place  the  institutional 
and  personnel  capacity  to  carry  them  out.  The  EU  is  also  providing  technical  assistance  to 
Kyrgyzstan’s  ministry  of  education  to  assist  with  the  redesigning  of  the  education  system, 
identified by the government as an urgent priority. Another programme is targeting schools 
that  teach  specific  professional  skills,  allowing  students  to  acquire  new  competences 
according the needs of the local job market.  

In  Tajikistan,  the  implementation  of  a  €26  million  social  protection  budget  support 
programme was initiated. Amounting to a continuation of earlier support programmes to the 
sector, the programme is instrumental to the ministry of labour and social protection’s reform 
objectives. New targeted social benefits were introduced in two districts of Tajikistan. Over 
20 000 requests for benefits have been processed and more than 6500 families have already 
received benefits. In the area of development of social services, eight new centres providing 
specialised social services for the population were created. The quality of services in nursing 
homes  run  by  the  ministry  of  labour  and  social  protection  also  improved  with  revised 
standards for food and medicines provision, revised and increased staffing, and renovation of 
premises. PFM is a cross-cutting issue for EU commitments to Tajikistan. In 2011, as a result 
of a technical assistance support project, a new public finance law incorporating the mid-term 
expenditure  framework  (MTEF)  was  adopted  and  major  capacity  in  MTEF  was  built  up  in 
the three participating line ministries. Internal Audit law and financial management control 
law  have  also  been  adopted  by  the  country’s  parliament  and  a  public  sector  accounting 
strategy  and  training  strategy  for  capacity  building  in  PFM  have  been  developed.  EU 
interventions in the field of agriculture contributed to the adoption by the lower chamber of 
the parliament of the legal amendments related to the VAT issue for agri-leasing – a major 
step forward. By the end of 2011, around 12 000 loans totalling $39 million had been granted 
in the context of these interventions.  

Improving care and social justice for vulnerable people in Khatlon 

The Khatlon project, supported by the EU, is working with rural communities in the Khatlon 
region of Tajikistan, where most of the poor live. Since it began in 2008 the districts of Jomi, 
Khuroson  and  Kurgan-Tube  have  witnessed  significant  improvements  to  local  social 
services. Thanks to the collaboration with district authorities and the ministry of labour and 
social  protection, the project  has contributed to the expansion of alternative non-residential 
social  care  and  the  establishment  of  three  new  territorial  centres.  Home  care  for  lonely 
elderly people has been organised. Families of those with limited mobility – due to illness or 
a chronic condition – have received social, medical, psychological and legal assistance. More 
services for vulnerable groups have been created, including eight new centres which are now 
financed and managed by the government and local NGOs. 

In  Turkmenistan,  an  important  new  programme  initiated  in  2011  is  providing  technical 
assistance to the ministry of education to modernise the education system – with as special 
focus  on  general  secondary  education  (see  case  study).  The  aim  is  to  introduce  innovative 
learning  and  teaching  methodologies  to  bring  the  education  system  closer  to  international 
standards.  The  EU  is  also  supporting  the  development  and  modernisation  of  the  public 
administration  in  Turkmenistan.  Other  new  programmes  are  supporting  Turkmenistan's 

104 

 
 
 
 
 
 
reforms in the field of economic policies, strategic planning, parliamentary issues, technical 
regulation,  sustainable  development  and  the  rational  use  of  natural  resources.  A  new 
programme  is  complementing  ongoing  EU  assistance  to  the  modernisation  of  the  public 
administration  through  institutional  strengthening  and  policy  support.  The  legal  capacity 
building project started in 2011 is creating an appropriate training resource facility to boost 
in-country expertise in the areas of comparative law and international practices. 

Modernisation of Turkmenistan’s education system  
An  EU-supported  programme  is  helping  to  modernise  Turkmenistan’s  education  system, 
involving a review of secondary education, teacher training and re-training, the introduction 
of innovative teaching methods, and overall improvements to quality. The programme has so 
far enabled: 218 managers, teachers and trainers to receive courses in curricula development, 
modern  approaches,  the  methodology  of  teaching  mother  tongues  and  second  languages. 
New  curricula  of  language  subjects  for  grade  4  were  developed  and  implemented  in  seven 
pilot schools at the beginning of the school year 2011/2012. At the same time, 178 teachers 
from  the  seven  pilot  schools  have  so  far  received  training  in  interactive  learning 
methodology. Further, the review of the content of the education system, pre-service and in-
service teacher training systems, the quality assurance  system  and  school  management  will 
inform  the  modernisation  strategy  of  the  education  system  as  a  whole,  and  in  particular 
general secondary education from 1st to 10th grade. 

In  Uzbekistan,  by  the  end  of  2011,  five  new  projects  managed  by  local  associations  in 
partnership  with  international  non-governmental  organisations  were  set  up  to  improve  the 
living  standards  of  vulnerable  groups.  Focal  areas  of  this  programme  include  women 
entrepreneurship, local community development, and health and education services. A very 
innovative EU programme to back reform of the criminal justice sector in Uzbekistan started 
in  2011.  Implemented  by  the  specialised  agencies  of  EU  Member  States,  the  programme 
provides long-term capacity building at strategic and operational levels within the Uzbekistan 
Supreme Court research centre, the general prosecutor's office, the ministry of justice and the 
ministry of internal affairs, regarding implementation of new decrees on the rule of law and 
on the death penalty. 

Financial education for low-income households in Uzbekistan 

Basic financial awareness among low-income households in Uzbekistan has been improved 
through a financial education programme. The programme has successfully provided training 
to over 800 people in addressing issues of household earnings in rural areas and the use of 
diverse  financial  services  such  as  credits,  savings,  insurance  and  remittances  in  local 
communities. The programme has had a long-term positive impact on households’ savings; 
among  those  who  saved  before,  78%  started  saving  more  regularly  and  61%  added  new 
saving goals. A second phase of the project was initiated in 2011. It is part of the institutional 
building partnership programme which has been implemented in Uzbekistan since 2002.  

The  'mother-and-child'  programme  in  Uzbekistan  continues  to  improve  health  services 
delivered to mothers and children with a second phase of the programme under preparation. 
Other  projects  in  Kazakhstan  are  helping  the  ministry  of  health  provide  health  services, 
especially to the most vulnerable groups: children, mothers or people affected by infectious 
diseases. In Tajikistan, the EU contributed to the development  of the health  sector  strategy 
and is developing a health management information system to produce relevant and quality 
information for health system activities. 

105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Regional cooperation 

At the regional level, the Investment Facility for Central Asia (IFCA), launched in 2010 to 
promote  additional  investments  and  key  infrastructure  with  an  initial  focus  on  energy, 
environment,  SMEs  and  social  infrastructure,  became  active  in  2011.  IFCA  now  offers  the 
possibility of jointly funding operations with European financial institutions through different 
mechanisms:  investment  grants,  technical  assistance  support  and  risk  capital  operations 
(credit  enhancement  schemes,  local  currency  lending).  Pilot  infrastructures  have  been 
financed through IFCA with EU grants, notably in the energy and water sectors. 

The EU allocated new funding for quality higher education and vocational training through 
the  Tempus  and  Erasmus  Mundus  programmes.  The  EU-Central  Asia  education/rule  of  law 
platform was initiated in 2011 under the European education initiative for Central Asia. This 
new  project  is  assisting  the  modernisation  of  education  systems  across  the  region  and  is 
supporting enhanced policy dialogue. 

On  the  rule  of  law,  the  implementation  of  the  fifth  phase  of  the  EU’s  flagship  CADAP 
regional programme which gives support to the anti-drug policies of central Asian countries 
is  under  way.  Unlike  previous  phases,  the  present  phase  of  CADAP  is  implemented  by  a 
consortium of EU Member States, bringing together the EU’s best expertise. Phase eight of 
implementation  of  another  EU  flagship  regional  programme  –  BOMCA,  supporting 
integrated  border  management  and  regional  dialogue  –  started  up  in  2011.  The  EU  also 
supports wider dialogue with central Asia in the framework of the EU-Central Asia rule of 
law  Initiative.  The  launch  of  the  rule  of  law  platform  in  2011  will  enable  the  provision  of 
required services for further implementation of the rule of law initiative supported by the EU. 

In the area of economic and private sector development at regional level, the EU promoted 
job  opportunities  provided  by  a  growing  business  and  SME  sector.  Since  2010,  the  SME 
sector  is  further  supported  by  the  Central  Asia  invest  programme,  which  assists  capacity-
building  through  business  intermediary  organisations.  This  new  tool  should  become  a 
strategic instrument in providing assistance to key infrastructures in Central Asian countries, 
where 
investments  could  not  otherwise  be  made.  The  EU  also  continued 
implementation  of  bilateral  projects,  supporting  private  sector  development,  particularly  in 
Kazakhstan. 

those 

The  new  Investment  Facility  for  Central  Asia  provides  regional  and  bilateral  assistance  by 
blending  EU  grants  and  loans  from  European  financing  institutions.  In  2011,  the  first 
approved  investments  have  targeted  the  environment  (renewable  energies  and  energy 
efficiency)  and  energy  (renewable  energies  and  energy  efficiency).  A  possible  extension  is 
envisaged  to  attract  SMEs,  social  infrastructure  investments,  and  transport.  The  initial  2010 
allocation to the facility was €20 million and  another €45 million will be added from 2011-
2013.  The  current  pipeline  of  grants  and  loans  has  reached  €500  million.  The  EU  has  also 
contributed to the improvement of regional water governance within the framework provided 
by  the  EU-CA  environment  and  water  cooperation  platform  (EURECA)  and  the  EU  water 
initiative (EUWI). National water policy dialogues under the EUWI were established in five 
countries. 

5.2.5 Monitoring 

106 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
40 national projects and nine regional programmes were monitored in Central Asia in 2011. 
These  represented  a  total  budget  of  over  €131  milli on.  In  general,  the  performance  of  most 
projects in Central Asia was quite good, with 83% of projects classified as good or very good. 
Performance was very similar to 2010, but it should be noted that the portfolio of monitored 
projects was considerably different this year. 

Table 11: Overall performance of ongoing national projects by category in Central Asia 

In 2011, impact and sustainability were the highest-rated evaluation DAC criteria with 88% 
and 83% of the projects in Central Asia receiving good and very good rating.  The criterion 
relevance and design received a lower score this year compared to 2010. This seems to reflect 
the speed at which project environments are changing in Central Asian countries between the 
design and the implementation stages. Project partners have limited resources, time and staff, 
with  which  to  engage  with  contractors  leading  to  lesser  involvement  in  projects.  Greater 
coordination  between  projects  implemented  at  the  same  time  in  the  same  countries  would 
reduce  the  demand  on  partners’  resources,  lead to  higher  levels  of  cooperation  and  produce 
better and more sustainable results. 

Table 12: Performance by evaluation criteria – very good and good ratings for ongoing 
national in Central Asia 

107 

 
 
 
5.2.6 Outlook  

The EU’s multiannual indicative programme allocation for Central Asia for 2011-13 is €321 
million,  covering  both  regional  and  bilateral  cooperation.  It  highlights  education  and  higher 
education, health and social protection, good governance, as well as environment, energy, and 
climate change issues. 

The EU’s commitment to poverty alleviation in the region will continue to focus on the two 
poorest  countries,  Kyrgyzstan  and  Tajikistan.  In  Tajikistan,  the  EU  will  aim  at  further 
strengthening  public  finance  management  and  will  continue  its  support  to  private  sector 
development in agriculture. In Kyrgyzstan, the priorities for cooperation, 2011-13, are social 
protection  and  public  finance  management,  education  and  rule  of  law.  In  Kazakhstan,  the 
focus  of  EU  cooperation  is  on  local  development,  public  administration  reform  and  judicial 
reform.  New  partnership  modes  such  as  pilot  activities,  preparatory  activities  and  twinning 
with  EU  Member  States  institutions  are  beginning  to  be  used.  Relations  with  the  EU  have 
recently intensified in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Cooperation is focused on economic and 
institutional reforms, good governance and education. 

5.3 Pacific 

5.3.1 Introduction 

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the region and challenges its ability to achieve 
the  MDGs.  As  a  follow-up  to  the  EU-Pacific  Initiative  on  climate  change  (Strasbourg, 
December 2010), the European Commissioner for Development met with Pacific ministers in 
a  high  level  regional  conference  on  climate  change  (Vanuatu,  March  2011).  The  event 
confirmed the need for further joint initiatives and a plan of action. Pacific and EU partners 
were invited to strengthen their commitment to high-impact development cooperation aimed 
at  addressing  climate  change,  reducing  poverty,  maximising  synergies  between  biodiversity 

108 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
conservation,  climate  change  adaptation  and  disaster  risk  reduction,  and  promoting  human 
rights, democracy and gender equality, as well as achieving all MDGs.  

The  EU  has  continued  to  develop  a  policy  framework  which  combines  development  and 
climate change assistance and is responsive to Pacific partners’ needs for adaptation finance 
combined  with  support  to  improve  their  access  to,  and  management  of  additional  climate 
change  resources.  EU  approaches  are  very  similar  to  the  recommendations  of  the  forum  of 
economic  ministers  for  climate  change  financing  methods  based  on  aid  effectiveness 
principles and for climate change to be integrated in national budgets and development plans, 
in order for country systems to be used where possible, particularly through budget support, 
as the most effective form of delivery. 

The EU has both increased additional climate change funds for the Pacific and has continued 
to  support  efforts  made  towards  eligibility  for  budget  support  across  the  region,  where 
assistance  delivered  through  projects  tends  to  overstretch  small  administrations.  Budget 
support  is  more  suited  to  delivering  higher  impact  development  outcomes  and  responses  to 
climate  change,  while  contributing  to  improved  institutional,  policy  and  regulatory 
frameworks.  So  far, 
the  strengthening  of  public  finance  management  (PFM)  and 
accountability mechanisms has been conducive to budget support in New Caledonia, Pitcairn, 
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. 

The EU continues to encourage the region to ratify and implement UN conventions on human 
rights and the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC). To assist countries in 
this respect, a contribution agreement was signed in 2011 between the Commission and the 
Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat. 

The  EU  concluded  the  10th  EDF  mid-term  review  for  most  Pacific  countries  in  2011. 
Decisions  granting  increased  allocations  were  adopted  for  six  nations  that  were  performing 
well (Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga) for a total 
amount  of  €12  million.  These  funds  will  mostly  be  used  to  tackle  climate  change-related 
initiatives. Papua New Guinea's allocation was reduced due to unsatisfactory progress). Three 
Pacific  countries  (Kiribati,  Samoa,  Timor-Leste)  qualified  for  support  totalling  €16  million 
under the EU’s MDG Initiative, to accelerate progress towards reaching the MDGs.  

In  Fiji,  no  progress  could  be  noted  in  the  internal  political  situation,  as  elections  are  only 
expected to be held in 2014 and the state of emergency imposed in April 2009 persists. While 
development  assistance  remains  suspended,  the  EU  –  in  response  to  continued  socio-
economic deterioration and in particular the critical situation in the sugar belt areas – decided 
to  continue  and  enhance  its  activities  focussing  on  social  mitigation  and  build  on  the  €8 
million  allocated  in  2010  to  be  funded  through  Fiji's  indicative  allocation  for  2011-2013  of 
€51  million.  Further  support  to  bring  about  a  return   to  democracy  and  rule  of  law,  such  as 
support to preparing elections and national dialogue, remains a possibility.  

Finally,  the  Commission  President  and  the  European  Commissioner  for  Climate  Action 
attended  the  Pacific  Island  Forum’s  annual  meeting  marking  the  40th  anniversary  of  the 
institution, confirming the EU’s long-term partnership and support for the region's sustainable 
development and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. 

5.3.2 Aid effectiveness and donor coordination 

109 

 
 
 
 
The  EU  supports  the  2009  Cairns  Compact  which  seeks  to  enhance  aid  effectiveness  in  the 
Pacific by encouraging its development partners – both states and regional organisations – to 
assume  leadership  for  donor  co-ordination.  The  EU  supports  Pacific  partner  countries' 
national  development  and  sector  strategies  through  sector  policy  support  programmes  and 
when eligible, through budget support, channelling aid  though the countries' own budgetary 
systems.  To  date,  six Pacific  ACP  countries  and  two  European  overseas  territories  in  the 
Pacific are receiving, or will soon receive, assistance through budget support. 

As of 2011, delegated cooperation and transfer agreements which already take place between 
the EU and Member States were also made possible with Australia. Thus, where it is possible 
and if there is a comparative advantage, EU and Australia may use one another's experience in 
implementing  a  programme  on  each  other’s  behalf.  The  Commission  has  also  joined  the 
Pacific  Regional  Infrastructure  Facility,  a  platform  on  which  Australia,  New  Zealand,  the 
ADB, the WB, the Commission and the EIB, can coordinate infrastructure assistance projects. 

5.3.3 Working towards the MDGs 

The Cook Islands,  Niue, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga  are  performing  well  in  progress  towards 
the achievement of the MDGs. There is more of a mixed picture in realising the goals by 2015 
in  Fiji,  the  Marshall  Islands,  the  Federated  States  of  Micronesia,  Solomon  Islands,  Tuvalu, 
and  Vanuatu.  In  Kiribati,  Nauru,  and  Papua  New  Guinea  there  is  substantial  progress  to  be 
made. 

As a whole, the Pacific region is unlikely to achieve the target of halving the  proportion of 
people living in extreme poverty (MDG1) by 2015. The proportion of underweight children 
and  malnutrition  also  remains  prevalent.  According  to  UNDP  estimates,  about  27%  of  the 
region’s population is undernourished. Progress has been made on the path to achieving the 
MDGs on access to primary education (MDG2), gender equality in education (MDG3), and 
reduction of infant and child mortality (MDG4). Although maternal mortality remains a major 
problem  in  most  island  states,  many  countries  are  performing  well  in  improving  maternal 
health (MDG5). Progress is slow in stopping the spread of infectious and non-communicable 
diseases, but with the exception of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tuvalu, most Pacific island 
countries are likely to achieve the targets on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases (MDG6). 
Access  to  safe  drinking  water  and  sanitation  services  is  supported  by  EU  programmes  in 
several  Pacific  islands,  for  instance  in  the  Cook  Islands,  Kiribati,  Samoa  and  Tuvalu. 
Sustainable and renewable energy programmes are being assisted in other countries – Nauru, 
Niue and Tonga. The biodiversity stock of the Pacific region continues to be deteriorated. The 
prospect of achieving environmental sustainability (MDG7) is unclear since global warming 
and climate change pose significant threats to the region and most Pacific island nations are 
vulnerable to rising sea levels.  
Improving fisheries management 

Across  the  world  millions  of  people  are  employed  as  fishers,  traders  and  processors,  and 
millions of livelihoods rely directly on oceans and inland water bodies as their primary source 
of  food.  In  ACP  regions,  the  programme  ACP  FishII  contributes  to  the  sustainable  and 
equitable  management  of  fisheries,  aiming  to  reduce  poverty  and  improve  food  security. 
Funded under the 9th EDF (€30 million), it will r un for four years until 2013. 

5.3.4 Implementation and results 

110 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2011, the EU continued to support Samoa's water sector policy and provided €14 million 
in budget support, reflecting the continued improvements made in strengthening governance 
in  the  water  and  sanitation  sector,  but  also  the  government's  efforts  in  consolidating  the 
country’s fiscal situation, after two years marked by a tsunami and the global economic crisis. 

Reducing the risk of natural disasters 

With rising sea levels, concerns are growing in the Pacific over the negative effects of climate 
change. The EU is funding projects all over the region to reduce the risks of natural disasters 
and  strengthen  integrated  management  of  coastal,  territorial  and  marine  environments:  from 
mangrove  replanting,  reforestation  of  watershed  areas,  rainwater  harvesting  and  water 
conservation to the introduction of drought/salt resistant cultivars, soil retention measures and 
reduced-impact harvesting. 

European technical co-operation assisted Tonga, Cook Islands and Kiribati in preparing for 
budget  support.  In  Tonga,  the  EU  is  a  key  partner  in  taking  forward  the  government's 
development  strategy  with  its  focus  on  energy.  During  2011,  the  ‘Vulnerability  Flex’ 
instrument  provided  €5.5  million  to  Tonga  and  Samoa,  and  €1.5  million  for  Tuvalu  to 
alleviate  the  consequences  of  the  global  economic  crisis.  In  the  Cook  Islands,  a  public 
expenditure and financial accountability (PEFA) review assessed the country's eligibility for 
budget support. In Kiribati, a review of the financial legislation was undertaken in 2011 and 
support was provided for a development of a public financial management reform strategy. 

The EU’s engagement with the government of Fiji is currently limited. Instead, an allocation 
of €8 million from the DCI accompanying measures for sugar programme was committed in 
2011,  with  funds  channelled  through  civil  society  organisations  to  benefit  the  population 
directly. Under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the EU 
continued in 2011 to support the activities of civil society partners including: the protection of 
consumer  and  disabled  persons'  rights;  support  to  trade  unions  and  to  NGOs  involved  in 
community civic education. 

A more sustainable fishing industry 

The  EU  is  funding  a  €6.61  million  Oceanic  fi sheries  management  programme  (2007-2013) 
reaching 14 Pacific countries and three EU overseas territories. It is supplying information on 
Pacific  marine  resources  and  eco-systems  to  improve  the  ability  to  monitor  illegal  and 
unregulated  fishing  and  promote  sustainable  fisheries.  A  tuna  management  system  now 
enables  comparison  of  data  from  several  sources,  which  contributes  to  the  sustainable 
management of tuna stocks, of great value to the region.  

Papua New Guinea’s absorption capacity reached a limit; resulting in a 20% decrease in the 
EU’s funding allocation to the country for 2008-2013. Vanuatu also encountered absorption 
problems, for instance in respect of a programme addressing climate change. In the Solomon 
Islands,  all  programmed  funds  were  spent  and  the  drafting  of  a  new  budget  support 
programme targeting the environment got underway. 

Regional  cooperation  in  the  Pacific  is  supported  by  several  regional  organisations  such  as 
the Pacific Forum Secretariat, the South Pacific Community, the Forum Fisheries Agency and 
the  South  Pacific  Regional  Environment  Programme.  Agreements  for  regional  cooperation 
projects that were signed in 2011 included support to the Oceanic Customs Organisation (€8 

111 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
million) and for the Small Island States programme (€11.4 million). Other allocations went to 
the  following  sectors:  tourism  (€5  million), 
trade  (€8  million)  and  agricultural  commodities 
(€8.5  million).  A  multi-country  disaster  risk  reduction  programme  in  2011  provided  water 
storage in several atoll countries. For instance, the drought conditions on Funafuti Island of 
Tuvalu  were  attenuated  due  to  the  supply  of  water  tanks.  In  2011,  the  €4  million  deep  sea 
minerals  project  effectively  got  off  the  ground,  providing  technical  and  policy  advice  to 
Tonga,  Nauru  and  Kiribati.  Nauru  and  Tonga  have  now  become  the  first  developing 
countries to be granted exploration permits in the international seabed jurisdiction. 

Better disaster management 

The  EU  has  contributed  to  a  €9.76  million  disa ster  risk  reduction  project  to  help  local 
communities  in  eight  countries  across  the  Pacific  islands.  Projects  involve  institutions  and 
stakeholders  such  as  the  Secretariat  of  the  Pacific  Community  Applied  Geosciences  and 
technology division (SOPAC). Disaster management is being improved through the setting up 
of  new  emergency  and  early  warning  centres  and  communication  systems.  So  far,  five 
operation centres have been opened in Palau, Micronesia and the Solomon Islands. Moreover, 
ten  seismic  stations  and  flood  monitoring  equipment  have  been  provided  to  Papua  New 
Guinea.  Resilience  to  drought  has  been  strengthened  by  ensuring  access  to  drinking  water. 
For example, over 400 rainwater tanks have already been constructed in Tuvalu, Tonga and 
Nauru under the programme, which runs until 2013. 

5.3.5 Monitoring 

In  2011,  51  on-going  national,  six  ongoing  regional  and  seven  closed  programmes 
representing EU commitments of some €153.5 milli on in 15 Pacific countries were monitored 
by independent experts that carry out results oriented monitoring (ROM). 

The outcome suggested that 64.7% of national on-going projects perform well, 23.5% present 
problems  and  11.7%  encounter  major  difficulties.  Although  the  programs  covered  are 
different from one year to the other, covering different countries and themes, the results of the 
monitoring exercises are fairly consistent. 

The following graphs show the assessments made in the sample EU projects and programs in 
the Pacific from 2009 to 2011 selected for the ROM exercise. 

Table 13: Overall performance of ongoing national projects by category 

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

0.642

0.6471

0.561

0.293

0.232

0.2353

2009

2010

2011

Very good performance (I)

Good performance (II)

Performing with problems
(III)

Not performing, major
difficulties (IV)

112 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The monitoring shows that overall performance for ongoing projects is good for some 64% of 
Pacific  EU  projects  in  2011.  Significantly  however,  virtually  no  projects  demonstrate  very 
good performance and a significant share of the programs have implementation difficulties. 

As  the  table  below  shows,  while  projects  are  largely  considered  relevant,  there  are  strong 
concerns with regard to efficiency in almost half of the projects. 

Table 14: Performance by evaluation criteria –very good and good ratings 

ROM assessment: Grades by evaluation criteria (national 
projects)

Very good (a )

Good (b)

72.5%

2.0%

Relevance and
Design

45.1%

5.9%

66.7%

58.8%

51.0%

5.9%

2.0%

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Impact

Sustainability

49%  of  the  projects  reviewed  face  efficiency  problems  in  terms  of  input  used  and 
implementation  of  activities  and  49%  also  experience  difficulties  in  delivering  results. 
39% have sustainability problems. This confirms relatively high dependence of Small Island 
Developing  States  in  the  Pacific  on  development  and  low  local  institutional  capacity 
(compensated  by  donors  with  technical  assistance).  Another  important  factor  may  be 
significant fragmentation of foreign aid to the region. 

In the Pacific, the specific geographic, administrative, technical and political conditions affect 
implementation  of  many  projects.  Typical  problems  for  programmes  in  the  pacific  include 
great  distances,  absence  of  reliable  statistics  and  indicators,  political  reorientation,  lack  of 
trained  programme  management  staff  and  changes  of  political  or  administrative  projects 
support. 

5.3.6 Outlook 

The  relevance  of  EU  interventions  in  the  Pacific  is  confirmed  –  inter  alia  –  by  mid-term 
reviews  both  at  country  and  regional  levels.  With  the  exception  of  Papua  New  Guinea, 
additional  funds  are  provided  to  sector  policies  and  national  development  plans  in  most 
Pacific  countries.  The  EU  interventions  will  continue  to  tackle  challenges  such  as  climate 
change  and  sustainability  in  a  context  of  high  demographic  growth  with  a  focus  on  water, 
energy,  waste  management,  depletion  of  natural  resources  and  the  need  for  climate  change 
resilient  infrastructures  (land  and  maritime,  energy  and  telecommunications).  A  Pacific 
Infrastructure Facility (€10 million) which blends  grants with loans is likely to be decided in 
2012.  

113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  EU,  together  with  Pacific  countries  and  organisations,  will  continue  to  address  the 
challenges  of  Pacific  regional  integration  and  negotiate  EPAs.  Strengthening  countries' 
administrative  capacity,  with  a  view  to  continue  improving  public  finance  management  and 
ensuring economic stability, will also be at the centre of EU attention. 

A communication, “Towards a renewed EU Pacific development partnership” is expected to 
be presented in 2012, outlining the EU partnership with Pacific countries' organisations in the 
coming  years.  In  conjunction  with  this,  the  programming  of  EU  development  assistance  for 
the Pacific 2014-2020 (11th EDF) will start in 2012. 

Tables: Breakdown of external aid by instrument 

Table 15 ENPI - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid in 2011

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Commitments in € million

94 M€, 5%

0%

514 M€, 27%

1 022 M€, 53%

89 M€, 5%

190 M€, 10%

Disbursements in € million

99 M€, 8%

90 M€, 7%

66 M€, 5%

144 M€, 11%

224 M€, 17%

682 M€, 52%

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

114 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 16 ENPI - External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid

€ million

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

          1 666               1 773               1 637               1 807    

         2 015    

Disbursements

          1 412               1 530               1 474               1 513    

         1 426    

Bilateral and multilateral flows (EuropeAid only).

Table 17 ENPI - General and sector budget support per country

Commitments in € million

Country

GBS 
/ SBS

Sector

Decription

Total

Multisector aid

Support to the Government of Armenia for the 
implementation of the ENP Action Plan and 
preparations for the future Association 
Agreement – Phase II

Rural development

Rural development support programme

SBS

SBS

Energy policy and administrative 
management

SBS

Energy sector policy support programme

SBS

SBS

SBS

SBS

SBS

Legal and judicial development

Support to the criminal justice sector in Georgia

Reconstruction relief and 
rehabilitation
Public finance management

Power generation/renewable 
sources 
Education policy and 
administrative management
Energy policy and administrative 
management
Women’s equality organisations 
and institutions
Multisector aid

Women’s equality organisations 
and institutions
Multisector aid

Support to conflict affected/displaced population

Support to the public financial management 
reform programme
Renewable energy and energy efficiency 
programme in Jordan
EU support to second phase of education reform

Support to the reform of the energy sector in 
Moldavia
Support to the promotion of equality

 Achievement of advanced status

Support to the promotion of equality

Support programme for growth

     24.00    

     20.00    

     30.00    

     18.00    

     10.00    

     20.00    

     35.00    

     23.00    

     42.60    

     35.00    

     85.00    

     10.00    

     90.00    

Public sector policy and 
administrative management

Reform to the Administrative Legal Framework and 
Civil Service in Ukraine (AAP 2011) 

     70.00    

   512.60    

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Egypt

Georgia

Georgia

Jordan

Jordan

Jordan

Moldavia

SBS

Morocco

SBS

Morocco

SBS

Morocco

SBS

Tunisia

Ukraine

SBS

SBS

Grand Total

GBS : General Budget Support
SBS : Sector Budget Support

115 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 18 EDF - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the European Development Fund (EDF) 
managed by EuropeAid in 2011

1 166 M€, 40%

Commitments in € million
297 M€, 10%

74 M€, 3%

394 M€, 14%

397 M€, 14%

559 M€, 19%

Disbursements in € million

212 M€, 8%

520 M€, 19%

832 M€, 31%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

172 M€, 6%

263 M€, 10%

719 M€, 26%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Bilateral and multilateral ODA. Excl non-ODA resources (Peace facility,…).

116 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 19 EDF - Regional breakdown of external aid financed on the European 
Development Fund (EDF) managed by EuropeAid in 2011

Africa

Caribbean

Pacific

Overseas Countries & Territories

ACP Unallocated

Total

Commitments in 
€ million

Disbursements in 
€ million

2 291 

2 328 

243 

18 

18 

318 

199 

78 

15 

118 

2 888 

2 738 

Bilateral and multilateral ODA. Excl non-ODA resources (Peace facility,…).

Table 20 EDF - General and sector budget support per country

Commitments in € million

     45.00    

       7.00    

     45.65    

       3.37    

     10.00    

     20.00    

       2.59    

     16.63    

       7.50    

   157.73    

Sector

Decription

Total

Country

Benin

GBS 
/ SBS

SBS

Jamaica

GBS

Lesotho

Mali

GBS

GBS

Decentralisation and support to subnLocal development programme 

General budget support

Tropical Storm Nicole rehabilitation 

General budget support

Poverty reduction budget support phase II 

General budget support

MDG contract Mali - PPAB 2 

Mauritius

GBS

General budget support

Mozambique

SBS

Samoa

SBS

St. Helena

SBS

Promoting Sustainable and Equitable 
Development: EDF part 
Water sector policy and 
administrative management
Multisector aid

Togo

GBS

General budget support

Promoting sustainable and equitable development: 
EDF part 
Health and HIV sector policy support programme 

Water and sanitation sector policy support 
programme 
Support for infrastructure development in Saint 
Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 
Togo - poverty reduction budget support

Grand Total

GBS : General Budget Support
SBS : Sector Budget Support

117 

 
 
                
                
                   
                   
                     
                     
                     
                     
                   
                   
                
                
 
 
 
 
 
Table 21 DCI Geographic - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget 
managed by EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments in € million

110 M€, 8%

82 M€, 6%

275 M€, 19%

79 M€, 6%

34 M€, 2%

Disbursements in € million

110 M€, 10%

40 M€, 3%

85 M€, 8%

139 M€, 13%

52 M€, 5%

824 M€, 59%

667 M€, 61%

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Table 22 DCI Geographic - External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid

€ million

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

          1 362               1 371               1 414               1 422    

         1 414    

Disbursements

          1 279               1 137               1 192               1 127    

         1 100    

Bilateral and multilateral flows (EuropeAid only).

118 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 23 DCI Geographic - General and sector budget support per country

Commitments in € million

Country

GBS 
/ SBS

Sector

Primary education

Bangladesh

SBS

Employment policy and

Bolivia
Colombia

SBS
SBS Livestock

Security system management 
and reform
Education policy and 
administrative management
Social/ welfare services

Food aid/Food security 
programmes
Water sector policy and 
administrative management
Primary education

Social/ welfare services

Education policy and 
administrative management
Social/ welfare services

Legal and judicial 
development
General budget support

Costa Rica

SBS

Ecuador

SBS

El Salvador

SBS

Guatemala

SBS

Honduras

SBS

India

SBS

Kyrgyz Rep.

SBS

Pakistan

SBS

Paraguay

SBS

South Africa

SBS

South Africa GBS

Grand Total

GBS : General Budget Support
SBS : Sector Budget Support

Decription

Third primary education development programme 
(PEDP III)
Support programme for the improvement of the 
financial and fiscal environment of small business 
(PAMEFF) 
Support to dairy sector
PROSEC (PROgrama de SEguridad Ciudadana) 

Education support programme

Programa de Apoyo a Comunidades Solidarias en 
El Salvador (PACSES)
Support to the strategic plan for food security and 
nutrition
Programa de Apoyo Presupuestario Sectorial Agua 
y Calidad (PAPSAC) 
Sector policy support programme for education 
in India
Sector policy support programme - social 
protection and public finance management - 
Kyrgyzstan - AAP2011 
Sindh Education Sector Support Programme 

Social development public policy support 
programme in Paraguay 
Legislative sector policy support programme 

National development policy support programme 
for South Africa 

Total

54.00 

35.00 

8.60 

13.00 

34.00 

47.40 

6.50 

25.44 

80.00 

13.00 

30.00 

31.00 

5.00 

75.55 

458.48 

CHAPTER 3 - IMPLEMENTATION: THEMATIC OVERVIEW 

1- 

The thematic programmes 

1.1 Investing in People 

The  Commission  completed  a  mid–term  review  of  the  thematic  programme  for  human  and 
social  development  “Investing  in  People”  in  2010.  The  programme,  covering  the  period 
2007–2013,  supports  thematic  activities  in  health,  education,  knowledge  and  skills,  gender 
equality,  and  other  aspects  of  human  and  social  development  (employment  and  social 
cohesion, children and youth, and culture). As a result of the mid–term review, it was decided 
that programming in 2011–2013 should follow the original strategy and continue to focus on 
all  four  main  pillars  of  thematic  action.  The  programme  has,  however,  moved  away  from 
supporting actions in all areas every year to supporting each area in turn over a longer time 

119 

 
 
   
   
     
   
   
   
     
   
   
   
   
   
     
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
frame.  In  line  with  this  approach,  in  2011  the  programme  covered  thematic  activities  in 
health, education and gender. 

Health  

In 2011, the programme provided specific support through relevant UN agencies to improve 
health  systems  and  tackle  health  and  healthcare  problems  that  pose  particular  challenges  to 
countries,  services  and  populations.  Support  was  given  to  the  United  Nations  Population 
Programme's  (UNFPA)  global  programme  to  enhance  reproductive  health  commodity 
security by improving the availability of reproductive health commodities, such as condoms 
and injectable contraceptives in developing countries (€24.3 million).  

The  UN  Framework  Convention  on  Tobacco  Control  (FCTC)  –  the  first  international  UN 
treaty  in  health  and  ratified  by  174  countries  –  received  financial  support  (€5.2  million)  for 
providing  technical  assistance  to  signatory  countries  to  implement  treaty  obligations.  In 
addition, an agreement was signed with WHO to support policy dialogue on national health 
policies,  strategies  and  plans  in  selected  developing  countries  (€5 million).  The  EU  budget 
also contributed €65 million to the Global Fund  against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria 
(with a further €65 million being provided by the EDF). 

Education  

In  2011,  the  second  pillar  of  the  investing  in  people  (IiP)  programme  continued  to  support 
efforts  to  achieve  universal  access  to  quality  primary  education  by  contributing  with 
€31.8 million to the global partnership for educat ion fund (GPE). The former education for all 
fast  track  initiative  (EFA-FTI)  changed  its  name  to  become  GPE  and  endorsed  a  series  of 
reforms  in  its  governance  structure.  The  different  trust  funds  were  merged  into  a  single 
education  fund.  An  important  pledging  conference  took  place  in  Copenhagen  in  November 
2011. 

The  Commission  also  contributed  €1  million  to  the  associat ion  for  the  development  of 
education  in  Africa  (ADEA),  a  forum  of  African  Ministers  of  education  and  development 
agencies  supporting  policy  dialogue  on  education.  This  sum  will  notably  fund  the  ADEA 
Ouagadougou  conference  on  promoting  critical  skills  for  sustainable  development  in  Africa 
and follow-up activities. 

Gender 

The  mid-term  review  of  the  programme  resulted  in  an  increase  of  the  available  budget  for 
gender  equality  and  women's  empowerment  activities  by  €10  million  for  the  period  2011-
2013. The total allocation for the period – €37 million  – is being used to support initiatives in 
the  area  of  protection  and  promotion  of  women's  rights;  strengthen  economic  and  social 
empowerment of women at national and local levels, develop and test innovative approaches 
to  mainstreaming  gender  equality  and  to  empower  women  in  policy  development,  planning 
and budgeting.  

In particular, in November 2011 a global call for proposals was launched on women's social 
and  economic  empowerment.  In  October  2011,  the  new  UN  programme,  “Increasing 
Accountability  for  Financing  to  Gender  Equality”  was  launched  with  EU  support.  Both 
initiatives have the achievement of MDG3 in view by supporting women's leadership in the 
economic  and  social  sphere,  and  mobilising  resources  to  implement  partner  countries' 
commitments on gender equality. 

120 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.2 Non-State actors and local authorities in development  

In  2011,  the  EU  continued  to  support  small-scale  development  initiatives,  either  proposed 
and/or  carried  out  by  non-state  actors  (NSA)  and  local  authorities  (LA)  from  the  EU  and 
partner  countries.  For  in-country  interventions  implemented  locally,  EU  Delegations  have 
adopted a more strategic and focused approach and have launched calls for proposals for NSA 
and/or LA, ensuring complementarity and consistency with the EU development co-operation 
programme.  For  multi-country  interventions,  as  well  as  development  education,  awareness–
raising and coordination, global calls were successfully launched at Commission headquarters 
level. 

Three  NSA–targeted  projects  were  also  funded:  an  operating  grant  to  the  European 
Confederation  of  NGOs  (Concord)  and  two  strategic  projects  implemented  in  co-operation 
with  the  EU  presidency.  In  March  2011,  a  new  multiannual  strategy  was  approved  for  the 
period 2011-2013. It was drawn up to ensure a large degree of continuity with the previous 
programming period, 2007-2010, while introducing improvements proposed by the MTR, the 
Structured  Dialogue  (SD)  and  the  development  education  and  awareness  raising  study 
(DEAR). In particular, more attention was paid to the strategic positioning of the programme 
at local level with respect to other EU instruments: Delegations were requested to implement 
a 'tailor-made' approach taking into account the local environment in which the various actors 
exercise their right of initiative. 

The  share  of  the  programme  devoted  to  multi-country  activities  was  reduced  to  favour  of 
actions  in  a  single  country.  A  global  multi-country  call  for  proposals  was  launched  in 
November 2011, jointly with the Neighbourhood civil society facility (under the ENPI). The 
global  objective  of  this  call  –  in  line  with  the  NSA&LA  strategy  2011-2013  and  the 
conclusions of the SD – is to support actions aiming at strengthening regional, continental and 
global  civil  society  representative  networks  active  in  development  cooperation  in  partner 
countries,  as  well  as  multi-country  actions  led  by  these  platforms,  tackling  issues  of  global 
concern. Additionally, for the Neighbourhood region only, the call also addresses civil society 
organisations which are not part of networks, if their actions have a regional dimension and 
aim at strengthening and promoting civil society organisations' role in reforms and democratic 
changes taking place in the Neighbourhood countries. 

As for country-based interventions, priority was given to local actors and to the strengthening 
of  their  capacity.  Actions  were  targeted  to  local  needs,  in  terms  of  organisations,  themes, 
sectors, priorities and specific areas. Moreover, the new strategy opened up the possibility to 
explore new and more effective aid delivery methods, in line with the Paris Declaration and 
the  Accra  Agenda  for  Action.  A  set  of  12  technical  sheets  of  aid  delivery  modalities  was 
produced  during  the  SD  process  and  expected  to  be  effective  in  2012  (in  particular,  direct 
award  of  grants,  re-granting,  financing  in  full  as  well  as  transfer  agreements,  delegation 
agreement and/or contribution agreement). 

The annual action programme for 2011 allocated a total of €231.7 million: €194.5 million for 
NSAs and €37.2 million for local authorities.  For in–country operations, €143.6 million were 
set aside for NSAs and €27.4 million for LAs. Actions were launched for 79 countries with 
these funds. 2011 also saw the development of a more strategic approach of the Commission's 
services concerning the role of local authorities. Following the large response to the call for 
proposals  published  at  the  end  of  2009,  the  Commission  launched  a  new  global  call  for 
proposals  in  November  2011  addressed  to  local  authorities.  This  will  give  priority  to 

121 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
initiatives that target strengthened institutional capacity of the associations of local authorities 
at regional, continental or international level. The call will also support projects that facilitate 
ongoing de-centralisation processes in partner countries as well as awareness-raising activities 
by local authorities within the EU and acceding countries.  

In addition, the online portal of de-centralised co-operation, hosted by the Committee of the 
Regions, went live at the end of 2011. It is a work tool for European local authorities involved 
in  development  co-operation  projects.  This  site  will,  among  other  things,  enable  local 
authorities  from  the  EU  and  their  partners  in  developing  countries  to  interact  on  future 
projects. This portal will also make the ‘Atlas of decentralised Cooperation’, financed by the 
Commission and already available online since 2010, more accessible. 

A  positive  discussion  has  continued  between  the  associations  who  are  members  of 
PLATFORMA – a platform for dialogue between European local authorities working in the 
area  of  development  cooperation  and  Commission  services.  PLATFORMA  will  continue  to 
receive funding from the NSA-LA thematic programme until 2013.  

During 2011, the Commission strengthened the online portal targeting civil society and local 
authorities: CiSocH (Civil Society Helpdesk)50. Its objective is to provide a single entry point 
in  order  to  facilitate  access  to  already  existing  information  on  subjects  with  a  particular 
interest for non-state actors and local authorities, in order to facilitate their understanding of 
procedures, vocabulary and working methods. The strength of CiSocH is that it concentrates 
on access to targeted information which is available elsewhere (in other internet sites from the 
Commission,  the  Council  and  other  institutions)  and  organises  this  information  around 
‘concepts’ relating to issues of a particular interest for civil society and local authorities. For 
each  concept,  a  brief  description  of  the  subject  is  provided,  as  well  as  links  to  the  relevant 
web pages and documents.  

1.3 Migration and asylum 

The ‘Stockholm Programme’ confirmed the EU’s global approach to migration, which is built 
around  three  pillars:  facilitation  of  labour  migration,  prevention  and  curbing  of  irregular 
migration  and  promotion  of  the  links  between  migration  and  development,  as  the  strategic 
framework  of  the  external  dimension  of  EU  migration  policy.  The  evaluation  of  the  global 
approach  in  early  2011  led  to  the  adoption  in  November  2011  of  the  global  approach  to 
migration  and  mobility,  aimed  at  framing  the  EU’s  external  migration  policy  to  ensure 
coherence  between  EU  foreign  policy  and  development  co-operation  and  a  better  thematic 
and geographical balance. 

The  thematic  programme,  “cooperation  with  third  countries  in  the  areas  of  migration  and 
asylum”  (TPMA)  is  the  main  specific  instrument  for  external  cooperation  in  the  field.  The 
2007-2013 programme has a budget of €384 million. Th e second half of the TPMA with the 
2011-2013 multiannual strategy paper was approved in the first semester of 2011. 

While  recognising  the  southern  Mediterranean  and  the  sub-Saharan  Africa,  the  Middle  East 
and Eastern Europe as EU priority regions for external cooperation, special attention will also 

50 [https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/ mwikis/aidco/index.php/Main_Page 

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be  paid  to  thematic  priorities.  These  include:  support  to  unaccompanied  minors,  the  fight 
against human trafficking, facilitation of circular migration and labour migration, support to 
the  negotiation  and  implementation  of  re-admission  agreements,  international  protection  of 
asylum seekers and refugees, support to the mobility partnership and migration research  
The 2011 TPMA annual action plan encompassed the following measures:  

• 

• 

• 

framework  of  the  EU-Armenia  mobility 

•  a  call  for  proposals  combining  the  budgets  for  2011-2012  totalling  €74  million,  the 
share  for  2011  being  €36  million.  Launched  in  October  2011,  the  call  for  proposals 
resulted in the submission of more than 470 concept notes.  
€3 million for a targeted project linked to s upport the action plan adopted in Poznan in 
November 2011 for the second phase of the Prague process. 
€3  million  for  a  targeted  project  in  the 
partnership. 
€2 million for a targeted project to consolid ate the migration management capacities in 
the Republic of Moldova.  
€4.5  million  for  the  'Migration  EU  Expertise  II'  (MIEUX  II):  with  40  requests  for 
assistance received covering 50 countries, MIEUX I contributed to building trust and 
opening channels of cooperation with third countries. The scope of the programme has 
been broadened, compared to the first phase, to encompass almost all areas covered by 
the global approach to migration. 
€6.6  million  were  allocated  for  special  meas ures  for  a  project  to  support  the  Libyan 
Government's  effort  to  stem  irregular  migration  and  assist  vulnerable  stranded 
migrants  and  another  to  improve  protection  and  provide  assistance  to  refugees  and 
asylum seekers displaced in the Horn of Africa. 

• 

• 

In  2011,  18  out  of  the  remaining  19  projects  issued  from  the  2009-2010  call  for  proposals 
were  contracted.  One  in  Syria  could  not  be  contracted  due  to  the  political  situation  in  the 
country.  Among  the  most  significant  projects  financed  and  carried  out  in  2011  was  a 
strengthening  of  Armenia’s  migration  capacities,  with  a  particular  focus  on  re-integration 
activities,  in  the  framework  of  the  EU-Armenia  mobility  partnership.  The  Special  Measure: 
"Regional  Assisted  Voluntary  Return  Programme  for  Stranded  Migrants  ex-Libya"  aims  to 
support  the  Libyan  Government's  effort  to  stem  irregular  migration  along  the  Western  and 
Eastern  migration  routes  and  assist  vulnerable  stranded  migrants.  Due  to  the  2011  conflict, 
thousands  of  regular  and  irregular  migrants  rushed  to  escape  across  Libya's  borders, 
exacerbating the migration challenges for a country already considered as a transit country.  

In  terms  of  cooperation  frameworks  with  partner  countries,  the  TPMA  has  substantially 
contributed  –  through  both  targeted  initiatives  and  projects  selected  within  the  call  for 
proposal  –  to  the  effective  implementation  of  mobility  partnerships  between  the  EU  and 
Moldova,  Cape  Verde  and  Georgia.  It  has  also  led  to  the  launch  of  a  new  partnership  with 
Armenia. Discussions are ongoing to establish new mobility partnerships with other countries, 
especially North African countries, especially Morocco and Tunisia, in the near future. 

The Commission also continued to play an active role in the policy dialogue on migration and 
asylum issues in various international and  regional  events  such  as  the  5th  Global  Forum  on 
Migration  and  Development  which  took  place  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  in  December  2011. 
There, as well as in other fora, the EU has supported the development of migration profiles as 
an essential tool for the definition of national development policies. In the framework of the 
EU-Africa  dialogue,  the  migration,  mobility  and  employment  partnership  –  an  initiative 
which  aims  to  facilitate  dialogue  and  exchange  of  information  and  good  practices  –  is 
supported  by  the  TPMA.  However,  the  second  action  plan  endorsed  by  EU  and  African 

123 

 
 
 
 
 
leaders at the Tripoli summit of 29/30 November 2010, could not be fully implemented due to 
the  political  crisis  in  Libya,  at  the  time  co-chair  of  the  MME  partnership.  Finally,  the 
Commission  also  played  an  active  role  in  the  Euro-African  Dialogue  on  Migration  and 
Development  (Rabat  Process),  especially  as  regards  the  Ministerial  Conference  that  took 
place in Dakar in November and resulted in the adoption of an ambitious action plan.  

Cooperation  with  partner  countries  in  Eastern  Europe,  the  Southern  Caucasus  and  Central 
Asia  has  been  strengthened,  at  either  a  bilateral  level  or  through  dialogue  and  co-operation 
platforms  such  as  the  Black  Sea  co-operation  platform,  the  Budapest  Process,  the  Eastern 
partnership  and  the  Soderköping  process,  or  through  initiatives  such  as  'building  migration 
partnerships/Prague process'. The structured dialogue with Latin America, launched in 2009, 
is  also  moving  forward,  supported  by  a  targeted  initiative  which  started  its  activities  at  the 
beginning of 2011. The project is running smoothly. It intends to strengthen political dialogue 
through the activities carried out in the LAC countries. In its first year, it has focused on data 
collection and capacity building. 

On February 2011, the Commission launched an evaluation to assess the extent to which the 
projects on labour and circular migration, funded by TP MIGRAS and the former AENEAS 
programme, have reached set policy objectives and how performance can be improved. The 
results of this overall independent assessment served as guidance for the Commission services 
and  provided  practical  recommendations  for  follow-up  actions  and  for  improved  future 
planning. 

1.4 Environment, climate change and sustainable development  

Environmental  protection, climate change and sustainable  development  remained  key  topics 
in  2011.  The  Commission  seeks  to  address  the  issues  through  the  following  instruments: 
geographic  support,  funds  from  the  thematic  programme  for  the  environment  and  the 
sustainable management of natural resources including energy (ENRTP) and through the use 
of innovative initiatives such as the GCCA, FLEGT and the EU water facility.  

Flow of ideas on water  

Following  the  drafting  of  an  issue  paper  by  the  EU’s  Hungarian  Presidency  on  the  ‘role  of 
water in development policy’ and in response to the conclusions of the June 2011 Council, the 
EU  is  working  towards  an  updated  and  strengthened  EU  policy  and  implementation 
framework  for  sustainable  water  management  in  developing  countries.  The  importance  of 
water  was  further  highlighted  by  the  2011  Bonn  Conference  on  the  water,  energy,  food 
security nexus in which the Commission actively participated. 

In total, the Commission committed around €600  million to support these themes. This sum 
comprises around €500 million from geographica l programmes, €80 milli on from the ENRTP 
and €50 million from the water facility, including  part of the new and additional funds made 
available by the Commission (€25 million) and EU  Member States (€23.8 million) to provide 
fast  start  financing  for  climate  change  actions.  Within  the  ENRTP,  the  Commission  also 
committed €20 million to  programmes reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation and forest 
degradation  (REDD)  via  its  contributions,  for  example,  to  the  forest  carbon  partnership 
facility (FCPF) and the UN-REDD programme. 

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In addition, there are the many geographical projects and programmes where these themes are 
addressed  indirectly:  environment  and  climate  change  issues  are  increasingly  integrated  and 
mainstreamed  in  project  preparation  and  appraisal.  The  total  amount  of  the  Commission 
portfolio allocated for sustainable development is thus considerably higher.  

A specific project aiming at protection of natural resources, including marine resources and 
biodiversity,  is  the  Honduran  Biological  Corridor  Project  which  aims  to  protect  natural 
resources,  promote  sustainable  watershed  management  and  safeguard  economic  activity, 
including agriculture and fishing, with EU support of €25 million until 2013. 

Alongside  its  important  project  and  programme  work,  the  Commission  has  also  played  key 
roles  in  negotiations  that  take  place  in  the  context  of  the  UNFCCC  and  in  negotiating 
voluntary partnership agreements with countries exporting timber to the EU (see box below).  

Also on protection of forests, through the CEOFAC (Observatory for the Forests of Central 
Africa)  project,  the  Commission  is  providing  decision-makers  of  the  Congo  Basin  with 
reliable  information  on  forest  cover  change,  forest  management  practices,  and  biodiversity 
value  and  threats,  as  input  for  international  negotiations  on  climate  and  eco-systems.  ‘The 
State of the Forests, 2010’ was produced by the Observatory with over 100 contributors. 

Turning  to  energy,  under  the  RENAF  (Rural  electrification,  renewable  Energy  and 
communication  in  Africa)  project,  the  Commission  is  contributing  to  building  an  African-
based  scientific  network  focusing  on  sustainable  projects  to  reduce  energy  poverty  by 
strengthening  collaboration  and  knowledge  exchange  in  rural  electrification  and  renewable 
energies.  Through  a  competence/capacity  building  workshop  for  energy  experts  and  the 
publication  of  joint  scientific  papers,  this  initiative  contributes  to  the  achievement  of  the 
poverty eradication MDGs and on combating climate change. 

Finally,  on  water,  the  Commission,  with  the  support  of  the  EUWI  (EU  Water  Initiative), 
completed  the  second  edition  of  the  ‘Water  Project  Toolkit’,  to  be  presented  at  the  March 
2012 World Water Forum. 

A  set  of  important  agreements  were  concluded  at  the  UNFCCC  conference  in  Durban. 
Firstly, the Durban platform for enhanced action was set up to negotiate a roadmap for a new 
comprehensive  legal  instrument  to  be  agreed  by  2015  and  implemented  as  of  2020.  In  the 
meantime  (2012-2020),  a  second  commitment  period  for  the  Kyoto  Protocol  was  also 
endorsed; the clean development mechanism will thus continue to benefit LDCs. With regard 
to  climate  financing,  the  governance  structure  of  the  green  climate  fund  was  approved;  this 
will  eventually  channel  the  increasing  climate  finance  flows  towards  developing  countries. 
Finally, several Cancun decisions were implemented including the adoption of detailed rules 
for monitoring, reporting and verification and the setting up the adaptation committee. 

Liberia and Central African Republic commit to FLEGT 

Under  FLEGT,  two  voluntary  partnership  agreements  (VPA)  were  signed  respectively  with 
Liberia  and  the  Central  African  Republic  in  2011.  This  brings  the  number  of  agreements 
being implemented to six: Ghana, Cameroon, Congo, Liberia, Central African Republic and 
Indonesia.  Negotiations  are  ongoing  with  Gabon,  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo,  Malaysia 
and  Vietnam.  Laos,  Côte  d’Ivoire  and  Honduras  have  expressed  their  interest  in  starting 
negotiations in 2012. All countries will develop a licensing scheme which will guarantee that 

125 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
timber  products  exported  to  the  EU  are  legal  and  that  the  forest  sector  contributes  to  the 
development of the producer countries. 

Collaborating on climate change 

The cycle of Global Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA), regional conferences between the 
EU, LDCs and SIDS was finalised with the conferences held in Vanuatu and Belize in March 
2011.  This  year,  the  GCCA  also  started  a  series  of  workshops  on  mainstreaming  climate 
change into national planning and budgeting which has trained 100 government officials from 
49 partner countries. 

GCCA in Cambodia reached its mid-term in 2011. The programme has already reaped results  
in the mainstreaming of climate change into overall development strategies. It has supported 
the creation of an inter-ministerial body for technical advice on climate change and a platform 
for dialogue on the same topic. GCCA is also enabling Cambodian officials to participate in 
international  negotiations  in  climate  change  (through  the  preparation  of  position  papers, 
sharing  the  outcomes  of  negotiations)  and  is  assisting  in-depth  analysis  to  inform  policy 
making.  The  first  call  for  proposals  under  GCCA  Cambodia  produced  eight  climate  change 
adaptation  interventions  covering  ten  provinces  and  multiple  sectors  such  as  agriculture, 
fisheries,  forestry,  bio-diversity,  urban/coastal  infrastructure,  disaster  risk  reduction  and 
community development. 

EU backs ‘sustainable energy for all’ 

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, called for the world to meet the goal of universal access 
to clean, affordable energy by 2030. To this end, he set up a high level group on sustainable 
energy for all. This initiative, in which Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs was 
asked  to  participate,  aims  at  engaging  governments,  the  private  sector,  and  civil  society 
partners  to  achieve  three  major  inter-linked  targets  by  2030:  ensuring  universal  access  to 
modern energy services, improving energy efficiency at all levels and a doubling of the share 
of renewable energy in the global energy mix. 

EU energy initiative gains momentum 

The  EU  is  firmly  committed  to  addressing  the  current  and  future  energy  and  development 
challenges  jointly  with  its  development  partners.  The  EU  Energy  Initiative  (EUEI)  is  a  key 
vehicle for the Commission and Member States to jointly deliver on these commitments. The 
EUEI celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012 and is currently preparing a renewed mandate. 
This  will  focus  on  improving  its  impact  and  visibility  and  optimising  financial  resources  as 
well as suggesting innovative approaches for financing. 

An  example  of  a  specific  EUEI  initiative:  the  Africa-EU  Energy  Partnership  (AEEP)  is  a 
long-term  framework  for  structured  political  dialogue  and  co-operation  between  Africa  and 
the  EU  on  energy  issues.  Under  the  AEEP,  the  Africa-EU  renewable  energy  cooperation 
programme  is  currently  being  developed.  It  aims  to  promote  development  of  the  renewable 
energy  market,  capacity  building,  application  of  feed-in  tariffs,  technology  transfer, 
mobilisation of financing, and the setting up of renewable energy centres. It will serve as an 
umbrella  for  and  monitor  renewable  energy  investments  within  EU  bilateral  programmes  in 
view of the 2020 targets for renewable energy agreed between the EU and Africa. In addition, 
the  ECOWAS  renewable  energy  and  energy  efficiency  centre  (ECREEE)  in  Praia,  Cape 

126 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Verde,  became  operational  and  11  energy  projects  were  accepted  for  financing  by  the 
infrastructure trust fund. 

Disaster risk reduction 

Following  the  adoption  of  an  EU  strategy  on  disaster  risk  reduction  (DRR)  in  developing 
countries  in  2009  which  highlighted  the  need  to  inter-link  DRR  and  climate  change 
adaptation, a DRR implementation plan with concrete measures was adopted in April 2011. 
The plan's overarching objective is to harmonise and increase the effectiveness of EU external 
action  in  DRR,  by  focusing  on  four  main  priorities:  enhancing  multi-level  and  multi-
stakeholder  dialogue  on  DRR;  supporting  regional  approaches 
to  DRR  planning, 
implementation  and  capacity  building;  greater  integration  of  DRR  into  the  EU's  external 
action  policies  and  co-ordination  of  EU  support  to  key  DRR  investments,  including  the 
strengthening  of  information  systems  and  carrying  out  risk  analysis  for  integrating  climate 
change into DRR. 

A  number  of  concrete  actions  have  been  identified  in  this  framework  among  which  a  €60 
million  contribution  from  the  Commission  to  the  World  Bank-managed  global  facility  for 
disaster  risk  reduction  (GFDRR),  to  address  prevention,  mitigation  and  preparedness  to 
natural hazards in ACP States, focussing on the following priority areas: the mainstreaming of 
disaster  risk  reduction;  risk  identification  and  assessment;  early  warning  systems  and 
communication  on  DRR  and  risk  transfer  and  integration  of  DRR  into  recovery  initiatives. 
Funds are drawn from the 10th EDF’s intra-ACP programme. 

1.5 Food security 

Progress  towards  achieving  the  MDG  on  the  eradication  of  extreme  poverty  and  hunger 
(MDG1)  continues  to  be  hampered  by  various  factors:  the  effects  of  climate  change,  price 
volatility, gender inequality, access to land, poor nutrition and situations of protracted crisis, 
to  name  but  a  few.  In  2011,  the  famine  in  the  Horn  of  Africa  was  one  example  reflecting 
many of these challenges.   

According to ‘the state of food insecurity in the world’51, 925 million people were suffering 
from chronic hunger in 2010. In February 2011, the World Bank estimated that rises in food 
prices during the second half of 2010 and early 2011 pushed an additional 44 million people 
into poverty in low- and middle-income countries. After decades of generally declining food 
prices, the past few years have shown increasing instability. Rising food prices and increased 
food price volatility can have serious implications for  the almost one billion  people already 
suffering from hunger. 

‘Garden in a sack’ assists Nairobi’s most vulnerable citizens 
In Nairobi, Kenya, the EU is helping the urban poor produce some of their own food through 
the  urban  agricultural  initiative  ‘Garden  in  a  sack’.  For  Nairobi’s  shanty  towns:  Kibera, 
Mathare, Kiambiu  and  Mukuru-Lunga it means food security, proper nutrition, employment 
and a source of income for some of the capital’s most vulnerable people using minimal space. 
By  the  end  of  2011,  22  374  households  had  received  inputs  and  training  in  kitchen  garden 

51 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP): The State of Food Insecurity 
in the World (2010) 

127 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
techniques; greenhouse vegetable and poultry production. Many of the households are headed 
by women and are affected by AIDS. 

Sustainable  agriculture,  food  security  and  nutrition  –  a  top  priority  in  development 
cooperation 

The Commission's commitment to tackling global hunger and malnutrition is strong and long-
standing.  The  Commission  has  never  disinvested  from  these  fundamental  sectors  and  it  has 
played  a  leading  role  in  the  areas  for  many  years.  In  its  development  cooperation,  the 
Commission  attaches  high  priority  to  agriculture,  food  security  and  nutrition,  not  least 
because it is a key area where the EU can best support developing countries' efforts to speed 
up  progress  towards  the  MDGs.  In  2011,  the  new  policy  framework  for  development,  “An 
Agenda for Change”52, firmly reflects the EU approach to do more, to do it better and to do it 
faster  in  order  to  support  inclusive  and  sustainable  growth  in  developing  countries.  In  this 
context,  sustainable  agriculture,  food  security  and  nutrition  have  been  placed  high  on  the 
development cooperation agenda and in the dialogue with partner governments (see Chapter 
1). 

EU cooperation with developing countries is largely delivered through country programmes 
such  as  the  EDF  where  support  to  agriculture,  rural  development  and  food  security  is 
important  in  many  countries.  This  is  often  complemented  by  other  means  such  as  the  €1 
billion  EU  food  facility  (2009-2011)  and  the  almost  €1.7  billion  food  security  thematic 
programme (2007-2013).  

Small-scale farmers in Zambia increase production 
In  Zambia,  the  EU  is  funding  a  FAO  project  to  support  small-scale  farmers  to  restore  and 
increase agricultural productivity and production. As a result, the farmers will make better use 
of  expensive  inputs  and  produce  more  of  their own food, at a time  when  commodity prices 
have  been  rising.  The  project  provided  farmers  with  an  inputs  package  to  implement  the 
training they received and serve as a demonstration to others in the community. By the end of 
2011, a total of 127 516 farmers had received training via the project. 

The food facility – on target 

The food facility is a prime example of the EU's commitment. The EU reacted quickly to the 
2008 crisis triggered by volatility of food prices with the €1 b illion food facility (2009-2011) 
to tackle food insecurity in 49 developing countries. Three years later, 90% of the funds have 
reached more than 50 million direct beneficiaries via more than 230 projects implemented by 
international organisations, Member State agencies, NGOs and partner countries. The projects 
were mounted in record time and controls were applied via monitoring, evaluation and audit 
procedures.  The  food  facility  has  proven  that  rapid  response  is  possible,  together  with 
enhanced  donor  coordination  and  cooperation,  and  it  has  contributed  to  finding  innovative 
ways of project implementation. A full evaluation will be available in 2012. 

The food security thematic programme 

52 'Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change', http://eur- 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0637:FIN:EN:PDF 

128 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In  July  2011,  the  2011  annual  action  plan  of  the  food  security  thematic  programme  was 
adopted  with  a  budget  of  €230  million.  The  2011  a nnual  action  plan  pays  a  great  deal  of 
attention to agricultural research for development, technology transfer and innovation (€42.5 
million), strengthening food security governance at global, regional and national levels (€50 
million) and addressing food security for the poor and vulnerable in fragile situations (€137.5 
million).  

A rinderpest-free world 

Rinderpest  has  killed  hundreds  of  millions  of  livestock  and  wildlife,  resulting  in  colossal 
economic losses and contributing to famine and social unrest all over the world. Over the past 
few decades, the fight against rinderpest has moved from control to mass vaccinations and co-
ordinated efforts at global level. The EU has been the leading force, contributing €390 million 
worldwide  to  rinderpest  control  and  eradication  over  50  years,  helping  partner  countries  to 
build  sustainable  capacity  in  animal  health. In  May  2011,  rinderpest  was  officially  declared 
eradicated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture 
Organisation  (FAO).  In  accordance  with  the  decision  taken  by  the  OIE  World  Assembly, 
member  countries  of  the  OIE  are  now  exempted  from  annual  reconfirmation  for  'rinderpest 
free' status. 

129 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 24 DCI Thematic - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget 
managed by EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments in € million

82 M€, 7%

57 M€, 5%

149 M€, 13%

438 M€, 37%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

439 M€, 38%

4 M€, 0%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Disbursements in € million

85 M€, 9%

243 M€, 24%

353 M€, 35%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

111 M€, 11%

32 M€, 3%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

179 M€, 18%

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).Including Food Facility.

Table 25 DCI Thematic - External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid

€ million

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

             834                  956               1 854               1 204    

         1 173    

Disbursements

             745                  838               1 233               1 210    

         1 044    

Bilateral and multilateral flows (EuropeAid only).

130 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 26 DCI Thematic - General and sector budget support per country

Commitments in € million

Country

GBS 
/ SBS

Sector

Decription

Environmental policy and 
administrative management

Agricultural policy and

Global Climate Change Alliance - climate change 
adaptation in the renewable natural resources 
sector 
Reponse to the food price crisis - reinforcement of 
operations in health and food security - Bolivia

Industrial crops/export crops Guyana Annual Action Plan 2011 on accompanying 
measures on sugar 
Accompanying measures for sugar protocol 
countries 2011 – Jamaica – Sector Budget Support 

Trade-related adjustment

General budget support

General budget support

Water sector policy and 
administrative management

'Promoting Sustainable and Equitable 
Development'  
General budget support - global climate change for 
Mauritius 
Global Climate Change Alliance:supporting climate 
change adaption for the Samoan water sector 

Bhutan

Bolivia

Guyana

SBS

SBS

SBS

Jamaica

SBS

Mauritius

GBS

Mauritius

GBS

Samoa

SBS

Grand Total

Total

4.40 

4.00 

24.92 

30.95 

55.41 

0.10 

3.00 

122.79 

GBS : General Budget Support
SBS : Sector Budget Support

2-  Democracy and human rights 

Support for democracy at the forefront of EU development cooperation 

The EU has throughout 2011 put a stronger emphasis on offering assistance to democracy and 
human  rights  resulting  in  the  adoption  of  its  “Agenda  for  Change”  and  has  strengthened 
political  conditionality  when  offering  direct  budget  support  to  partner  countries  worldwide. 
Closer  to  the  EU,  the  events  in  the  Arab  world  have  confirmed  the  need  to  beef  up  its 
activities  in  the  field  of  democracy  support.  The  Joint  Communication  on  the  Southern 
Mediterranean  of March 2011 committed the EU to support democratic processes  that  were 
sweeping  the  Arab  world  by  fostering  deep  and  sustainable  democracy  in  the  region.  The 
further Joint  Communication on the ENP in May  2011 also pledged  increased EU financial 
assistance in return for democratic and socio-economic reforms in the countries of the EU's 
eastern and southern neighbourhood. 

As a result, the EU's activities in support of democratic processes, electoral and constitutional 
reform  in  the  Arab  world  and  further  afield  have  been  strengthened.  So  has  the  EU’s 
engagement with all the different democratic political actors and stakeholders, including civil 
society,  media,  parliaments  and  increasingly,  political  parties.  As  part  of  this  effort,  the  EU 
has  for  the  first  time  launched  a  dedicated  global  call  for  proposals  through  the  EIDHR  in 
June 2011, with a specific focus on democracy. It aims to support the activities of local civil 
society in the field of democratisation. 

The EU is increasingly putting in practice its comprehensive approach to democracy support, 
including through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and 

131 

 
 
 
     
     
   
 
   
   
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
has led to results such as, among others, legislative changes (e.g. election laws in Moldova), 
reinforced  political  parties  (e.g.  in  Tajikistan),  increased  participation  of  under-represented 
groups  in  political  life  (e.g.  women  in  Azerbaijan  and  Ghana,  youth  in  Kyrgyzstan  and 
indigenous communities in Bolivia), safeguarding freedom of expression and a free press (e.g. 
in Côte d’Ivoire, enhancing citizens’ trust in electoral processes (e.g. in Bangladesh) and in 
better information, monitoring, and transparency of political activity (e.g. in the Philippines). 

The  EIDHR  works  in  synergy  with  the  EU's  other  financial  instruments  and  offers  a 
comprehensive  package  of  local  actions  to  encourage  political  pluralism,  empower 
disenfranchised  groups,  defend  victims  and  promote  dialogue,  fostering  mediation, 
transparency,  accountability  and  consultation.  Between  2007  and  2010,  approximately  €307 
million  funded  over  700  democracy-related  projects  through  the  EIDHR.53  These  covered 
various  categories  of  actions:  democracy  building  (€36  million),  election  related  projects 
(€2.9  million),  freedom  of  expression  and  asso ciation  (€39.3  million),  education  to  pro-
democracy  and  civil  society  building  (€37.9  milli on),  operations  in  difficult  situations  and 
countries where human rights and democracy cannot be distinguished (€62.9 million) and EU 
election observation missions (€128 million). 

A good example of the comprehensive approach to democracy support is provided by Nigeria 
where the EU took the decision in 2011 to launch a €20 million (10 th EDF) project to support 
the Nigerian electoral cycle 2012-2015. It specifically aims at the electoral reform process and 
some  of  the  broader  capacity  building  areas  which  will  emanate  from  post-election  audits, 
evaluations  and  reviews.  The  key  beneficiaries  include  the  Independent  National  Electoral 
Commission (INEC), the parliament, the judiciary, political parties, CSOs, the media and the 
security sector. 

Electoral processes 

Elections are an essential component of democratic governance. Actions supporting genuine 
elections can make a relevant contribution to peace and development objectives. EU support 
for  elections  is  provided  in  two  complementary  forms:  electoral  assistance  and  EU  election 
observation missions. 

In 2011, the EU supported electoral processes in a number of countries including Haiti, DRC, 
Tunisia, Zimbabwe and El Salvador. Without reducing its worldwide effort and focus, the EU 
has been strengthening its support for the wave of democratisation that is taking place in the 
southern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Assistance is being provided, or prepared for the 
democratic reform processes in Jordan, Libya and Egypt.  

Knowledge  and  policy  development,  as  well  as  collaboration  with  the  main  players  in  the 
electoral  assistance  domain,  continue  to  be  priorities  for  the  EU.  A  thematic  workshop  on 
elections, violence and conflict prevention took place in June 2011, involving representatives 
of  electoral  commissions  of  many  developing  countries.  The  workshop,  organised  in 
collaboration  with  UNDP,  produced  a  comprehensive  summary  report.  General  training  on 
electoral  assistance  programmes  implemented  by  UNDP  in  the  context  of  the  SPA  between 
the UN and the EU was also organised at the beginning of 2011. 

53 http://www.eidhr.eu/files/dmfile/EIDHR_DemocracyReport2.pdf  

132 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Over  the  last  six  years  (2005–2010),  the  EU  has  spent  nearly  €600  million  –  about  €100 
million a year – on electoral assistance. The money comes from geographic programmes, the 
Instrument  for  Stability  and  the  EIDHR.  It  delivers  capacity–building  and  technical  and 
material  support  to  electoral  processes  in  nearly  60  countries.  Almost  two-thirds  of  the 
support was geared towards Sub–Saharan Africa. A big part went to post–conflict countries 
such as the DRC, Afghanistan, Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire and Iraq. 

Assisting the electoral process in Liberia 

After over a decade of civil war, Liberia embarked on the path to recovery in 2003 following 
the Accra peace agreement. The 2011 presidential and legislative elections, the second to be 
held since the war, were a major step forward in strengthening democratic processes.  

The EU allocated €7 million to a joint donors’ ba sket fund for electoral assistance (managed 
by  the  UNDP).  It  aims  at  deepening  the  democratisation  process  by  supporting  the  NEC 
(National  Election  Commission)  and  core  electoral  stakeholders  throughout  the  electoral 
process,  contributing  to  electoral  reform  and  enhancing  the  links  between  elections  and 
parliamentary development. Overall, the project has improved administration of the elections 
in  a  challenging  legal  and  logistical  environment.  The  NEC  showed  lead  and  ownership 
throughout project implementation. This was facilitated by embedding the project's technical 
experts  within  the  NEC's  premises,  resulting  in  an  easy  transfer  of  expertise.  Coordination 
among  international  partners  and  complementarity  of  electoral  support  gave  satisfactory 
results. Important lessons were learned through women's participation in elections and civic 
education  on  making  improvements  to  the  electoral  process.  The  project  continues  until  the 
end of 2012 with post-electoral activities, capacity development, an institutional review of the 
NEC and building on what has been learned. Key findings and recommendations of the EU 
election expert mission (EEM) will be fed into the exercise. 

Ensuring domestic accountability by strengthening parliaments 

The  EU  puts  domestic  accountability  at  the  centre  of  its  support  for  democracy  the 
strengthening of parliaments is crucial in this regard. It is increasingly shifting the focus of its 
activities from strengthening the executive branch of government to activities that enhance the 
legislature and establish checks and balances. 

A comprehensive review was completed in 2011 which looks into how the EU has supported 
parliaments  worldwide  over  the  past  decade  and  provides  practical  guidance  for  support  to 
parliamentary institutions. The study showed that since 2000, the EU has spent close to €150 
million on strengthening parliaments worldwide (excluding candidate countries and potential 
candidates  to  EU  accession).  Successful  projects  were  those  based  on  careful  groundwork, 
where there was an understanding of the overall governance environment and of the motives 
of political actors. Such projects tended to take a longer–term approach and occurred where 
there is a positive environment for democratic development. They demonstrate strong national 
ownership,  clear  objectives,  strong  delegation  of  ownership,  and  thorough  programme 
planning.  The  study  further  underlined  the  need  to  share  best  practices,  to  develop 
parliamentary  support  programmes  in  conjunction  with  other  democracy  support  activities 
(e.g.  support  to  civil  society,  political  parties  and  the  media),  to  focus  predominantly  on 
partner  countries  which  show  a  commitment  to  democratic  values  and  where  there  is  an 
emphasis on democratic development in the bilateral political dialogue. 

133 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This review process resulted in the publication of the EU reference document, “engaging and 
supporting  parliaments  worldwide:  EU  strategies  and  methodologies  for  action  to  support 
parliaments”  which  was  extensively  disseminated  throughout  2011,  including  through  a 
training module. The publication serves as a practical tool for EU staff and other stakeholders, 
presenting ways of engaging with and supporting parliaments in partner countries and is being 
used by EU Delegations. 

Support  to  the  Parliament  and  institutionalisation  of  Kyrgyzstan’s  new  democratic 
constitution 
The popular revolution of 2010 halted the then executive’s attempts to re-impose authoritarian 
governance,  and  resulted  in  a  provisional  government  charged  with  institutionalising  a 
democratic order. The government and parliament have reached out to the EU for support in 
designing and implementing a new democratic order constituted as a parliamentary republic. 

Under the programme, the EU has supported parliament through three projects beginning in 
2007 and continuing through to 2012. All three, worth €2 milli on, were delivered by UNDP 
and focused on: strengthening parliament’s legislative capacities, on public understanding of 
parliament’s  work,  and  in  enhancing  parliament’s  use  of  ICT;  helping  parliament  meet  its 
responsibilities outlined in the revised 2007 constitution, and covering legislation, oversight, 
and  representation  functions  and  supporting  the  institutionalisation  of  the  legal  framework 
underpinning the country’s new democratic constitution. 

EU  support  to  the  Kyrgyz  parliament  has  enhanced  the  capacity  of  parliamentarians  and 
parliamentary administration which in turn has improved the effectiveness and stature of the 
institution.  It  has  supported  critically  important  revisions  to  the  constitution  and  is  now 
helping  to  institutionalise  the  new  democratic  order.  While  Kyrgyzstan  continues  to  face 
many challenges in its democratic transition, EU support has helped to strengthen parliament 
as  a  central  democratic  institution,  enabling  the  country  to  preserve  and  extend  democratic 
freedoms  which  stand  out  in  a  regional  neighbourhood  often  characterised  by  authoritarian 
governance. 

Engaging with political parties 

EU  support  to  political  parties  has  predominantly  been  provided  within  broader  electoral 
assistance projects. Following the Arab Spring, the EU has strengthened its engagement with 
political  parties  due  to  the  crucial  and  multiple  roles  they  play  in  fostering  a  democratic 
system of governance. The EU has only engaged with political parties that share democratic 
values, on the basis of a non-partisan approach and indirectly, through training programmes 
and  other  capacity-development  activities  (direct  funding  of  political  parties  is  prohibited 
under EU rules). The EU is increasingly supporting the introduction of legal or constitutional 
frameworks that empower democratic political parties and allow them to act as all-inclusive 
vehicles of representation. 

In  particular,  through  the  IfS  and  the  EIDHR,  the  EU  was  swift  in  providing  support  to 
political  parties  in  Tunisia  and  Egypt  in  the  aftermath  of  the  popular  uprisings.    This  has 
notably been targeted towards domestic election observation and training for political parties. 
Such  support  has  been  granted  as  part  of  a  broad  democratisation  package  including 
constitutional  and  electoral  reform,  support  to  civil  society  watchdogs,  the  promotion  of 
freedom of expression, support to media, civic education, etc. 

134 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 27 EIDHR - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments in € million

10 M€, 8%

118 M€, 92%

Disbursements in € million

9 M€, 9%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

88 M€, 91%

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Mains sectors : Government and civil society, Administratives costs related to EIDHR
Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

135 

 
 
 
 
Table 28 EIDHR - Breakdown by region of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments ( € million)

3 M€

2 M€

ENPI East

ENPI South

Asia

Latin America

ACP

Regional

123 M€

Disbursements ( € million)

24 M€, 25%

14 M€, 14%

ENPI East

ENPI South

Asia

Latin America

8 M€, 8%

15 M€, 15%

ACP

Regional

23 M€, 24%

14 M€, 14%

Beneficiary countries not identified at commitment stage. (multi-regional call for proposal)
Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

Table 29 EIDHR - External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid

€ millions

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

             142                  153                  162                  166    

            130    

Disbursements

             130                  121                  131                  160    

            102    

Bilateral and multilateral flows (EuropeAid only).

136 

 
 
 
 
 
3- 

Stability 

3.1 Crisis response and preparedness 

During  the  year  the  EU  had  to  address  several  major  crises,  including  the  Arab  Spring 
upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East. The EU also responded to acute situations in 
Yemen, Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan and the wider Horn of Africa as well as protracted crisis 
situations  in  Sub-Saharan  Africa  (notably  the  Sahel),  Central  Asia,  Afghanistan,  Pakistan, 
Iraq and the West Bank/Gaza all of which required appropriate and sustained responses.  

As a key policy step, a new approach to crisis and fragility is a feature of the 2011 ‘Agenda 
for  Change’  Communication.  It  contains  a  new  approach  recommending  that  human  rights, 
democracy and good governance be given greater weight. The Communication also highlights 
the unique challenges of security, fragility and transition and the importance of state-building. 
The  EU  also  adopted  its  Strategy  on  Security  and  Development  in  the  Sahel  and  a 
comprehensive EU Strategy on the Horn of Africa. 

In  the  context  of  strengthening  the  EU  response  to  crises,  a  unit  on  fragility  and  crisis 
management  was  set  up  in  the  newly  formed  European  Commission  Directorate  General 
EuropeAid.  Its  task  is  to  develop  the  policy  framework  for  cooperation  in  situations  of 
fragility  or  crisis,  as  well  as  to  provide  appropriate  support,  guidance  and  tools  to 
headquarters and EU Delegations. 

In  addition,  2011  also  signalled  the  creation  of  the  Service  for  Foreign  Policy  Instruments 
(FPI), a new Commission service managing programmes such as the Instrument for Stability 
(IfS),  with  a  crisis  response  and  preparedness  component  with  flexible  and  fast-track 
procedures  to  make  critical  contributions  towards  responding  to  crisis.  The  Instrument  for 
Stability was set up in 2007 with a budget of €2 billion until 2013. 

During  the  course  of  2011,  another  feature  associated  with  the  significant  upgrade  in  crisis 
response organisational capacities was the creation of a Crisis Management Board within the 
European  External  Action  Service  (EEAS).  Its  role  is  to  co-ordinate  measures  related  to 
conflict prevention, preparedness and responses to crises of all types.  In response to specific 
crises,  the  Crisis  Management  Board  establishes  Crisis  Platforms,  as  necessary,  to  bring 
together  the  EEAS  services  and  relevant  services  of  the  European  Commission  and  the 
Council  Secretariat.    In  addition,  the  EEAS  has  recently  created  a  new  Situation  Room  to 
provide  a  24/7  contact  and  information  service  to  support  services  at  headquarters,  EU 
Delegations as well as other internal and external stakeholders.   

The major EU effort in 2011 to rationalise and coordinate the responses to crises has already 
had an impact on the EU’s aid to fragile and crisis areas: 

• 

In response to the Arab Spring, and particularly to the Libyan crisis, the EU reviewed the 
aid priorities for the countries of the region to focus more on governance, employment and 
youth. The EU will allocate up to €1 billion in  fresh money (€3.5 billion had already been 
allocated to the southern Mediterranean countries for 2011-2013); 

•  A severe humanitarian crisis struck the Horn of Africa in 2011, resulting from the worst 
drought  in  60  years  and  governance/security  problems  in  the  region.  In  addition  to  EU 
humanitarian  aid  actions,  development  measures  aimed  at  fostering  peace  and  security, 

137 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
improving governance and building resilience were approved. Support was also given to 
AMISOM, the AU mission in Somalia, through the African Peace Facility (€115 million); 

•  The Commission allocated €285 million in 2010 /2011 to support the new state of South 
Sudan, while future support for the preparation of a joint programming process is being 
launched with EU Member States. 

•  Under  the  "crisis  response  component"  of  the  Instrument  for  Stability  (IfS),  the 
Commission committed €202.85 million for some 34 exceptional assistance measures in 
21 different countries. These enabled the EU to help prevent, stabilise and respond in the 
short-term to crisis or emerging crisis situations linked to serious political conflicts as well 
as man-made and major natural disasters. For example, through the IfS, the Commission 
provided  direct  support  to  newly  called  elections  resulting  from  the  Arab  Spring;  it  put 
specific  emphasis  on  a  strengthened  participation  of  civil  society  in  political  transition 
processes  (Tunisia,  Egypt,  Libya),  including  through  a  particular  focus  on  women; 
measures were also mobilised in Côte d’Ivoire to support the new Ouattara Government 
and in the Democratic Republic of Congo to support Security Sector Reform. The IfS also 
supports  projects  on  peace-building  and  conflict  prevention  which  are  implemented  by 
international  organisations  and  non-state  actors  (for  example,  in  Bolivia,  Timor-Leste, 
Zimbabwe,  Nicaragua,  Pakistan  and  Yemen),  focusing  inter  alia  on  mediation  and 
dialogue,  situations  of  fragility  and  conflict,  women  peace  and  security,  and  human 
security. 

The Commission also committed €15 million toward s pre-crisis and post-crisis preparedness 
and  related  capacity-building  in  the  framework  of  the  so  called  Peace-building  Partnership 
(PbP)  under  the  IfS.  Through  this  Partnership,  the  EU  works  with  a  wide  range  of 
stakeholders,  including  the  United  Nations,  other  international  bodies,  EU  Member  State 
agencies,  non-governmental  organisations  (NGOs)  and  other  civil  society  actors.  These 
coordinated  approaches  are  a  key  step  to  ensuring  more  efficient  aid  as  demonstrating 
solidarity  towards  populations  in  fragile  and  crisis  situations  requires  greater  synergies, 
cooperation and exchanges between aid donors. 

3.2 Global and regional trans-border challenges 

Global and regional trans–border challenges are addressed by actions funded under the long–
term component of the IfS. These cover trans–regional security threats, as well as chemical, 
biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks. 

CBRN risk mitigation 

A total of €21.5 million was  earmarked for up to  four new regional centres of excellence on 
chemical,  biological,  radiological  and  nuclear  threats  in  cooperation  with  the  UN  and  other 
major donors located in the Middle East, the Mediterranean basin, the southern Caucasus and 
Central Asia. They  could also play a role  in linking the external and internal dimensions of 
CBRN  risk  mitigation.  To  strengthen  the  analytical  capacity  of  the  International  Atomic 
Energy  Agency  (IAEA),  the  EU  is  contributing  €5  million  to  support  the  IAEA  safeguards 
analytical laboratory. 

Trans–regional threats 

138 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  EU  co-operates  with  the  regional  centre  on  small  arms  and  light  weapons  (RECSA)  in 
southern  and  eastern  Africa.  RECSA  is  engaged  in  the  fight  against  illicit  trade  in  and 
excessive  accumulation  of  firearms  –  including  activities  to  strengthen  law  enforcement 
agencies'  cooperation,  training  on  marking  and  tracing  techniques,  and  awareness–raising. 
The  IfS  is  supporting  the  establishment  of  a  database  managed  by  Interpol  to  track  illicit 
trafficking of stolen or lost firearms. 

The  EU  supports  a  counter–terrorism  programme  for  the  Sahel  region,  including  Mali, 
Mauritania, and Niger. The first phase of the  programme has a  budget of  €4.5  million.  It  is 
timely,  given  the  deteriorating  security  in  the  Sahel,  and  is  part  of  a  broader  EU  effort  to 
support this volatile region.  

The second phase of the trans–regional cocaine route programme – with a total budget of €19 
million  –  is  funding  capacity-building  measures  in  Latin  America,  the  Caribbean  and,  in 
particular, West Africa. It involves law enforcement authorities from EU Member States. 

In addition, the IfS critical maritime routes programme (€14 million) is helping to build the 
capacities  of  coastal  states  around  the  Horn  of  Africa  to  counter  piracy  and  other  forms  of 
organised  crime  through  improved  maritime  surveillance  and  training  in  maritime  law 
enforcement. Support for investigations into piracy organisers and funders has been initiated 
with Interpol. Beyond the western Indian Ocean, the IfS supports a €500 000 project of the 
International  Maritime  Organisation  (IOM)  in  the  Straits  of  Malacca  and  Singapore  to 
increase  the  preparedness  and  response  capabilities  of  coastal  states  against  incidents 
involving hazardous and noxious substances. The programme is  also  running in the  Gulf of 
Guinea.  

Through  the  IfS  expert  support  facility  on  trans–regional  threats  and  threat–preparedness, 
about 100 experts from 17 EU Member States belonging to 60 organisations and institutions 
have carried out more than 100 fact-finding visits and missions to west Africa, north Africa 
and the Middle East, the Sahel, Southeast Asia, central and south America and the Caribbean. 

The EU CBRN-centres of excellence initiative, implemented jointly by the Commission and 
UNICRI54,  helps  institutional  capacity  building  to  mitigate  CBRN  (Chemical,  Biological, 
Radiological and Nuclear) risk in third partner countries55. In 2011, the initiative established 
five regional secretariats and approved 23 capacity building projects that will start in 2012. 

54 UNICRI United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute 
55 http://www.cbrn-coe.eu/ 

139 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 30 IFS - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid and FPI in 2011

Commitments in € million

58.0 M€,  24%

8.9 M€, 4%

Disbursements in € million

41.4 M€, 31%

0.1 M€, 0%

0.2 M€, 0%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

169.9  M€,  72%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

91.8 M€, 69%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid + DG FPI)

140 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 31 IFS - Breakdown by region of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid and FPI in 2011

Commitments ( € million)

27.7 M€, 15%

53.9 M€, 28%

ENPI East

ENPI South

Asia

Latin America

83.7 M€, 44%

ACP

Regional

25.3 M€, 13%

Disbursements ( € million)

3.8 M€, 3%

14.6 M€, 11%

29.2 M€, 23%

ENPI East

ENPI South

22.1 M€, 17%

6.3 M€, 5%

51.7 M€, 41%

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid + DG FPI)

Asia

Latin America

ACP

Regional

Table 32 IFS - External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid and FPI

€ millions

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

             137                  181                  187                  224    

            291    

Disbursements

               49                  129                  144                  154    

            174    

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid + DG FPI)

141 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4-  Nuclear safety 

The instrument for nuclear safety co-operation (INSC 2007-2013) came into force in 2007. Its 
main objectives are the promotion of a high level of nuclear safety, radiation protection and 
the application of efficient safeguards of nuclear material in non-EU countries worldwide. It 
substantially  extended  its  geographical  coverage  in  2011.  In  addition,  the  EU  continued  its 
support  for  finalising  the  nuclear  safety  projects  under  the  TACIS  programme  (Technical 
Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States i.e. the countries of the former Soviet 
Union).  The  principal  development  on  nuclear  safety  cooperation  and  assistance  under  the 
new  instrument  in  2011  was  a  reorientation  of  nuclear  safety  cooperation  towards  third 
countries' regulatory authorities and radioactive waste management and site remediation. 

Following  the  Fukushima-Daiichi  accident  in  March  2011,  the  EU  participated  in  the 
discussion aimed at extending a comprehensive safety assessment of operating nuclear power 
plants  including  a  peer  review  of  national  reports  to  EU  neighbourhood  countries,  the  so-
called  'stress  tests'.  Switzerland  and  Ukraine  are  following  the  same  schedule  for  the  stress 
tests  as  within  the  EU.  Armenia  and  Ukraine  benefit  from  support  to  carry  them  out  in  the 
framework of the INSC. 

In  Ukraine,  the  principal  beneficiary  of  INSC  support,  the  EU  has  continued  to  co-operate 
with  the  regulator  and  the  operator  in  improving  nuclear  safety,  radioactive  waste 
management and nuclear safeguards in general. The EU provided €14 million in know-how 
and  equipment  to  complete  the  Zaporozhye  national  training  centre  for  local  power  plant 
personnel.  Significant  financial  support  was  provided  to  the  Chernobyl  projects  through  the 
Chernobyl  Shelter  Fund  (CSF)  and  the  Nuclear  Safety  Account  (NSA),  managed  by  the 
EBRD  on  behalf  of  the  donor  countries.  The  pledging  conference  in  Kiev  in  April  2011, 
coinciding with the commemorations of the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, was 
highly  successful  in  raising  the  required  €740  million  needed  to  complete  the  project.  The 
Commission  pledge  amounted  to  €122  million  in   accordance  with  the  historical  burden 
sharing among the former G7 members. The stabilisation works of the existing shelter of the 
Chernobyl unit 4 were completed in 2011 and the preparation of the site for the assembly of 
the new safe confinement is presently approaching completion, foreseen for 2015. 

In  Armenia,  important  projects  have  been  launched  for  the  operation  of  the  Medzamor 
nuclear power plant addressing emergency planning, staff training, development of inspection 
procedures, seismic safety analysis, quality management and a radioactive waste strategy. In 
Belarus  and  Georgia,  co-operation  continued  with  projects  to  support  the  regulatory 
authorities  as  well  as  the  safety  assessment  of  a  disposal  site  and  a  related  interim  storage 
facility. 

In 2011, no mutual agreement was reached to allow new projects to be started under INSC in 
the Russian Federation, but the ongoing TACIS projects will be completed. The cooperation 
projects  under  INSC  in  2011  have  started  to  support  the  capacity  building  of  nuclear 
regulators  in  Egypt,  Jordan  and  Morocco.  The  recent  political  events  in  the  region  have 
increased the need for support but, at the same time, delayed funding. An ongoing  capacity 
building project in Iraq (in the framework of the IfS priority 1) will be followed by a project 
to  design  an  engineered  disposal  facility  for  radioactive  waste  resulting  from  the  de-
commissioning of closed nuclear installations. Projects were launched in Brazil and contacts 
were established in Mexico. 

142 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cooperation  with  the  IAEA  has  been  extended  to  support  thematic  technical  activities  at 
country  or  regional  level,  aimed  at  a  further  development  of  the  safety  culture,  capacity 
building of national nuclear safety regulators and the safety of research reactors.  

In  China,  cooperation  was  initiated  with  the  regulator  and  technical  support  organisations. 
This  is  aimed  at  enhancing  the  nuclear  safety  regulatory  regime  as  well  as  strengthening 
China's preparedness for severe accidents and to help develop a strategy for the management 
of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. 

Table 33 NSI - Breakdown by sector of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments in € million

1.2 M€, 2%

Disbursements in € million

1.1 M€, 2%

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

74.6 M€, 98%

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

Social infrastructures: education, health,
water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services :
transport, communications, energy, other
services
Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing,
industry, mining and construction, trade and
tourism
Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Others - including emergency assistance,
reconstruction relief

55.9 M€, 98%

Main sector : Nuclear power plants
Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

143 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 34 NSI - Breakdown by region of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid in 2011

Commitments ( € million)

19.9 M€,  26%

ENPI East

ENPI South

42.9 M€,  57%

Asia

Latin America

Disbursements ( € million)

7.3 M€, 13%

0.8 M€, 1%

0.5 M€, 1%

11.0 M€,  14%

2.0 M€,  3%

ACP

Regional

ENPI East

ENPI South

Asia

Latin America

ACP

Regional

48.3 M€, 85%

Bilateral and multilateral ODA (EuropeAid only).

Table 35 NSI -  External aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid.

€ million

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Commitments

          78.01               72.49               74.89               70.63    

         75.87    

Disbursements

          56.27               76.33               76.94               88.80    

         69.56    

Bilateral and multilateral flows (EuropeAid only).

144 

 
 
 
 
 
5-  Humanitarian assistance 

5.1. 

Introduction 

The  EU  is  the  world's  leading  humanitarian  donor.  In  the  Commission,  the  Directorate 
General  for  Humanitarian  Aid  and  Civil  Protection  (DG  ECHO)  is  responsible  for 
formulating  policy  and  funding  humanitarian  aid  in  non-EU  countries.  It  also  helps  to 
facilitate coordination with  and  among  EU  Member  States.  The overall  priority is to ensure 
that  aid  is  managed  in  the  most  effective  and  efficient  way  possible  so  that  it  has  the 
maximum  effect,  whilst  respecting  the  principles  of  international  law  and  the  humanitarian 
principles of impartiality, neutrality, humanity and independence. 

Since  2010,  the  mandate  of  DG  ECHO  encompasses  humanitarian  assistance  and  civil 
protection,  the  two  main  instruments  at  the  EU's  disposal  to  ensure  rapid  and  effective 
delivery  of  relief  assistance  to  people  faced  with  the  immediate  consequences  of  disasters. 
The civil protection instrument covers interventions inside and outside the EU.  

5.2. 

Implementation of humanitarian aid and civil protection 

In  2011,  the  global  humanitarian  context  remained  challenging  with  humanitarian  needs 
outstripping  available  resources.  The  impact  of  the  famine  provoked  by  the  drought  and 
complicated  by  conflict  in  the  Horn  of  Africa,  the  internal  conflict  in  Libya  and  the  triple 
disaster caused by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan; coming on top of many protracted 
humanitarian  crises,  has  stretched  the  response  capacity  of  international  humanitarian 
community to its limits. 

The Commission rationalised its decision-making in humanitarian aid in 2011, which resulted 
in a quicker and streamlined aid delivery. At the same time, it increased its initial budget for 
humanitarian aid on several occasions in order to respond to urgent needs. At the end of the 
year,  the  EU's  response  to  new  or  protracted  crises  totalled  €1.154  bill ion  and  consisted  of: 
providing humanitarian assistance to more than 115 million people in 91 third countries and 
territories and activating the civil protection mechanism for 27 crises inside and outside the 
EU. 

Natural disasters continued to create severe damage throughout the world. The Commission 
provided  humanitarian  assistance  to  cope  with  the  consequences  of  disasters,  including: 
floods in Bangladesh, India, Peru and Sri Lanka; cyclones/hurricanes/tropical storms in South 
East Asia (i.e. Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), in Central America (i.e. El 
Salvador,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  Nicaragua)  and  in  the  Caribbean  (St  Lucia);  droughts  in 
Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania and Zimbabwe and epidemics in 
Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. 

The  civil  protection  mechanism  was  activated  27  times  to  respond,  for  example,  to  the 
explosion at a naval base in Cyprus, forest fires in Greece and Albania, floods in Pakistan, an 
earthquake in Turkey and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, as well as the evacuation of 
EU  citizens  and  third  country  nationals  during  the  crisis  in  Libya.  EU  civil  protection 

145 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
assistance  is  based  on  resources  made  available  by  the  31  states56  participating  in  the 
mechanism, following a request from the government of the country struck by disaster.  

In  terms  of  'man-made  crises',  the  post-election  crisis  in  Côte  d'Ivoire  became  a  major 
humanitarian  crisis  and  the  popular  uprising  in  Libya  triggered  a  humanitarian  emergency. 
These  two,  among  other,  major  man-made  crises  in  2011  also  affected  neighbouring 
countries. In addition to these crises, the Commission had to respond to several protracted and 
complex  emergencies,  for  example  in  Sudan  and  South  Sudan,  in  the  occupied  Palestinian 
territory and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

One of the main challenges continues to be access in situations where the humanitarian space 
is  under  threat.  The  general  lack  of  security  and  the  targeting  of  humanitarian  workers 
remained major sources of concern. 

The Commission also pays particular attention to forgotten crises that have been neglected or 
overlooked by others. In 2011, it identified ten such crises including the Rohingya refugees in 
Bangladesh  and  civilians  affected  by  internal  armed  conflict  in  Colombia  and  the  Central 
African Republic (CAR). 

Following  its  needs-based  approach,  humanitarian  and  civil  protection  assistance  were 
provided to the following regions (in € million):  Table 36: 

56 

27 EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Croatia 

146 

 
 
 
 
  
 
                                                 
Region/country

Amount

%

Africa

Sudan & Chad

Central Africa

Horn of Africa

Southern Africa, Indian Ocean

West Africa

Middle East, Mediterranean

Middle East

Mediterranean

Asia, Pacific

Central and South West Asia 

Central South Asia

South East Asia and Pacific 

Latin America, Caribbean

Latin America

Caribbean

Worldwide disasters

Civil protection

Inside EU

Outside EU

Worldwide (capacity building, technical assistance, support, etc)

TOTAL

556

181

80

181

10

104

156

86 791

69 000

238

127

54

58

80

35

45

10

31

17

14

83

1 154

48%

14%

21%

7%

1%

3%

7%

100%

For more information, see DG Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection's annual report 
available on its website57. 

Beyond disaster response, the Commission equally strives to enhance disaster prevention and 
preparedness  –  both  within  the  EU  and  beyond  –  especially  in  regions  prone  to  natural 
disasters.  Disaster  risk  reduction  and  adaptation  to  climate  change  was  a  clear  focus  for 
funding  in  2011.  The  Commission  launched  new  DIPECHO  programmes  in  South  Asia, 
South America, Pacific and the Caribbean. It also mainstreams risk reduction into overall aid 
operations. 

5.3.  Humanitarian assistance and civil protection priorities 

At the policy level, the Commission focused on the following strategic initiatives in 2011: 

57 http://ec.europa.eu/echo/about/annual_reports_en.htm  

147 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
•  Presentation of a legislative proposal on a Union civil protection mechanism with the 
aim to substantially strengthen the existing instruments. At present, the deployment of 
EU  civil  protection  assets  is  based  on  largely  ad  hoc  voluntary  offers  from 
participating  states.  Though  the  EU  civil  protection  mechanism  plays  an  important 
role in supporting, coordinating and complementing the process of mutual assistance, 
the Commission proposes to move to a system which is pre-planned and immediate. 
In  this  context,  preparations  have  started  to  set  up  an  emergency  response  centre  in 
2012  to  allow  for  a  more  pro-active  role  in  planning,  preparing,  operational  co-
ordination and logistical support. 

• 

•  The establishment of a European voluntary humanitarian aid corps, as required by the 
Lisbon Treaty (article 214.5). In 2011, DG ECHO initiated a public consultation and 
an impact assessment and launched pilot projects. The results of these activities will 
feed into a proposal in 2012 for a legislative framework setting up the corps. 

The Commission also put particular emphasis on selected horizontal policy priorities, in line 
with the commitments of the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid58 and its action plan. 
These policy priorities include, for example, the further roll-out of the EU humanitarian food 
assistance  policy.  The  negotiations  for  the  modernisation  of  the  food  aid  convention  took 
place  against  this  background.  In  order  to  enhance  the  efficiency  and  effectiveness  of  joint 
efforts to meet food security and nutrition needs, the Commission signed a statement of intent 
on  programmatic  cooperation  on  food  security  and  nutrition  with  three  UN  agencies:  FAO, 
WFP and IFAD.  

From humanitarian aid to development cooperation: improving the process 

In 2011, Commission Directorates-General EuropeAid and Humanitarian aid (ECHO) gave a 
new impetus to their common work on linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD), 
aiming 
transitions  between  humanitarian  aid  and  development 
cooperation, in a process focused on building resilience. 

to  ensure  smoother 

In this framework, EuropeAid and ECHO coordinated with the EEAS an approach to LRRD 
agenda from three angles, to be pursued in 2012.  

At  the  conceptual  level,  the  work  focused  on  the  need  to  develop  a  "policy"  understanding 
and  an  operational  framework,  where  building  resilience,  addressing  vulnerabilities  and 
creating the capacity in partner countries to respond to emergencies should be an integral part 
of  EU  development  aid  programming,  and  a  shared  priority  for  humanitarian  and 
development actors in countries facing disasters and repeated or protracted crises. 

In terms of financial instruments and methodology for programming, priority has been given 
to addressing flexibility in the new financial instruments as well as at programming level, in 
order to tackle more effectively unforeseen needs or transition challenges. Particular attention 
has been paid to the development of a common methodology for the design of Humanitarian-
Development  Joint  Frameworks,  which  are  processes  that  gather  humanitarian  and 
development  actors  to  assess  and  define  the  backdrop  against  which  each  can  place  its 
respective  actions.  The  result  is  a  smoother  transition,  increased  impact,  and  coherence  and 
sustainability  of  respective  actions.  Increasingly,  the  application  of  the  humanitarian-

58 OJ 2008/C/25/01 of 30.01.2008 

148 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
                                                 
development framework is required for country-level assistance, for instance under the Food 
Security  Thematic  Programme  (FSTP)  of  the  DCI  where  support  to  countries  in  fragile 
situations  is  specifically  focused  on  ensuring  that  food  security  is  addressed  in  LRRD 
contexts.   

In the case of building resilience during chronic food crises, the Commission considers that 
this  is  best  achieved  through  a  shift  to  long-term  approaches  managed  through  geographic 
programmes, integrated into indicative country or regional programmes.  The pilot on FSTP 
support to fragile countries serves as an example of focus on LRRD relating to other domains 
of intervention being, where appropriate, mainstreamed effectively to also cover other sectors 
and programmes (both geographic and thematic). 

The joint EuropeAid – ECHO efforts resulted into concrete implementation at country level; 
in several cases, innovative approaches were initiated in areas such as the Sahel and Horn of 
Africa, as well as Sri Lanka, where the development and humanitarian responses started being 
better articulated. 

6-  Macro-financial assistance  

Macro-financial assistance (MFA) is an external financial instrument to countries close to the 
EU,  addressing  exceptional  external  financing  needs  in  the  form  of  balance  of  payment 
support.  MFA  therefore  strengthens  macroeconomic  and  financial  stability  in  countries 
neighbouring,  or  geographically  close  to  the  EU,  while  encouraging  the  implementation  of 
appropriate  structural  reforms.  It  complements  and  is  conditional  to  the  existence  of  an 
adjustment and reform programme with the IMF. MFA can take the form of grants, financed 
by the EU budget, or loans, for which the Commission borrows the necessary funds in capital 
markets and on-lends them to the beneficiary country. MFA is currently subject to case-by-
case legislative decisions, taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council through 
the  ordinary  legislative  procedure  (co-decision).  In  2011,  the  Commission  proposed  to 
streamline  the  decision-taking  process  by  adopting  on  4  July  a  proposal  for  a  framework 
regulation  for  MFA.  The  proposed  framework  Regulation  aims  to  make  MFA  faster,  more 
transparent  and  more  effective  by  speeding  up  the  decision-making  process  for  individual 
MFA operations and laying down the key rules governing MFA in a formal legal act. 

In 2011, the Commission submitted two formal proposals for new MFA operations: to extend 
MFA to Georgia for €23 million in grants and €23 million in loans submitted on 13 January 
2011, and to extend an exceptional MFA to the Kyrgyz Republic for €15 million in grants and 
€15  million  in  loans  submitted  on  20  December  2011.  These  are  pending  adoption  by  the 
European Parliament and the Council. 

Regarding the implementation of already approved MFA operations in 2011: on the Armenia 
MFA,  the  Commission  finalised  the  memorandum  of  understanding  with  the  Armenian 
authorities and disbursed the first tranche in July –   a €14 million grant and €26 million loan. 
The  disbursement  of  the  second  tranche  –  a  €21  million  grant  and  €39  million  loan  –  was 
agreed  in  December.  The  grant  part  was effectively  disbursed  on  27  December  2011,  while 
the  loan  part  is  scheduled  to  be  paid  in  January  2012.  Regarding  the  MFA  to  Serbia,  the 
disbursement  of  a  €100  million  loan  to  the  Serbian  authorities  was  made  in  July  2011, 
completing this MFA operation, as the second tranche of the same amount was cancelled, due 
to Serbia's lower external financing needs and its decision not to draw fully on programmed 

149 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IMF  disbursements.  On  the  Moldova  MFA,  the  Commission  executed  the  second  tranche 
consisting  of  a  €20  million  grant  in  September  2011.  The  implementation  of  the  MFA  to 
Ukraine  approved  in  2010  –  together  with  the  funds  available  from  a  previous  operation 
approved in 2002, amounting to €610 million in loans – has been delayed due to the lack of 
agreement  with  the  Ukrainian  authorities  on  certain  conditions  of  the  memorandum  of 
understanding. The first tranche of MFA operation for Bosnia and Herzegovina approved in 
2009  (amounting  to  up  to  €100  million  in  loans)  has  not  been  disbursed  so  far  due  to  non-
compliance with one of the first tranche conditions. 

CHAPTER 4 - MANAGING AID FOR RESULTS 

1-  Monitoring project performance 

1.1 Performance measurement: Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) 

For  more  than  10  years,  the  Commission's  Results  Oriented  Monitoring  (ROM)  system  has 
been used to assess the performance of projects funded by the EU. As such, it forms a part of 
the overall quality assurance cycle, which starts during the design of projects and ends after 
their implementation. 

The ROM system is based on onsite visits where experts interview staff involved in projects 
and  programmes,  review  key  project  documents,  and  most  importantly,  interview  relevant 
stakeholders,  including  the  beneficiaries.  The  methodology  is  based  on  internationally 
(OECD/DAC)  agreed  evaluation  criteria:  relevance,  efficiency,  effectiveness,  impact,  and 
sustainability.  ROM  reports  are  disseminated  by  the  EU  to  project  managers,  partner 
governments and other stakeholders. 

ROM provides benefits: 

–  At  the  level  of  a  project  or  programme:  it  gives  feedback  to  project  managers  on  the 
performance of the operations under their responsibility and gives recommendations on how 
to improve them, if necessary. 
– It provides  a statistical overview of the performance of the EU  development  aid portfolio 
with data allowing comparison over time, across regions, between sectors etc. 
–  At  the  level  of  programming  and  learning:  quantitative  and  qualitative  studies  based  on 
ROM data can contribute lessons learned and best practices to the programming and planning 
of new projects. 

ROM performance in 2011 

In 2011, a set of new contracts were launched to conduct the ROM exercises in the different 
regions  and  for  centrally  managed  thematic  programmes.  Over  1  000  ongoing  projects  and 
182 regional programmes and 15 sector policy support programmes (SPSP) were assessed in 
2011.  In  addition,  162  closed  projects  and  22  Regional  Programmes  were  assessed  ex-post, 
i.e. after their closure to focus specifically on impact and sustainability.  

The  ROM  system  covered  in  2011  roughly  one-third  of  development  cooperation 
interventions, representing in financial terms one quarter of the total portfolio. 

150 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 37- Overview of ROM activities  

Nb of Projects & Programmes 
monitored 

ENPI 

Africa  

Asia & 
Central Asia 

Latin 
America 

CMTP 

Caribbea
n 

Pacific 

National projects  

205 

421 

223 

Regional programmes (as a whole) 

38 

Regional programme components 

41 

SPSP 

- 

25 

24 

7 

19 

43 

- 

122 

31 

20 

2 

2 

55 

89 

- 

43 

9 

6 

6 

51 

6 

12 

- 

Total 
2011 

1067 

183 

235 

15 

Million € covered Ongoing 

808.52 

2,882.27 

873.99 

546.10 

162.00 

345.37 

144.05 

5,762.30 

Closed projects/programmes  

33 

49 

50 

4359 

4 

7 

7 

193 

Million € covered Ex-Post 

94.54 

213.80 

238.51 

262.48 

6.40 

31.03 

9.50 

856.26 

i

g
n
o
g
n
O

t
s
o
P
-
x
E

Table 38- Overall performance of ongoing national projects by category 

100%

3%

3%

3%

3%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

71%

73%

70%

70%

19%

6%

2008

18%

6%

2009

19%

8%

2010

19%

8%

2011

(I) Very good performa nce
(II) Good performa nce
(III) Performi ng wi th Probl ems
(IV) Not performi ng or major di ffi cul ti es

Of the projects subject to an assessment by ROM, a large majority was considered very good 
or  good.  Over  the  last  three  years,  the  percentage  of  projects  rated  as  very  good  or  good 
remains constant (between 73% and 76%) while projects facing major difficulties counted for 
only 6 to 8% of those reviewed. The figures for 2010 and 2011 are virtually the same. 

For  analytical  purposes,  as  well  as  to  identify  projects  which  need  specific  attention,  it  is 
useful  to  zoom  in  on  the  performance  category  II  ("good  performance")  which  contains  the 
large  majority  of  projects/programmes.  Among  the  projects  rated  as  having  “good 

59 Some of the projects assessed by ROM Ex-Post in Latin America were grouped in one ROM report. 40 reports 
covered 43 projects. 

151 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
performance”, close to a half have not received any grade highlighting problems. Even though 
room  for  improvement  might  exist  for  these  interventions,  they  appeared  fully  on  track.  A 
quarter  of  the  good  projects  showed  problems  in  two  areas  of  assessment,  which  should  be 
addressed to ensure the project's proper implementation. 

Table 39 - Performance by evaluation criteria - very good and good ratings for ongoing 
national projects 

ROM assessment: Very good and good grades by evaluation 
criteria (national projects)

81%

72%

9%

64%

54%

6%

60%

55%

5%

Relevance

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Very good (a)

Good (b)

78%

70%

8%

Impact

68%

58%

4%

Sustainability

The  performance  of  projects  assessed  by  ROM  in  2011  shows  best  results  for  the  criteria 
relevance and potential impact. However, it should be stressed that the under the "relevance" 
criterion, ROM takes into consideration two specific dimensions: “relevance" and "quality of 
design". If "relevance"  scores very highly (96% of good and very good, "design" has lower 
scores  (72%  of  good  and  very  good).  This  confirms  the  importance  of  the  ex-ante  quality 
assessment. In this respect, the Commission has put in place a quality check system, through 
the  oQSG.  Its  impact  on  the  improvement  of  the  quality  of  design  of  projects  which  since 
have started to be implemented should be measured and analysed through the ROM system. 

Table 40- Project performance by for selected ODA (sub-) sectors 

Performance category of ongoing 
(national) projects by sector 

Very good 
performance 

Good 
performance 

Education 

Health 

Water and Sanitation 

Government and Civil Society 

Other Social Infrastructure and 

I 

5% 

7% 

2% 

2% 

3% 

II 

68% 

76% 

75% 

68% 

75% 

152 

Performing 
with 
Problems 

Not 
performing 
or major 
difficulties 

N° 
reports 
produced 

III 

21% 

12% 

20% 

20% 

14% 

IV 

5% 

5% 

3% 

10% 

8% 

56 

58 

59 

326 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
Services 

Economic Infrastructure and 
Services 

Production sectors 

Multi-sector – Cross-cutting 
Commodity Aid + General 
Programme Assistance 

New developments in 2011 

Internal Monitoring 

6% 

3% 

3% 

3% 

71% 

60% 

68% 

77% 

15% 

28% 

19% 

18% 

8% 

10% 

10% 

3% 

107 

134 

120 

77 

In 2011, a new guidance document on "Strengthening Internal Monitoring" and an associated 
toolkit have been developed and will be tested, finalised and sent in 2012 to the Delegations. 
In  addition,  within  the  framework  of  the  ‘control  pyramid’  system,  introduced  in  2011,  the 
task-managers  in  Delegations  are  assessing  twice  annually  the  performance  of  the  projects 
and programmes they are in charge of, by means of a ‘traffic light’ system. This will serve as 
an early warning system to identify projects with problems and to enable corrective measures. 
Delegations also need to produce and regularly update a monitoring work plan. 

Assessment of ROM and project evaluations   

During  the  implementation  of  projects  and  programmes  the  Commission  uses  two  different 
tools to assess the performance and to identify where there is room for improvement: on the 
one  hand,  the  ROM  system  with  its  brief,  highly  structured  format  managed  centrally  by 
headquarters; on the other hand, most of the project/programme evaluations are managed by 
the  Delegations  and  are  more  in-depth.  There  has,  however,  not  been  a  systematic 
coordination or a clear division of labour between the two tools. 

Audits  by  the  European  Court  of  Auditors  (ECA)  and  the  Commission's  internal  audit 
capability  gave  recommendations  echoing  the  results  of  a  study  on  ROM  and  project 
evaluations  which  were  concluded  in  2010.  While  accountability  requires  an  objective  and 
independent assessment, support to project management is more effective if an evaluation is 
participatory,  makes  use  of  the  experience  and expertise of the  people involved and assures 
that  the  results  are  agreed  upon  by  all  stakeholders.  With  this  in  view,  the  Commission  has 
embarked  on  a  critical  reflection  on  the  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  ROM  and  of  project 
evaluations. 

The Commission is developing an IT application for both project/programme evaluations and 
ROM, as part of a wider new information management system, called PCM platform, which 
will  serve  as  the  central  tool  for  operational  management  of  Commission  interventions 
throughout  their  lifecycle.  The  application  aims  to  facilitate  planning  and  co-ordination, 
support  the  management  of  evaluations,  serve  as  a  central  storage  point  for  all  reports  and 
enable  advanced  search  and  analysis  functionalities.  The  IT  development  is  ongoing  with  a 
pilot test expected in 2012. 

Outlook for 2012 

Based  on  the  critical  reflection  being  carried  out  on  the  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  ROM 
and of project evaluations, a proposal for an improved monitoring and evaluation system will 

153 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
be presented in 2012 to Commission management. In October 2011, in its communication on 
the Agenda for Change, the Commission proposed to work on a common results measurement 
and  reporting  framework. In  November,  it  organised  an  initial  meeting  of  an  EU  experts 
group  on  results.  The  aim  was  to  reflect  on  common  approaches  in  this  field,  including  the 
work  which  the  group  could  undertake  to  contribute  to  the  thinking  on  and  development  of 
country results and accountability agreements for which building blocks had been provided in 
the  run-up  to  and  during  the  Busan  High  Level  Forum.  This  meeting  confirmed  the  overall 
impression  of  the  diversity  of  approaches  across  donors  and  the  relevance  of  more 
convergence in results measuring and reporting. 

1.2 Evaluation: Review of the work carried out 

The overall picture 

The evaluation unit manages three main kinds of strategic evaluations: geographic (covering 
activities at country and regional level), thematic and sector, as well as evaluations covering 
aid  delivery  mechanisms  (issues  concerning  project-level  evaluations  are  dealt  within  the 
section  on  project  results).  Since  2010,  the  Commission  has  intensified  the  use  of  joint 
evaluations carried out with several other donors. Evaluations are carried out by independent 
external  consultants  following  a  standardised  methodology  in  a  transparent  way.  All 
evaluation  reports  are  available  on  the  Commission's  Development  and  Cooperation  - 
EuropeAid website60.  

The 2011 work programme 

region,  Colombia,  Congo 

The evaluation programme for 2011 is the fifth annual programme under the indicative multi-
annual  evaluation  programme  for  the  period  2007-2013.  Four  geographic  evaluations  were 
completed in 2011: Tunisia, Dominican Republic, OCTs and Malawi. At the end of 2011, 13 
geographical  evaluations  were  ongoing:  Burundi  (jointly  with  six  EU  Member  States),  the 
(Brazzaville),  Djibouti,  Ecuador,  European 
Caribbean 
Neighbourhood  policy  regions  (East  and  South),  Ethiopia,  Honduras,  Jamaica,  Nepal, 
Philippines and Zambia. Three thematic evaluations were completed: conflict prevention and 
peace building, justice and security system reform and employment and social inclusion. At 
the end of 2011, seven thematic evaluations were ongoing: agricultural commodities in ACP 
countries,  health,  human  rights  and  fundamental  freedoms,  integrated  border  management, 
private sector, support to the de-centralisation process and trade-related assistance. 

On the aid modalities 

Two  pilot  evaluations  on  budget  support  in  Mali  and  Tunisia  were  completed  in  2011.  The 
methodological  approach  will  be  refined  at  the  beginning  of  2012  to  take  into  account  the 
lessons learned from these pilot studies. This refined approach should be applied from 2012. 
A joint evaluation of budget support in Tanzania was launched in 2011. 

To  support  the  preparation  of  the  MFF  post-2013,  a  study  on  legal  instruments  and  lessons 
learned  from  the  evaluations  managed  by  the  evaluation  unit  was  finalised  in  2011.  Three 

60 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/evaluation/evaluation_reports/index_en.htm 

154 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
other  evaluations  on  aid  modalities  are  expected  to  be  completed  in  2012:  visibility  of  the 
EU's external action, technical co-operation and cooperation with the Council of Europe. 

With regard to dissemination and feedback mechanisms, seven seminars have been organised 
in  countries  to  discuss  the  evaluation  findings  for  Congo  (Brazzaville),  the  Dominican 
Republic  Ethiopia,  Mali,  Malawi,  overseas  countries  and  territories  and  Tunisia.  Two 
seminars  were  organised  in  Brussels  to  share  the  results  of  thematic  evaluations:  conflict 
prevention and peace building and education. 

Seven "fiches contradictoires" have been published to ensure follow-up of previous evaluation 
reports. 

Lessons learned from evaluations finalised in 2011 

Geographical evaluations 

Tunisia  (1995-2008):  The  EU's  aid  has  largely  contributed  to  the  implementation  of 
institutional, economic and education sector reforms. Continuous support to the development 
of  human  resources  has  contributed  to  reaching  remarkable  results.  Nevertheless,  there  is  a 
need to boost the employability of qualified people and reinforce territorial cohesion. Difficult 
dialogue  with  the  national  government  hampered  the  support  to  governance  and  democratic 
processes.  Regarding  the  programmes’  management,  there  was  a  good  articulation  between 
the different co-operation instruments. 

Dominican  Republic  (2001-2009):  The  EU’s  aid  contributed  to  reducing  poverty  in  key 
sectors,  but  has  not  specifically  targeted  the  socio-equity  gap.  The  sustainability  of  some 
results  remains  weak,  primarily,  but  not  only,  due  to  the  government’s  inadequate  financial 
support to most sectors in which the Commission has operated (education, natural resources 
management and the DR-Haiti border zone development). Therefore, the EU should continue 
with the current strategy while increasingly focusing on capacity development of the various 
local stakeholders and investing in robust monitoring and evaluation systems. 

Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) (1999-2008): The EU has been consistent with 
the  EU  policy  objectives  of  promoting  economic  and  social  development  in  the  OCTs  and 
bringing  the  islands  economically  closer  to  the  EU.  In  the  area  of  trade,  the  EU  preference 
regime  did  not  sufficiently  counter-balance  economic  diversification  constraints.  The 
involvement of the OCTs in regional programmes was minimised by isolation from regional 
networking, high participation costs and sometimes by language barriers. Fewer results than 
expected  were  achieved  on  climate  change  and  disaster  crisis  management.  EU  support  for 
management  and  delivery  mechanisms  has  been  less  conducive  to  the  achievements  of  the 
cooperation's objectives.  

Malawi  (2003-2010):  Although  EU  cooperation  has  responded  well  to  the  country's  long-
term  needs,  certain  aid  modalities  could  be  improved  by  adapting  to  evolving  needs.  The 
support has contributed to improved access and availability of food. It has been successful in 
reducing malnutrition in children less than five years of age. EU aid has positively contributed 
to the maintenance of the existing road network, yet little has been achieved in terms of wider 
regional connectivity. Budget support has proved to be a powerful tool which has contributed 
to macro-economic stabilisation. 

155 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Thematic and sector evaluations and analysis 

Evaluation  of  support  for  conflict  prevention  and  peace  building  (CPPB)  (2001-2010): 
The Commission has significantly increased its focus on CPPB (reflected in a total of €7.7bn 
of funding over the period) and strengthened its policy framework. However, the conceptual 
orientations  at  policy  level  have  not  always  been  appropriated  at  operational  level.  The 
support often remained in a developmental perspective. The Commission needs to clarify its 
role and focus on crisis management and causes of conflict, consolidate and further develop 
its  support  for  CPPB  and  ensure  that  its  financial  support  is  sufficiently  complemented  and 
leveraged by non-financial support. 

Justice sector and security reform (JSSR) (2001-2009): The EU substantially increased its 
funding  (amounting  to  €1  billion),  developed  a  concept  to  support  JSSR  and  engaged  in  a 
wide range of assistance activities. However, the EU's support has generally not been geared 
towards  enhancing  the  delivery  of  services  in  a  manner  responsive  to  people's  needs.  The 
weaknesses  of  the  EU  policy  framework  and  internal  capacity  limitations  hampered  the 
support's impact and prevented the EU from bringing all its potential added value. 

Employment  and  social  inclusion  (ESI)  (1999-2009):  ESI  is  a  significant  priority  in 
development policy and in programmes. Nevertheless, there has been a weak mainstreaming 
of ESI in EU-supported programmes and a poor sector or thematic approach including a lack 
of ESI-related indicators. Moreover, the informal economy was often overlooked. EU support 
to  trade  development,  macro-economic  stability  and  growth  contributed  to  creating  new 
employment  opportunities.  However,  few  of  these  interventions  focused  explicitly  on 
employment  creation.  Technical  and  vocational  education  and  training  support  policies 
contributed  to  improving  "employability".  The  EU  has  focused  positively  on  the  social 
cohesion of vulnerable groups and on labour market governance. 

Aid modalities evaluations 

Key lessons learned on budget support from three country evaluations 

•  Budget support is an effective tool in countries where the government has the capacity and 

the determination to put in place robust development policies. 

•  It benefits from complementarity with other forms of aid, especially for capacity-building. 
•  It is more beneficial with higher degrees of harmonisation and alignment. 
•  It  cannot  determine  major  policy  changes  but  can  provide  sound  support  to  policy 

implementation, not possible with a projects-only approach.  

•  Its effect is strengthened and multiplied when it is linked to wider political and economic 

partnerships. 

•  Budget  support  can  increase  transparency  and  accountability  of  budget  processes  and 
public  expenditure  management  and  may  therefore  be  used  to  support  anti-corruption 
policies. 

•  The  choice  between  general  and  sector  budget  support  should  be  flexible  and  context-

based. 

Evaluation  of  budget  support  operations 
to 
complementarity  of  budget  support  with  a  long-term  economic  and  political  partnership 
established by the association agreement, Tunisia experienced significant results in terms of 
economic growth, private sector development and poverty reduction. The EU-funded sectoral 

(1996-2008):  Thanks 

in  Tunisia 

156 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
budget  support  for  education  and  vocational  training  has  contributed  to  an  initial 
modernisation  of  the  national  school  system  and  to  significant  improvements  in  access, 
including territorial equity.  

The  joint  evaluation  of  budget  support  operations  in  Mali  2003-2009  found  that  the 
financial contribution of budget support has contributed to an annual economic growth rate of 
5% over this period, but that the driving force of the prudent macro-economic policy was not 
policy dialogue but the authorities' own commitment backed by the political commitment to 
the  WAEMU  convergence  criteria  and  to  the  IMF.  The  additional  financing  has  also 
contributed to positive outcomes in the education sector – the overall enrolment rate went up 
from  64%  to  81%  while  the  repetition  rate  fell  from  20%  to  14%  and  the  completion  rate 
increased  from  40%  to  56%.  There  were  good  results  in  the  health  sector  too  with  prenatal 
consultations increasing from 54% to 90%. 

Study  on  legal  instruments  (DCI,  ENPI,  EIDHR,  IfS,  INSC  and  ICI):  The  logic  of  the 
objectives  for  the  instruments  could  be  substantially  improved.  This  would  make  the 
measures  intended  to  achieve  objectives  clearer,  and  secondly,  make  the  evaluation  of 
progress easier. There is an obvious degree of convergence between what was expected and 
what  occurred,  but  not  all  results  are  positive.  The  sizeable  proportion  of  mixed  results 
indicates room for improvement in both programming and implementation. There was also a 
lack  of  evidence  on  linkages  and  inter-relations  between  the  six  legal  instruments  at  the 
operational level. 

Outlook for 2012  

The  evaluation  programme  for  2012  follows  the  structure  laid  out  in  the  multi-annual 
evaluation  programme  for  2007-2013,  with  some  adjustments  with  regard  to  the  future 
Commission/EU  orientations  and 
for  change, 
communication on budget support, MDG/SDG (sustainable development goals), the new draft 
guidelines on programming and implementation). In partnership with the quality of delivery 
system  unit,  the  evaluation  unit  is  currently  working  on  a  reform  of  the  monitoring  and 
evaluation system. 

international  commitments 

(Agenda 

1.3 Lessons learned 

The  "Fiches  Contradictoires",  a  key 
recommendations 

tool 

to  ensure 

the 

follow-up  of  evaluation 

The "Fiche Contradictoire” is a document which follows up on evaluation recommendations. 
It  is  prepared  by  the  services  in  charge  of  implementing  them.  It  sets  out  the  main 
recommendations,  actions  taken  and  describes  the  follow-up  to  these  actions  one  year  later. 
Every “Fiche Contradictoire” is available on the evaluation unit’s website61. 

A  large  majority  of  the  recommendations  are  accepted  and  implemented  by  the  services 
concerned. 

61 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/evaluation/evaluation_reports/index_en.htm 

157 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Synthesis of main lessons learned 

• 

In  terms  of  relevance  and  design,  the  EU  interventions  address  the  needs  of  the 
partner's countries and population and are consistent with EU goals. 

•  The  efficiency  of  EU  interventions  could  be  improved  by  making  administrative 
procedures  more  flexible  and  ensuring  a  better  monitoring  of  interventions.  On  the 
other  hand,  improving  the  mix  of  aid  modalities  (budget  support,  budget  lines, 
twinning, etc.) has enhanced efficiency at a strategic level. 

•  Budget  support  has  proven  to  be  an  effective  tool  for  the  implementation  of  public 
financial management and other reforms where government were committed thereto, 
but budget support programmes cannot be used to "buy" reforms.  

•  Being generally effective, the EU interventions generate positive impact, as concluded 
in most of the reports, although the spread of EU funds over too many areas may limit 
it. The EU should work on concentrating its funding in the areas where its added-value 
is most likely to materialise. 

•  The  impact  of  interventions  could  be  strengthened  by  enhancing  the  consistency  of 
strategies  and  programmes:    with  other  donors  through  joint  programming  and  clear 
division  of  labour;  with  EU  Member  States  through  common  strategies  on  sensitive 
issues  such  as  human  rights  and  governance;  internally,  at  a  geographic  level,  by 
ensuring a better linkage between regional and national programming and on a sector 
level by looking for synergies between the different sectors. 

•  Sustainability  of  EU  projects  and  programmes  needs  to  be  better  monitored,  as  in 
many  countries  the  ownership  by  the  partner  country  is  not  always  demonstrated. 
Budget support appears to be more successful in this respect. 

2-  Aid delivery modalities 

2.1 Developments in aid delivery modalities and channels 

The Commission continues to be committed to further improvement and strengthening of its 
internal  quality  support  tools  as  well  its  efforts  in  relation  to  accountability  and  results 
monitoring. In the recent past, it has engaged in reform of its processes in to order to make 
them simpler, focused on quality, capacity and results, and in line with internationally-agreed 
objectives on aid effectiveness. The Commission has also developed more dynamic forms of 
partnership  with  beneficiaries  and  with  other  donors  and  has  simplified  its  procedures  and 
clarified the rules for delivery and implementation. 

- Programme and project cycle management (PPCM) 

Improvements to the methods for the design and implementation of actions are in preparation, 
revising  existing  guidance  on  programme  and  project  cycle  management  (PPCM).  The 
revised guidance will replace and update three sets of guidelines to ensure greater coherence 
of  approaches.  Important  innovations  will  include  a  greater  focus  on  analysing  the  country 

158 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  sector  context  of  operations  in  advance  of  decisions  being  taken  with  a  better  risk 
management  system  to  include  new  tools,  such  as  analysis  of  the  political  economy. 
Development  of  the  elements  of  PPCM  and  its  associated  tools  takes  place  through  of 
research and testing involving EU Delegations, Member States and international partners. 

In  2011,  preparations  included  a  number  of  research  seminars  on  political  economy,  policy 
dialogue and risk management as well as case studies and recognition of the substantial work 
carried out in the PPCM technical annexes.  

- Capacity development 

Capacity  is  one  of  the  essential  drivers  of  development,  and  therefore  a  key  element  of  aid 
delivery quality. The Commission has made efforts to improve the quality of its cooperation 
for enhanced capacity development. In 2011, ongoing work in the area converged:  

•  Stocktaking of the technical cooperation reform initiated in 2008; 
•  Development of the EU’s own capacity through knowledge exchange and networking; 
•  Preparation of the Busan HLR on aid effectiveness. 

Stocktaking of technical cooperation reform for capacity development: 

2011  has  been  an  opportunity  to  look  back  on  technical  co-operation  reform  and  to  draw 
lessons  which  were  voiced  at  the  knowledge  and  innovation  space  in  Busan.  The  trigger 
factors for reform were the aid effectiveness agenda and a report from the European Court of 
Auditors published in 2007. This highlighted that a significant part of EU programmes were 
not  focusing  enough  on  capacity  development  and  that  technical  assistants  were  often 
engaged  in  substitution  activities.  The  change  in  strategy  has  been  twofold:  changing 
practices (new guidance based on quality criteria such as ownership) and a change of mind set 
(dissemination, website, etc.). 

In  2011,  the  results  of  the  reform  began  to  emerge.  An  analysis  compiling  the  statistics  of 
approximately  1000  projects  monitored  against  five  quality  criteria  is  ongoing  and 
conclusions should be drawn during 2012. The first preliminary findings revealed that 97% of 
EU  programmes  contribute,  or  have  the  potential  to  contribute,  to  capacity  development. 
Furthermore,  it  would  seem  that  forms  of  support  with  no  direct  technical  co-operation 
component, such as working through NGOs, may also provide good results in terms of quality 
of the capacity development support process. Whereas the outcome of the analysis could only 
provide  a  snapshot  of  longer-term  CD  processes,  it  allows  a  look  at  the  nature  of  capacity 
development in the Commission’s operations. 

Knowledge exchange for Capacity Development: 

Another emerging result of technical co-operation reform is the knowledge management part 
of  the  agenda.  The  Commission's  knowledge  sharing  platform  on  capacity  development  – 
capacity4dev.eu  –  has  been  further  consolidated.  In  2011,  86  articles  were  edited  whose 
themes  included  capacity  development,  change  processes,  governance,  civil  society  and 
projects  etc.  Major  efforts  were  made  to  share  knowledge  on  subjects likely  to  improve  the 
quality  of  aid,  such  as  political  economic  analysis,  or  Busan.  The  platform  is  an  indication 
that  if  the  EU  is  to  improve  the  practice  of  capacity  development,  it  must  also  invest  more 
intensively  in  its  own  capacity  to  provide  capacity  development  support  and  secondly  it 

159 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
signposts that the EU is working in a wider professional system. In the digital age more than 
ever,  it  is  aware  of  the  importance  of  knowledge  sharing  and  its  link  with  developing 
capacities. 

Other  technical  co-operation  actions  included  learning  events  at  headquarters  level  (four 
sessions) as well as in Guinea Conakry and Mozambique. A study has also been drawn up on 
the approaches of EU Member States to technical co-operation and capacity development. 

Finally, 2011 saw several events leading to the Busan HLF on aid effectiveness: LenCD was 
an  important  incubator  of  Busan  preparations  on  capacity  development.  It  is  an  informal 
network  comprising  organisations,  partner  countries  and  donors.  Workshops  on  capacity 
development  were  held  in  Kigali,  Cairo,  Eschborn,  Brussels  and  Bangkok.  The  Brussels 
workshop  on  technical  cooperation  and  capacity development,  hosted  by  EuropeAid  in  July 
2011,  provided  an  opportunity  for  the  Commission,  country  partners  and  Member  States  to 
reflect  on  technical  cooperation  reform,  the  EU  framework  on  aid  effectiveness,  innovative 
approaches to capacity development and to craft key workshop messages, ahead of the Busan 
HLF. In Busan, capacity appeared to be one of the most addressed cross-cutting issues. For 
example,  the  African  delegation  stated  that  with  such  a  high  density  of  mineral  resources, 
Africa should not require aid, but it did need capacity to transform itself and develop its own 
strategies.  Furthermore,  the  specific  references  to  effective  institutions  and  country  systems 
confirm  that  capacity  development  is  regarded  as  fundamental  to  achieving  development 
effectiveness and will need to be a focus of attention post-Busan. 

2.2 Budget support and public finance 

The approval of the budget support communication setting a new policy (for more details see 
chapter  1)  was  the  culminating  point  of  2011.  Also,  the  Court  of  Auditors  published  a 
significant  special  report  in  2011  on  the  Commission's  management  of  general  budget 
support62,  recognising  the  Commission's  effort  to  improve  budget  support.  The  first  three 
fully-fledged evaluations on budget support underlined its usefulness and its positive impacts. 
The approval of the new budget support communication set a new policy in place (for more 
details see chapter 1). These reflect the growing importance, interest in and scrutiny of budget 
support  as  a  delivery  modality.  The  Commission  is  currently  reviewing  its  budget  support 
guidelines to fully reflect the new policy, lessons learned and recommendations by the Court 
of  Auditors.  These  changes  will  have  significant  implications  for  the  selection,  design  and 
implementation of new budget support programmes in the future. 

Budget support commitments  

From a quantitative point of view, budget support continued to be an important tool to deliver 
Commission assistance in 2011. Total commitments of general budget support (in support of a 
national  development  and  reform  strategy)  amounted  to  €200  million  (down  from  €494 
million in 2010). Total commitments of sector budget support (in support of a specific sector 
€1.3  billion  in  2010),  of  which  approximately 
strategy)  amounted  to  €1  billion  (down  from 
28%  for  education,  22%  for  the  sector  of  government  and  civil  society,  including 
decentralisation and women's equality, 11% for energy  and 3.4% for environment. 

62 "The Commission’s Management of General Budget Support in ACP, Latin American and Asian Countries"  
Special report N°11/2010 

160 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Following  the  success  of  its  V-Flex  programme  to  help  countries  respond  to  the  financial 
crisis,  the  Commission  has  continued  to  develop  with  its  key  partners  –  who  are  notably 
international financial institutions – ways of ensuring that countries faced by external shocks 
can be supported, particularly through budget support. 

Key results achieved 

Results  of  budget  support  generated  by  the  three  dedicated  evaluations  (Mali,  Tunisia, 
Zambia; for more, see chapter 4.1) 

Budget support is  a useful and well-established financing modality, with positive effects on 
macro-economic  management  and  on  public  investment  in  priority  sectors.  It  contributes  to 
improved  accountability  and  transparency  of  budgeting  processes  and  public  expenditure. 
Budget support is a valid support for the implementation of reforms when governments and 
citizens are actively committed thereto. However, budget support cannot ‘buy’ reform. 

Its contribution has helped countries achieve significant outcomes in education and health. 
Budget  support  to  growth  and  social  policies  has  contributed  to  reducing  income  and  non-
income poverty, but rural poverty has not been tackled adequately. Expectations of short-term 
impacts on poverty reduction have been unrealistic. 

None  of  the  three  evaluations  found  evidence  that  the  risks  many  associate  with  budget 
support – crowding out of domestic revenue and increased corruption – have materialised in 
practice. 

Public finance and public finance management (PFM)  

Coordination with international organisations was enhanced by a joint workshop with the AU 
and UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa) on governance and taxation 
in Africa's mineral sector. In addition, following the conclusion of a major study on transfer 
pricing63, financed by the Commission, a tripartite initiative (OECD/WB/EC) was initiated to 
carry  out  joint  work  to  strengthen  transfer  pricing  capacities  in  developing  countries.  The 
Commission continues to support transparency and transfer pricing notably through the EITI 
(Extractive  Industries  Transparency  Initiative)  and  the  UN.  Finally,  the  Commission 
continues  to  promote  the  use  of  the  public  expenditure  and  financial  accountability  (PEFA) 
methodology as the key diagnostic tool for assessing PFM.  

245  PEFA  assessments  have  now  been  completed  in  127  countries,  including  63  repeat 
assessments  and  covering  virtually  all  recipients  of  EU  budget  support.  The  Commission 
chaired  and  hosted  the  December  2011  PEFA  steering  committee  and  is  working  with 
partners  to  further  improve  the  framework.  Accountability  was  also  reinforced  through  the 
proposal to establish a country-by-country reporting regime64, which will require a number of 
financial disclosures to be made by all major multi-nationals operating in the extractive and 

63 Transfer pricing and developing countries , July 2011 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/economic-
support/documents/transfer-pricing-study_en.pdf 

64 COM (2011) 684 Final 

161 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
forestry sectors. This measure aims to reduce corruption and increase domestic revenues for 
developing countries. 

2.3 Blending of grants and loans/innovative financing 

After four years of constant development, the innovative financial instruments that started in 
the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Neighbourhood region are now maturing and expanding their 
coverage to cover all regions of external relations. On top of the already existing facilities for 
the  Neighbourhood,  Central  Asia,  Latin  America  and  the  trust  fund  for  the  Sub-Saharan 
Africa, in 2011 Asia was also covered by a facility, while significant progress was achieved in 
setting up such structures for the Caribbean and the Pacific islands to fully cover all regions. 
A  group  of  experts  (GoE)  has  been  established,  including  the  EEAS,  the  Member  States, 
European financial institutions (EFIs) – namely EIB, EBRD, CEB, NIB, KfW and AFD – and 
other European bilateral development financial institutions, as well as multilateral IFIs. The 
group started its work in November 2011, with the objective of advising the Commission on 
proposals for the establishment of the EU platform for external cooperation and development. 
Commission services play a crucial role in preparing and co-chairing the meetings. 

The current financial support provided by the Commission in 2011 through the geographical 
facilities utilised all resources that were due for programming by the end of 2011.  In certain 
cases,  as  in  the  Neighbourhood  Investment  Facility,  approvals  are  a  year  in  advance  of  the 
funding cycle, having utilised all resources already decided, including the 2011 replenishment 
funds.  Following  the  new  European  Neighbourhood  policy  launched  in  May  2011,  the 
strategic  board  of  the  Neighbourhood  investment  facility  (NIF)  met  in  October  2011  and 
confirmed  the  2011-2013  NIF  strategic  orientations.  They  foresee  that  NIF  support  to  the 
private sector and job creation will remain a priority in the coming years in order to quickly 
address  the  respective  economic  and  social  contexts  at  the  root  of  the  Arab  Spring 
revolutions.  The  operational  board  of  the  NIF  approved  in  2011  15  grant  operations 
amounting  to  €142.3  million.  These  are  expected  to  leverage  €1.7  billion  in  loans  from 
European  finance  institutions,  to  support  projects  whose  total  cost  is  over  €3.9  billion, 
achieving  therefore  a  leverage  effect  of  1:27.  Combined  with  past  approvals,  all  resources 
made  available  by  2009,  2010  and  2011  Commission  decisions  were  fully  committed  and 
practically fully (over 90%) contracted. 

In  the  same  period,  the  operational  board  of  the  Latin  American  investment  facility  (LAIF) 
approved  three  grant  operations  amounting  to  €13.5  million  in  LAIF  grants,  with 
corresponding loans from the European finance institutions of €233.5  million and mobilising 
total investments of €475 million, amounting to a le verage effect of 1:35. Combined with past 
approvals,  all  resources  made  available  by  the  2009  and  2010  Commission  decisions  were 
fully committed and contracted. 

The  operational  board  of  the  Investment  Facility  for  Central  Asia  (IFCA)  approved  three 
grant operations amounting to €22 m illion in IFCA grants, with an equal sum (€22 million) of 
corresponding  loans  from  the  European  finance  institutions,  mobilising  total  investments  of 
€46  million,  while  will  be  iden tifying  projects  that  could  require  up  to  €300  million  of 
financing.  All  resources  made  available  by  the  2010  Commission  decision  were  fully 
committed and contracted. 

162 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In  Sub-Saharan  Africa,  the  executive  committee  of  the  EU-Africa  Infrastructure  Trust  Fund 
(ITF) approved 19 grant operations amounting to €86.2 of ITF support. These are expected to 
leverage  €210  million  in  loans,  bringing  the 
total  to  €295  million  of  grant  support,  already 
leveraging  €1.3  billion  from  the  European  finan ce  institutions  for  projects  with  investment 
budgets of over €2.8 billion, while funding potential  for projects with identified investments 
could exceed €8 billion. 

In 2011, the ACP investment facility, managed by the EIB, approved 18 projects financed out 
of the facility’s resources totalling €400 million.  

In the framework of the global energy efficiency and renewable energy fund (GEEREF), one 
project has been approved for a grant amount of €10 million. 

Following a mid-term review European Parliament and Council Decision N°1080/2011/EU65 
granting  an  EU  guarantee  to  the  European  Investment  Bank  against  losses  under  loans  and 
loan guarantees  for projects  outside the Union  and  repealing  Decision  N°633/2009/EC,  was 
adopted  on  25  October  2011.  In  this  context,  the  EIB  external  mandate  for  2007-2013 
benefiting from EU budget Guarantee was increased by €3.7 billion (including €2 billion for 
climate change operations and €1 billi on for the Mediterranean region). 

3- 

Progress in aid management  

3.1 Progress on qualitative issues in aid management  

Methodological work and training   

Developing the skills and capacities of key actors involved in the design and implementation 
of EU-funded programmes is essential for improving quality, impact and sustainability. The 
Commission  is  investing  in  capacity-building  for  its  staff  and  other  stakeholders  through 
methodological work and training.  

In  the  area  of  methodological  work,  in  2011  particular attention was paid  to  the revision of 
guidance  which  should  take  the  form  of  a  new,  integrated  project  and  programme  cycle 
management (PPCM). Seminars were organised with the EU Delegations and Member States 
on  political  economy,  policy  dialogue  and  risk  management  aiming  to  test  concepts  and  to 
draw  orientations.  Case  studies  were  developed  and  the  testing  of  the  political  economy 
analysis tool launched. Substantial work was carried out on the PPCM technical annexes on 
political  economic  analysis,  policy  dialogue,  macro-economics,  national  development 
planning,  public  finance  management  and  sector  policy  analysis.  Methodological  work  was 
also carried out in the fields of governance and anti-corruption. 

In the tools and methods series, six new documents were published: 

65 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:280:0001:0001:EN:PDF  

163 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
                                                 
•  Emerging  good  practice  on  codes  of  conduct,  partnership  principles  and 
memorandums of understanding in the water sector. The purpose of this document is 
to guide practitioners in implementing the sector approach in the water sector.  

•  Trade and private sector policy and development – support programmes financed by 
EU  external  assistance.  This  reference  document  constitutes  an  in-depth  revision  of 
existing  guidance  in  these  fields  of  intervention.  It  aims,  including  through  its  very 
operational and modular approach, to contribute substantially to a better understanding 
of  Commission  services  and  EU  Delegations  of  the  various  aspects  and  dimensions 
relevant for contributing to the development of the private sector and trade capacities 
through development cooperation. One of the chapters deals with new types of actions 
which  donors  have  been  increasingly  supporting  to  leverage    a  more  prominent  role 
for the private sector in development through innovative business projects. 

•  Engaging  non-state  actors  in  new  aid  modalities  –  for  better  development  outcomes 
and governance. This document provides Commission staff with guidance on how to 
engage  with  civil  society  in  order  to  promote  its  participation  in  dialogue, 
implementation and monitoring of global and sector aid development modalities such 
as budget support. 

•  Support  for  justice  reform  in  ACP  Countries.  This  reference  document  provides 
guidance  on  how  to  approach  a  justice  reform  -  a  complex  and  yet  decisive  area  of 
development. It is based on experience and provides an overview of the main features 
of support to the justice sector in ACP countries.  

•  Addressing  under-nutrition  in  external  assistance  –  an  integrated  approach  through 
sectors  and  aid  modalities.  This  document  is  intended  as  a  resource  to  guide  the 
practical  incorporation  of  nutrition  objectives  into  relevant  sectors  and  different 
funding  modalities  used  by  the  EU  -  whether  in  development  cooperation  or  in 
humanitarian response.  

•  Supporting anti-corruption reform in partner countries – concepts, tools and areas for 
action.  The  main  objective  of  this  document  is  to  provide  relevant  insights  on  the 
current  thinking  on  and  around  anticorruption  in  developing  countries  and  to  enable 
EU staff to acquire useful tools to analyse corruption in a given local setting, become 
better  equipped  to  support  the  implementation  of  anti-corruption  strategies  and 
policies  and  to  identify  relevant  anti-corruption  measures  for  mainstreaming  in  EU 
development assistance.  

The  Commission  also  provides  training  and  learning  events  in  various  areas  related  to  the 
design  and  implementation  of  EU  assistance.  The  aim  is  to  progressively  improve  context 
analysis, dialogue with partners, and to guide the choice of most adapted aid modalities so as 
to  better  achieve  results.  In  2011,  121  sessions  of  methodological  courses  were  held  in 
Brussels and in various partner countries benefiting over 2 300 participants. Besides standard 
courses  on  aid  delivery  methods,  sector  approaches,  aid  effectiveness  and  macro-economics 
and financial issues, ad hoc seminars were organised in Brussels and in Delegations on policy 
dialogue, risk management, taxation, and capacity development, hot topics in agriculture and 
rural development and also in environment, governance and social protection.  

Quality of design   

164 

 
 
 
 
The  quality  of  design  of  aid  interventions  is  also  assured  by  an  internal  peer  review 
mechanism  –  known  as  the  quality  support  groups  (oQSG)  –  where  each  new  action  is 
scrutinised in the initial phase of identification to ensure that the problem to be addressed is 
well identified and that the approach and aid modality proposed are the most appropriate to 
address it; and in a second phase to review the proposed design of the intervention. A revised 
and  simplified  procedure  for  this  quality  system  was  introduced  in  2010  and  has  been 
sustained throughout 2011. 

In parallel, the Commission will continue the work undertaken on a new IT architecture called 
the project cycle management platform that should facilitate accessibility to project data and 
lessons  learnt,  as  well  as  allow  interaction  between  staff  in  charge  of  project/programme 
design,  implementation  and  evaluation.  The  Commission  aims  to  build  a  user-friendly 
environment to collect, access and use the information currently filed in various ways, which 
cannot  be  directly  explored.  The  new  on-line  tools  should  also  lead  to  better  use  of  human 
resources working on development and co-operation. 

3.2 Simplification of procedures 

In  2011,  the  Commission  invested  heavily  in  making  its  procedures  easier  to  access  and 
understand  for  all  stakeholders.  In  July,  new  e-learning  modules  on  the  PRAG  (Practical 
Guide to contract procedures for EU external actions, which contains all rules and templates 
to  be  applied  by  the  Commission  and  decentralised  contracting  authorities  as  well  as 
tenderers/applicants  in  contract  award  procedures  for  EU  external  actions)  were  made 
available  on  the  Internet.  They  explain,  in  a  user-friendly  way,  the  procurement  and  grant-
award procedures to anyone who is interested. In December, the PRAG was released in the 
ePRAG  application,  specifically  designed  to  help  users  consult  the  text.  This  includes  an 
enhanced navigation menu and features that allow users to visualise and access the annexes, 
download documents, consult previous versions, find suggested links and keywords, as well 
as an advanced search-engine in the text of the ePRAG and its annexes66. Six languages are 
available. These applications can be found at . 

Wide consultations throughout the year led to major changes in the way experts for technical 
assistance  are  selected,  to  enter  in  force  early  2012.  These  include  increased  use  of  global 
price  contracts,  shortening  of  the  evaluation  period  to  bring  forward  the  moment  where  all 
tenderers  –  including  unsuccessful  ones  –  are  informed  of  the  outcome  of  the  procedure, 
ensuring  the  availability  of  evaluators  or  replacements,  and  possibility  for  the  awarded 
tenderer to propose replacement experts in case of unavailability prior to contract signature. 

The  Commission  also  reviewed  the  practical  guide  to  procedures  for  programme  estimates, 
which  sets  out  how  de-centralised  contracting  authorities  should  manage  the  programmes 
entrusted to them. Among other simplifications, the ex-ante verification by the Commission 
of the procedures for calls for tenders and calls for proposals will be carried out only at the 
moment  of  award  of  contracts,  except  if  the  Head  of  Delegation,  following  his/her  risk 
analysis, decides to apply an ex-ante verification at a previous stage. 

66 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/practical_guide/e-learning_en.htm and 
ec.europa.eu/europeaid/eprag 

165 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The  Commission  also  prepared  for  the  future  in  proposing  new  regulations  to  govern  the 
award  of  external  assistance  in  the  period  2014-2020.  In  these  proposals,  all  provisions  on 
implementation are placed in one common regulation to ensure the maximum harmonisation 
of rules across programmes. The proposals are fully in line with, and take full advantage of, 
the  simplification  proposals  made  by  the  Commission  for  the  revision  of  the  Financial 
Regulation.  In  addition,  a  simplified  and  more  coherent  approach  to  untying  of  aid  is 
proposed, as well as the acknowledgement that taxes may be eligible for funding if effectively 
supported  by  contractors.  Delegated  acts  are  also  proposed  for  non  essential  elements  to 
simplify the legislative process. 

4-  Communication & transparency  

4.1 Communication and visibility  

Against the backdrop of a fast-changing global political scene, the economic situation in 2011 
meant  that  it  remained  as  important  as  ever  that  the  public  received  good  quality,  timely 
information on the EU's development assistance that shows the impact and results of external 
cooperation as well as addressing the challenges. 

Efforts to engage and inform the public during 2011 included the Kapuscinski lecture series, 
organised  jointly  by  the  Commission  and  the  UNDP67.  Aimed  at  students,  NGOs  and  the 
general  public,  the  series  included  topics  such  as  responding  to  global  threats,  the  MDGs 
beyond  2015,  and  climate  change  and  development.  A  larger  selection  of  case  studies  was 
presented on the Commission's website68. While a Eurobarometer survey showed that public 
support for aid continues to be strong69, efforts continued in demonstrating how aid makes a 
difference  on  the  ground.  An  example  of  this  was  during  the  high  level  summit  on  aid 
effectiveness in Busan, where a series of videos were presented70. 

In  press  relations,  seminars  for  journalists  focused  on  topics  such  as  aid  effectiveness  and 
climate change and press trips enabled journalists to report on the EU's work in the field. An 
example of this was a press trip to the Chernobyl power plant marking the 25 year anniversary 
of the accident to report on the continiung work the EU is doing to make the site safe. The 
Lorenzo  Natali  prize,  which  recognises  outstanding  journalism  on  development  issues,  was 
awarded  in  December71.  Press  work  around  the  multi-annual  financial  framework  and  the 
adoption of the Agenda for Change resulted in significant coverage, as did articles to inform 
the public of the results of the EU's work in different regions of the world, such as in the EU's 
neighbourhood. 

Complementing the present report, other publications focussed on specific areas of the EU's 
development  and  external  assistance  include  the  European  Report  on  Development,  whose 
2011-12  edition  will  focus  on  nature  resources  especially  food,  water  and  energy72.  In  the 

67 http://ec.europa.eu/development/services/events/kapuscinski/index.html  
68 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/case-studies/index_en.htm  
69 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_375_en.pdf  
70 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/videos/index_en.htm  
71 http://lorenzonataliprize.eu/  
72 http://www.erd-report.eu/erd/report_2011/index.html  

166 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
tools  and  methods  reference  series,  the  latest  manuals  were  on  engaging  non-state  actors  in 
new aid modalities, support for justice reform and addressing under-nutrition73. 

The EU Development Days (EDD) event again provided an opportunity to advance the debate 
on  development  policy  and  inform  stakeholders  and  communicators  on  actions  taking  place 
and  results  obtained.  Held  in  Warsaw,  Poland,  the  event  focused  on  development  and 
democracy74. 

The  external  cooperation  Info  Point  in  Brussels  continued  to  provide  information  through 
conferences,  film  screenings,  exhibitions  and  other  events  and  welcomed  more  than  8 000 
visitors in 2011. 

4.2 Transparency 

Transparency  is  the  cornerstone  of  effective  development  cooperation.  Better  transparency 
increases predictability and accountability as well as facilitating donor coordination.  

The  Busan  HLF  reconfirmed  the  importance  of  transparency  for  development  results. 
Transparency was also an EU priority and the EU and its Member States announced an EU 
transparency guarantee75 during the forum. This will guide future work in transparency as it 
sets  out  actions  to  be  taken  by  the  EU  to  provide  more  and  better  aid  information.  The 
guarantee also defines objectives to be promoted by the EU at international level. 

The Commission is determined to be a frontrunner in aid transparency. Since October 2011, it 
has  been  publishing  its  external  aid  flows  through  the  International  Aid  Transparency 
Initiative  (IATI)  which  is  a  common,  open,  international  standard  for  publishing  aid 
information.  Provision  of  detailed  information  on  EU  aid  online  helps  developing  countries 
and European tax payers to better track what aid is being used for, where it is being spent and 
what it is achieving. The second phase of IATI, making even more detailed aid information 
available, will be implemented by the Commission in 2012. 

To further improve the accessibility to aid information, the EU completed the EU donor atlas 
in 2011. This contains a detailed mapping of aid by the EU and its Member States in a user-
friendly format and is available through easy internet access76.  

CHAPTER 5 - FINANCIAL ANNEX 

5.1 Introduction to financial tables 

This Annual Report provides an overview of policies, objectives and achievements in 2011. 
The tables and graphs which follow present the main data on EU development assistance in 

73 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/infopoint/publications/europeaid/252a_en.htm  
74 http://www.eudevdays.eu/  
75 16773/11 
76 EU Donor Atlas 2011 

167 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2011 by country, region, or sector and per source of funding, such as the different instruments 
of EU external assistance.  

The geographic cooperation with the ACP countries, is based on the Partnership Agreement 
with  the  ACP  signatory  states  and  is  mainly  financed,  South  Africa  excepted,  from  the 
European Development Fund which is separate from the EU budget. External assistance for 
other geographic areas and the thematic programmes with worldwide coverage are financed 
from the general EU budget.  

Data for 2011 again show improved overall Official Development Assistance (ODA) levels. 
Figure  5.1  shows  the  importance  of  external  assistance  in  the  overall  expenditure  of  the 
European  Commission.  Defined  as  the  resources  used  to  foster  programmes  and  projects 
outside the EU, external assistance accounted for 9% of the total allocation in 2011 (general 
EU budget and EDF taken together).  

A global overview of the share of resources is given in Figure 5.2. A detailed breakdown of 
the  budget  by  policy  areas  can  be  found  in Table  5.3.  A  similar  breakdown  for  the  EDF  is 
presented in Table 5.4.  

The  concept  of  ODA  used  throughout  the  tables  and  figures  is  that  defined  by  the  OECD’s 
Development Assistance Committee (DAC). The figures are those reported by the European 
Commission  and  Member  States.  Not  all  EU  external  assistance  can  be  reported  as  ODA. 
Whether an action, programme or project is classified as ODA or not depends on the recipient 
country  and  the  purpose  and  content  of  the  aid.  Figure  5.5  shows  the  share  of  the  EU's 
external assistance classified as ODA. In all, 92% of EU aid committed in 2011 is considered 
reportable  as  ODA,  indicating  an  increased  focus  on  development  in  external  financial 
allocations.  

Figures 5.6 and 5.7 show the evolution from 2003 to 2011 of external assistance and ODA. 
Figure 5.6 shows the evolution of the main sources of funding: external assistance from the 
EU  Budget  and  EDF,  indicating  the  share  managed  by  EuropeAid.  Figure  5.7  shows  the 
evolution of the sector breakdown of ODA.  

Figure  5.8  and  Table  5.9  present  the  breakdown  per  region.  For  this  breakdown,  it  is 
necessary  to  differentiate  between  bilateral  and  multilateral  aid.  Bilateral  aid,  as  defined  by 
the  DAC,  is  direct  cooperation  by  the  Commission  with  a  country  (or  region)  where  the 
Commission controls the activities and knows how, when and where the resources are being 
spent.  Multilateral  aid  comprises  direct  contributions  to  the  core  funding  of  multilateral 
agencies, who report back to the Commission at a later stage on how the money was spent.  

Figure 5.8 provides a breakdown of EU ODA per region. Africa tops the list (35% of ODA) 
with, Sub-Saharan Africa receiving 29% of total ODA in 2011. A more detailed breakdown, 
per country and region, in line with the OECD/DAC recipient list, is presented in Table 5.10 
(Commitments) and Table 5.11 (Disbursements). 

168 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leaving  aside  regional  programmes,  the  top  ten  ODA  recipient  countries  in  2011 
(disbursements)  were  Turkey,  the  occupied  Palestinian  territory,  Afghanistan,  Kosovo77, 
Democratic Republic of Congo, Serbia, Pakistan, Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa.  

Figure 5.12 focuses on ODA recipients classified under the four UN/OECD categories based 
on  GNI.  The  table  monitors  disbursements  in  2011  by  DAC  recipient  and  by  main  OECD 
sectors. One indicator shows ODA disbursement per capita.  

It is also important to identify the main sectors of activities that receive support. Table 5.13 
shows this breakdown of EU ODA per main sector as defined by the DAC.  

A more detailed sector breakdown of ODA is provided in Table 5.14 for commitments and in 
Table 5.15 for payments.  

Tables  5.16  and  5.17  give  an  overview  of  the  ODA  managed  by  EuropeAid,  with  a 
breakdown per sector and region. In these tables, the definition of region reflects the country 
groupings used in the EU instruments and corresponding budget structure.  

Tables  5.18  and  5.19  show  the  sector  breakdown  of  ODA  per  EU  external  assistance 
instrument  and  sub-component  within  the  instruments,  with  the  associated  Figure  5.20 
providing a closer look. 

Finally, Table 5.21 focuses on budget support commitments 2011 by EU instruments. 

Please note that where references are made in the following tables to 'EU budget', this refers 
to the budget managed by the European Commission and does not cover EU Member States' 
national budgets for development assistance. 

5.2 Financial tables 

77 This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ 
Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence 

169 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 5.1 Percentage of EU budget managed by the Commission committed on 
external assistance in 2011

External Aid 
(Budget + EDF), 
12 329 M€, 9%

EU budget 
managed by the 
Commission 
without  External 
Aid, 131 952 M€, 
91%

Commitments in € million

EU budget managed by the Commission w ithout Ex

External Aid (Budget + EDF)

EU budget managed by the Commission + EDF

131 952 M€

12 329 M€

144 281 M€

170 

 
 
 
Table 5.2 Sources of external assistance in 2011

EU  budget 
managed by 
EuropeAid, 5 
092 M€, 41%

EU  budget not 
managed by 
EuropeAid, 3 
958 M€, 32%

EDF managed 
by EuropeAid, 
3 279 M€, 27%

Commitments ( € Million )

EU budget managed by EuropeAid
EDF managed by EuropeAid
EU budget not managed by EuropeAid

5 092 M€
3 279 M€
3 958 M€

External Aid (Budget + EDF)

12 329 M€

171 

 
 
 
 
 Heading / 
Policy Area

Description

Com m it.

Disbursem ents (1)

Com m it.

Disbursem ents (1)

Com m it.

Disbursem ents 
(1)

Com m it.

Disbursem ents 
(1)

Table 5.3 General EU budget for external assistance in 2011

Total

Managed by EuropeAid

Managed by other DGs

of which ODA

4 01 - ECFIN Macroeconomic assistance + EBRD

4 04 - EMPL

4 05 - AGRI

4 07 - ENV

Instrument for Preaccession (IPA) — Human 
resources development
The Sapard pre-accession instrument — 
Completion of the programme (2000 to 2006) 
LIFE (European Financial Instrument for the 
Environment)

4 13 - REGIO Pre-accession IPA and former ISPA

4 14 - TAXUD

4+1 15 - EAC

4 17 - SANCO

4 19 - RELEX

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Customs cooperation and international 
assistance
Education, MEDIA 2007 programmes in third 
countries
International agreements and membership of 
international organisations
Multilateral relations, cooperation in the areas 
of migration and asylum, and general external 
relations matters
Common foreign and security policy
European initiative for democracy and human 
rights (EIDHR)
Relations and cooperation with industrialised 
non-member countries
Crisis response and global threats to security
European Neighbourhood Policy and relations 
with Russia
Relations with Latin America
Relations with Asia, Central Asia and East of 
Jordan countries (1)
Policy strategy and coordination for External 
relations policy area

4 20 - TRADE External trade relations
4 21- DEV
4

4

4
4

4

4

4 22 - ELARG

4 23 - ECHO

Food security
Non-State actors in development
Environment and sustainable management of 
natural resources, including energy
Human and social development
Geographical cooperation with ACP Countries 
Other cooperation actions and ad-hoc 
programmes
Policy strategy and coordination for 
Development and relations with ACP States 
policy area
Management of the Instrument for Pre-
Accession
Humanitarian aid including aid to uprooted 
people, food aid and disaster preparedness

4

Civil protection interventions in third countries

4 32 - ENER

Energy Community

4+5 Administrative expenditure of External assistance (2)

139.42

102.40

220.04

3.56

442.13

2.17

76.12

0.24

55.64

331.64

161.29

25.11

359.14

351.51

881.21

27.41

12.74
247.51
231.80

226.85

172.47
337.67

31.17

19.48

1 025.83

1 073.54

13.98

3.31

505.10

194.12

27.92

106.81

3.16

311.02

1.47

73.54

0.23

38.60

55.64

38.60

119.89

93.18

308.46

123.06

20.06

237.76

153.61

281.92

670.39

27.77

11.09
319.35
202.31

136.35

171.99
300.49

29.98

346.31

867.21

15.50

247.51
231.80

226.85

172.47
337.67

31.17

14.58

19.48

117.03

1 321.47

269.79

639.90

15.03

319.35
202.31

136.35

171.99
296.59

29.98

14.58

139.42

102.40

220.04

3.56

442.13

2.17

76.12

0.24

331.64

41.40

25.11

205.54

66.00

5.20

14.00

11.91

12.74

55.24

19.71

88.34

2.57

93.10

0.29

68.98

37.95

262.33

118.81

194.12

27.92

0.54

86.40

106.81

188.50

2.08

372.87

1.00

74.72

55.64

284.20

159.45

3.16

311.02

1.47

73.54

0.23

308.46

29.88

20.06

120.73

59.52

12.13

30.50

12.74

11.09

3.90

305.14

1 933.08

184.88

1 309.45

350.47

875.01

17.13

3.60
247.51
231.80

224.49

172.47
337.67

2.73

281.40

656.76

16.96

2.71
319.35
201.87

134.83

170.86
264.30

2.73

828.99

1 007.38

11.23

3.50

499.44

363.20

355.87

19.48

14.41

1 025.83

828.99

927.65

1 073.54

1 007.38

1 063.54

13.98

3.31

141.89

11.23

3.50

143.57

13.78

3.31

482.12

701.25

995.98

11.03

3.50

476.50

1 969.20

1 381.00

1 903.20

TOTAL

9 049.67

7 343.96

5 091.50

4 022.02

3 958.16

3 321.94

8 436.40

6 496.07

(1) Before recoveries

(2) Includes administrative cost of EDF management charged to heading 5. 

     Total ODA (Budget + EDF) administrative cost (from headings 4 & 5 and EDF adm. envelope) show n in tables 5.14 & 5.15

(3)Breakdow n by budget line of external aid financed on the general EU budget in 2011. (Amount in € million)

172 

 
 
 
 
Table 5.4 European Development Fund (EDF) in 2011

Instruments (1)

Lomé

NIP / RIP Grants
Aid for Refugees
Stabex
Risk Capital
SYSMIN
Heavily indebted poor countries
Use of interest (Lomé)
Transfer  6th EDF
Transfer  7th EDF

Total Lomé

Cotonou

A Envelope - Programmable Aid
Envelope B - unforeseen
Regional projects
Intra ACP
Co financing A Envelope
Other
Implementation expenditure + Congo Rep. Dem.

Total Cotonou

Grand total EDF

Commitments 
(2)

Disbursements 
(3)

Commitments 
(2)

Disbursements 
(3)

Of Which ODA

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2 034 
176 
218 
602 
-
-
248 
3 279 

3 279 

44 
0 
4 
19 
0 

-

-

0 

2 
69 

1 702 
292 
167 
618 
-

1 
93 
2 872 

2 941 

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1 980 
174 
218 
291 
-
-
225 
2 887 

2 887 

44 
0 
4 
19 
0 

-

-

0 

2 
69 

1 662 
271 
164 
466 
-

1 
84 
2 648 

2 717 

Breakdow n by instrument of development assistance financed on the European Development Fund 
(EDF) in 2011 (amount in € mi

llion).

(1) Except The Investment Facility (10th EDF) managed by the EIB

(2) Commitments 2011 have been calculated follow ing DAC procedures :

 Total commitments made in 2011 reduced by decommitments made on projects committed in 2011

(3) Before recoveries

173 

 
 
 
           
            
 
           
            
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
            
 
           
            
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
              
 
           
              
 
           
            
 
           
            
       
       
       
       
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
 
           
              
 
           
              
          
            
          
            
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
 
 
Table 5.5 Proportion of  external assistance used for Official Development Aid (ODA)

 -

  500  1 000  1 500  2 000  2 500  3 000  3 500  4 000  4 500  5 000

EU budget managed by EuropeAid

EDF managed by EuropeAid

EU budget managed by other DGs

ODA

non ODA

Commitments in € million

ODA

non ODA

Total

EU budget managed by 
EuropeAid

EDF

EU budget managed by other 
DGs

4 953 

2 887 

3 484 

139 

392 

474 

5 092 

3 279 

3 958 

Total

11 323 

1 005 

12 329 

174 

 
 
      
         
      
      
         
      
      
         
      
     
      
     
 
 
Table 5.6 2003-2011 External assistance

Commitments in € million

13 000

12 000

11 000

10 000

9 000

8 000

7 000

6 000

5 000

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

EU budget managed by EuropeAid

EDF managed by EuropeAid

EU budget managed by other DGs

Grand Total

Disbursements in € million

13 000

12 000

11 000

10 000

9 000

8 000

7 000

6 000

5 000

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

EU budget managed by EuropeAid EDF managed by EuropeAid EU budget managed by other DGs Grand Total

External aid financed on the general EU budget and the European Development Fund (EDF) managed by EuropeAid. 

Bilateral and multilateral ODA / other flow s.

175 

 
 
 
 
Table 5.7 Sectoral breakdown of Official Development Assistance (ODA) 2003 - 2011

Commitments in € million

14 000

12 000

10 000

8 000

6 000

4 000

2 000

0

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Bilateral and multilateral ODA flow s.

Other/Unallocated : admin. costs,
unspecified

Humanitarian aid : Emergency
response, reconstruction relief and
rehabilitation, disaster prevention
and preparedness

Action relating to debt

Budget support, food aid, food
security

Multisector/Crosscutting :
environment, other

Production : agriculture, forestry and
fishing, industry, mining and
construction, trade and tourism

Economic infrastructures and
services : transport,
communications, energy, other
services

Social infrastructures: education,
health, water, government and civil
society, other

176 

 
 
 
 
 
Table 5.8 Regional distribution of aid to developing countries (ODA) in 2011

ODA Multilateral 
Aid,Total,  210 M€, 2%

Bilateral unallocated, 2 
134 M€, 19%

Europe, 2 269 M€, 20%

Africa, North of Sahara,  
678 M€, 6%

Oceania,  19 M€, 0%

America,  716 M€, 6%

Asia : South & Central,  
Far East, 1 337 M€, 12%

Asia : Middle East,  663 
M€, 6%

Africa, South of Sahara, 
3 297 M€, 29%

Commitments in € million

( € Million )

Region (1)

Europe
Africa, North of Sahara
Africa, South of Sahara
Asia : Middle East
Asia : South & Central,  Far East
America
Oceania
Bilateral unallocated
ODA Multilateral Aid,Total
TOTAL ODA

Grand total 

Commitment
s
2 269 
678 
3 297 
663 
1 337 
716 
19 
2 134 
210 
11 323 

Disbursemen
ts
1 437 
517 
3 422 
507 
1 367 
721 
85 
910 
248 
9 213 

Managed by EuropeAid Managed by Other DGs
Disburseme
nts
1 099 
84 
527 
124 
459 
119 
3 
259 
2 
2 677 

Disbursemen
ts
338 
433 
2 895 
383 
907 
602 
82 
650 
246 
6 536 

Commitment
s
1 774 
90 
558 
146 
346 
64 
-
505 
2 
3 484 

Commitment
s
495 
588 
2 739 
518 
991 
652 
19 
1 629 
208 
7 840 

(1) Following OECD region. 
Cfr tables "Country breakdown of EU development aid in 2011".

177 

 
 
      
      
         
         
      
     
         
         
         
         
           
          
      
      
      
      
         
        
         
         
         
         
         
        
      
      
         
         
         
        
         
         
         
         
           
        
           
           
           
           
 
          
            
      
         
      
         
         
        
         
         
         
         
             
            
    
      
      
      
      
     
 
Table 5.9 Regional distribution of aid to developing countries (ODA) 2006-2011

Commitments in € million

Europe
Africa

North Of Sahara
South Of Sahara
Regional

America

Asia

North & Central
South
Regional

Middle East
South & Central
Far East
Regional

Oceania
Bilateral unallocated
ODA Multilateral Aid,Total
TOTAL ODA

Disbursements in € Million

Europe
Africa

North Of Sahara
South Of Sahara
Regional

America

Asia

North & Central
South
Regional

Middle East
South & Central
Far East
Regional

Oceania
Bilateral unallocated
ODA Multilateral Aid,Total
TOTAL ODA

2006
1 532 
3 806 
543 
2 867 
396 
759 
505 
214 
40 
1 852 
587 
831 
347 
88 
32 
1 245 
605 
9 832 

2006
1 069 
3 341 
658 
2 683 
0 
666 
365 
246 
56 
1 596 
494 
699 
295 
108 
64 
790 
602 
8 130 

2007
1 565 
3 687 
521 
3 113 
53 
820 
387 
334 
100 
1 728 
743 
739 
164 
81 
141 
1 586 
431 
9 959 

2007
1 062 
3 779 
692 
3 024 
63 
776 
454 
275 
47 
1 496 
574 
604 
263 
55 
52 
856 
472 
8 493 

2008
2 093 
5 272 
546 
4 726 
-
642 
329 
312 
2 
1 946 
735 
886 
233 
91 
19 
1 586 
366 
11 923 

2008
1 242 
4 003 
570 
3 433 
1 
769 
415 
314 
40 
1 850 
709 
858 
250 
33 
65 
1 025 
239 
9 194 

2009
2 030 
4 577 
618 
3 929 
30 
899 
621 
260 
19 
2 043 
669 
1 024 
295 
56 
89 
2 000 
125 
11 764 

2009
1 720 
4 111 
610 
3 478 
23 
809 
441 
348 
20 
1 854 
617 
908 
266 
63 
59 
955 
292 
9 800 

2010
2 230 
3 230 
673 
2 500 
57 
934 
609 
257 
68 
2 063 
652 
948 
363 
99 
116 
1 761 
325 
10 658 

2010
1 507 
4 161 
537 
3 563 
61 
973 
666 
287 
21 
1 845 
596 
935 
267 
47 
91 
1 084 
179 
9 841 

2011
2 269 
3 975 
678 
3 151 
146 
716 
445 
246 
25 
2 000 
663 
1 099 
158 
79 
19 
2 134 
210 
11 323 

2011
1 437 
3 939 
517 
3 170 
252 
721 
421 
270 
30 
1 874 
507 
996 
321 
49 
85 
910 
248 
9 213 

Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.
(1) Following OECD region. 
Cfr table "Country breakdown of EU development aid in 2011".

178 

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
       
 
      
       
       
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
       
      
         
       
       
       
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
      
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      
       
       
      
       
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
         
       
         
       
       
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
       
       
       
       
       
       
   
   
   
   
   
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      
      
   
      
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
Table 5.10 Country breakdown of EU development aid managed by the Commission in 2011

Commitments ( € Million )

Country/Region

Budget 
managed by 
EuropeAid

Budget not 
managed by 
EuropeAid

EDF

Grand Total

Part I : Developing Countries & Territories (ODA)

Europe, Total
Albania
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo (1)
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Moldova
Montenegro
Serbia
Turkey
Ukraine
States of ex-Yugoslavia unspecif.
Europe, Regional

Africa, Total

North Of Sahara, Total

Algeria
Egypt
Libya
Morocco
Tunisia
North Of Sahara, Regional

South Of Sahara, Total

Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Rep.
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Rep.
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique

1 774.32
86.01

117.16
230.27
97.53
0.06
31.49
192.26
779.90
0.07

239.56
647.72
90.14
9.00
39.60
21.56

4.98
15.00
554.58

0.00
9.25

9.00
29.80

73.35

66.00
2.00

0.00
49.61

35.72

5.00

4.00
0.00

494.94

22.08

80.60
0.01

150.46

241.78
1 019.40
587.85
58.00
92.00
11.63
156.60
142.48
127.14
362.42

8.00

5.00

6.70

16.50
5.00
7.80

3.86

2.00

11.59

55.51
9.92

179 

2 269.26
86.01
22.08
117.16
230.27
97.53
80.66
31.50
192.26
779.90
150.53

481.34
3 974.96
677.99
67.00
131.60
33.19
156.60
147.46
142.14
3 150.73
25.00
71.00
8.00
31.50
75.25
5.40

28.40
116.80
2.10
279.53
25.20
198.80
14.00

0.00
112.61
12.00
18.86
14.35
20.60

59.06
57.65
9.90
6.00
13.59
16.87
66.00
67.01
41.92

2 307.84

2 233.73
25.00
63.00
8.00
26.50
66.00
5.40

12.70
87.00
2.10
189.68
20.20
125.00
12.00

63.00
12.00
15.00
14.35
20.60

23.34
57.65
2.90
6.00
2.00
12.87
66.00
11.50
32.00

 
 
 
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
St.Helena
Sao Tome & Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
South Of Sahara, Regional

Africa, Regional

America, Total

North & Central, Total

Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Montserrat
Nicaragua
Panama
St.Kitts-Nevis
St.Lucia
St.Vincent & Grenadines
West Indies, Regional
N. & C. America, Regional

South, Total
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
South America, Regional

America, Regional

4.50

4.04
5.80

90.01

158.00

3.00

10.00

3.00
63.66
45.50

5.50

4.00
36.00
0.00

18.16
4.16

12.00
0.00

2.00
0.00

9.88
4.00
140.55

54.27

11.00

6.35
69.13
410.41
179.37

17.00
7.00

48.40

12.50

30.44
30.95

23.05

10.03
206.46
7.72
39.00

11.60
34.00
24.92
31.00
2.00
0.20
5.00

51.02
24.58

180 

5.00
102.00
478.00

16.63
0.50
31.00

16.50
98.80

137.00
26.50
41.82
17.80
20.00
4.00
34.00
222.39
74.12
241.87
220.03

24.94

2.50

77.03

22.18

10.00
0.78
82.60

21.84

21.84

5.00
110.54
483.80

16.63
0.50
31.00

26.38
192.81
140.55
295.00
80.77
41.82
17.80
34.00
4.00
44.00
228.74
146.24
715.95
444.90

17.00
7.00

30.44
48.40
2.50
16.50
113.03
30.44
53.13

23.05

10.00
0.78
82.60
10.03
246.47
11.88
39.00

23.60
34.00
46.77
31.00
4.00
0.20
5.00

51.02
24.58  

 
 
Asia, Total

Middle East, Total

1 498.88
517.60

17.70
111.00
33.00
292.65
10.00
20.00
33.25
780.85
227.00
48.01
31.00
131.27
3.60
50.73
105.00

18.10

15.00
7.00
30.00
49.00
18.96
5.20
10.00
10.68

20.30
125.33
5.30
35.01
15.00

9.00

8.00
21.00
9.00

18.02
5.00
75.10
10.06

7.06

3.00

Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Lebanon
occupied Palestinian territory
Syria
Yemen
Middle East, Regional
South & Centr. Asia, Total

Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Georgia
India
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Rep.
Maldives
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Central Asia, Regional
South Asia, Regional
South & Central Asia, Regional

Far East, Total
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Korea, Dem.
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Philippines
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Viet Nam
Far East Asia, Regional

Asia, Regional

Oceania, Total

Cook Islands
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Nauru
Niue
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Wallis & Futuna
Oceania, Regional

491.14
145.56

10.00

25.92
84.64

25.00

318.59
120.00

21.00

24.03
6.60

0.32

22.25
1.20
92.50
13.00
0.00

7.68

10.00
23.00
10.00

10.00

0.00
3.00

4.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

9.12
0.60

2 000.02
663.16

27.70
111.00
58.92
377.29
10.00
45.00
33.25
1 099.44
347.00
48.01
31.00
152.27
3.60
74.76
111.60

18.42

37.25
8.20
122.50
62.00
18.96
5.20
10.00
18.36

30.30
158.33
15.30
35.01
15.00
10.00
9.00

8.00
24.00
9.00
10.00
18.02
5.00
79.10
19.18
0.60
7.06

0.50

0.50

2.59
2.48

1.88
1.08

5.59
2.48

1.88
1.08

Bilateral unallocated

Part I (ODA) Bilateral, Total

1 325.62
4 759.31

504.94
3 481.79

303.16
2 871.99

2 133.72
11 113.09

181 

 
 
 
Public Private Partnerships
United Nations
UNRWA
UNDP
WFP
WHO
FAO

World Bank Group
World Trade Organisation
Regional Development Banks
Other Multilateral Institutions

GFTAM

Others

120.30
115.30

1.99

8.00
65.00
65.00

Part I (ODA) Multilateral Aid,Total

193.30

1.99

122.29
115.30

8.00
80.00
80.00

210.29

15.00
15.00

15.00

Part I (ODA), Total

4 952.62

3 483.78

2 886.99

11 323.38

Part II: Countries and Territories in Transition (non ODA)

More Advanced Developing Countries

30.44

65.79

Aruba
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Israel
Korea
Kuwait
Mayotte
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands
United Arab Emirates
Virgin Islands (UK)
MADCT Unallocated

CEECs/NIS

Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovenia
Europe Unallocated

Part II (Non-OA) Bilateral Aid, Total

2.00

2.37
1.21

1.33

0.21

60.67
191.49

147.87
28.00
0.11

0.00
0.01
0.00
0.01

0.00

15.48
257.27

28.44
27.69

4.40

23.29
58.13

52.35
8.80

2.00

148.58
8.80

2.00

4.37
1.21

19.81

19.81

1.00

20.74

52.35

1.33
1.00

0.21

109.85
219.18

147.87
28.00
0.11

0.00
0.01
0.00
0.01

4.40

38.78
367.76

Grand Total Part I & Part II

5 010.75

3 741.05

2 939.34

11 691.14

Breakdown by country/region of external aid financed on the general EU budget and the European 
Development Fund (EDF) in 2011.
Bilateral and multilateral ODA / non-ODA flows.
(1) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ 
Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

182 

 
 
 
Table 5.11 Country breakdown of EU development aid managed by the Commission in 2011

Disbursements ( € Million )

Country/Region

Budget 
managed by 
EuropeAid

Budget not 
managed by 
EuropeAid

EDF

Grand Total

Part I : Developing Countries & Territories (ODA)

Europe, Total
Albania
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo (1)
former Yugloslav Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Moldova
Montenegro
Serbia
Turkey
Ukraine
States of ex-Yugoslavia unspecif.
Europe, Regional

Africa, Total

North Of Sahara, Total

Algeria
Egypt
Libya
Morocco
Tunisia
North Of Sahara, Regional

South Of Sahara, Total

Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi

Cape Verde
Central African Rep.
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Rep.
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique

1 099.29
61.64
1.65
56.06
219.23
52.24
22.74
17.04
188.68
312.33

1.01
166.66
611.00
84.04
13.14
8.32
25.65
0.06
13.73
23.13
522.27

0.18

9.02
4.72
0.95

9.44
39.38
0.02
75.71
0.84
29.59
1.43
0.01
0.37
35.60

0.19
0.78
1.86
0.02
32.23

20.59
0.87
0.17
7.94
1.88
0.55
0.42

337.82
0.54
9.48
1.36
0.00
0.29
84.87
0.21
0.78
0.74
109.03

130.52
997.03
432.95
44.21
39.79
9.90
152.47
116.65
69.93
473.98
5.23
1.86
0.14
9.75
5.76
6.43
2.29
5.96
3.32

9.77
3.85
4.59
0.43

3.48
11.17
0.08
0.28
3.97
6.41
4.74
12.86
0.94
4.82
6.59
7.68
6.67
4.21
38.52
9.52

183 

0.02

0.02
2 331.02

2 173.39
14.74
46.88
15.01
80.49
52.43
42.29
14.11
31.77
39.86
5.68
130.64
9.58
43.81
7.05
0.11
25.33
100.95
5.40
27.23
58.81
21.81
10.05
45.53
41.32
38.26
16.31
44.16
87.00
46.08
17.88
82.82

1 437.12
62.17
11.13
57.41
219.23
52.52
107.62
17.25
189.46
313.07
109.03
1.01
297.20
3 939.04
516.99
57.35
48.11
35.56
152.54
130.38
93.06
3 169.65
19.97
48.91
15.14
99.27
62.92
49.66
16.40
47.17
82.56
5.69
216.12
14.28
77.99
8.91
0.12
29.18
147.71
5.48
27.69
63.57
30.08
14.81
90.63
42.26
63.67
23.77
52.01
101.61
52.18
56.95
92.75

 
 
 
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
St.Helena
Sao Tome & Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
South Of Sahara, Regional

Africa, Regional

America, Total

North & Central, Total

Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Montserrat
Nicaragua
Panama
St.Kitts-Nevis
St.Lucia
St.Vincent & Grenadines
West Indies, Regional
N. & C. America, Regional

South, Total
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
South America, Regional

America, Regional

0.16
30.32
12.98
0.04

1.12

0.12
67.27
3.12
101.01

5.87
0.83
6.27
2.60
15.27
0.55
4.68
118.51
74.79

0.21
0.02
0.39
0.40
6.70
1.81

2.78
53.45
1.04
0.17

5.27
0.19
0.16

0.16

2.07
37.19
0.75
4.07
1.57
1.11
13.71
3.18

0.96
7.14
0.10
0.04
0.83
3.76
6.52

1.06
5.11
4.10
2.76

0.90
2.30
0.20
10.46
5.88
139.66
11.57
11.27
8.05
2.08
2.39
17.07
22.79
45.01
90.09
428.20
181.41

5.91
1.34
3.06
5.12
0.76
28.72
0.18
26.98
6.14
31.63
10.42
7.25

24.57
0.39
11.49
3.85
2.02
0.55
11.04
223.49
10.67
33.37
11.27
10.16
22.27
18.89
14.80
17.81
10.10
1.81
7.64
3.51
61.19
23.29

184 

21.53
64.30
46.34
64.54
3.30
2.86
77.47
4.72
40.89
38.82
0.01
4.55
12.71
93.74
25.75
113.38
57.82
25.57
271.74
157.63
173.93
164.38
0.02
3.22
1.46

6.00
25.41

2.38

70.38

8.81

1.60

0.81
11.32
7.44
18.49
7.04
9.45

5.91

3.54

0.10

22.75
99.72
63.42
67.34
3.30
3.76
80.89
4.92
51.47
111.96
142.79
117.13
23.97
107.66
28.67
122.04
77.49
63.63
317.30
252.40
720.63
420.59
0.02
3.22
7.57
1.36
3.45
11.52
32.87
30.53
2.56
29.75
129.97
32.67
19.39
7.25
1.60
29.83
0.58
12.45
15.18
9.62
19.05
20.14
270.13
11.42
37.43
12.84
11.27
35.98
22.07
20.71
18.77
17.24
5.44
7.67
4.34
64.94
29.91  

 
 
Asia, Total

Middle East, Total

Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Lebanon
occupied Palestinian territory
Syria
Yemen
Middle East, Regional
South & Centr. Asia, Total

Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Georgia
India
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Rep.
Maldives
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Central Asia, Regional
South Asia, Regional
South & Central Asia, Regional

Far East, Total
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Korea, Dem.
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Philippines
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Viet Nam
Far East Asia, Regional

Asia, Regional

Oceania, Total

Cook Islands
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Nauru
Niue
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Wallis & Futuna
Oceania, Regional

Bilateral unallocated

Part I (ODA) Bilateral, Total

1 275.81
382.87
0.30
3.71
76.57
15.74
231.67
20.11
23.52
11.26
592.10
165.22
33.58
17.75
86.73
0.56
70.20
49.52
13.78
21.28
0.04
17.34
18.56
35.07
22.76
13.24
3.10
3.90
9.57
8.25
1.63
263.12
34.77
32.73
90.25
4.17
15.20
1.08
3.21
26.76
4.58
4.10
45.21
1.07
37.71
6.48

3.38

1.04
0.07

0.36

1.63
578.15
3 623.48

583.58
124.42
0.40
5.89
4.42
23.60
55.85
6.07
14.60
13.58
404.12
96.19
35.19
0.06
27.98
0.16
31.72
11.50
0.29
6.40

17.36
5.25
149.47
10.98
0.41
0.00
0.29
10.87

43.41
3.03
1.30
4.60
7.55
1.21

0.35
10.19
12.01
0.83
2.35

11.63
2.91
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.04
0.09
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.27
0.09
1.26
0.05
0.09
0.05
0.69

259.45
2 674.73

185 

14.61
0.13

0.13

14.45

6.25

8.20

0.04
75.39
1.12
1.78
2.58
0.02
1.11
0.03
0.66
0.01
12.97
15.61
3.03

6.43
3.38
1.00
5.44
20.22
72.04
2 667.00

1 874.00
507.42
0.70
9.60
80.99
39.34
287.52
26.18
38.11
24.97
996.22
261.41
68.77
17.81
114.71
0.72
101.91
61.02
14.08
27.68
0.04
34.70
23.81
184.54
33.74
13.65
3.10
4.19
20.44
8.25
1.63
320.98
37.79
34.03
94.85
17.97
16.41
1.08
3.56
36.94
16.59
13.12
47.56
1.07
49.38
84.78
1.17
5.21
2.63
0.06
1.20
0.07
0.70
0.05
14.29
15.76
4.29
0.05
6.52
3.43
2.06
5.44
21.85
909.64
8 965.21

 
 
 
Public Private Partnerships
United Nations
UNRWA
UNDP
WFP
WHO
FAO

World Bank Group
World Trade Organisation
Regional Development Banks
Other Multilateral Institutions

GFTAM

Others

101.44
98.17

1.99

1.44

28.00
65.00
65.00

Part I (ODA) Multilateral Aid,Total

195.87

1.99

103.43
98.17

1.44

28.00
115.00
115.00

247.86

50.00
50.00

50.00

Part I (ODA), Total

3 819.35

2 676.72

2 717.00

9 213.08

Part II: Countries and Territories in Transition (non ODA)

More Advanced Developing Countries

79.80

Aruba
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Israel
Korea
Kuwait
Mayotte
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands
United Arab Emirates
Virgin Islands (UK)
MADCT Unallocated

CEEC's/NIS

Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovenia
Europe Unallocated

Part II (Non-OA) Bilateral Aid, Total

5.76
0.12

4.96

29.66

39.30
60.38
0.12
0.98

0.01

37.69
0.01
21.56
140.18

47.13

0.01
0.03

3.10
0.24
0.03

0.03
0.03
0.28
0.02

0.11

43.26
367.88
31.37
98.51
48.39
0.37
0.70
16.33
0.03
1.28
10.17
128.55
9.39
0.23
22.57
415.02

42.32
0.21
1.02

0.04
0.09

4.37
0.01
3.92

26.71
0.78

0.28
4.90

42.32

169.26
0.21
1.03
0.03
5.80
0.21

8.06
0.24
0.03
4.37
0.01
3.92
0.03
0.03
0.28
56.39
0.78
0.11
0.28
87.47
428.26
31.50
99.50
48.39
0.37
0.70
16.33
0.03
1.28
10.18
128.55
47.07
0.24
44.12
597.52

Grand Total Part I & Part II

3 959.53

3 091.74

2 759.33

9 810.60

Breakdown by country/region of external aid financed on the general EU budget and the European 
Development Fund (EDF) in 2011.
Bilateral and multilateral ODA / non-ODA flows.
(1) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ 
Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

186 

 
 
 
Disbursements in € million

Least Developed Countries (LDC)

Afghanistan
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Central African Rep.
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Dem. Rep.
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Kiribati
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
Niger
Rwanda
Samoa
Sao Tome & Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vanuatu
Yemen
Zambia
South Of Sahara, Regional - LDC's
Asia, Regional - LDC's
Total Least Developed Countries

Table 5.12 ODA Recipient by main OECD sector in 2011

ODA per Capita 
(Euro / Capita) 
(1)

Total

Social 
Infrastructures

Economic 
Infrastructures 
& Services

Production

Multisector / 
Crosscutting

Budget 
Support, Food 
Aid, Food 
Security

Action relating 
to debt

Humanitarian 
Aid

Other / 
Unallocated

8.32 
1.05 
0.77 
5.53 
1.00 
6.03 
7.51 
2.67 
10.72 
7.35 
7.75 
3.28 
10.03 
0.18 
5.55 
1.78 
16.02 
3.01 
9.77 
13.01 
26.46 
2.65 
19.46 
15.94 
1.15 
3.49 
0.12 
6.61 
15.08 
3.97 
0.72 
0.79 
6.43 
6.34 
86.10 
22.75 
6.51 
8.77 
7.97 
12.00 
2.69 
2.40 
11.67 
4.76 
349.19 
3.65 
8.58 
1.58 
5.92 

261.41
19.97
114.71
48.91
0.72
99.27
62.92
37.79
47.17
82.56
5.69
216.12
8.91
0.12
29.18
147.71
27.69
30.08
14.81
129.97
2.63
16.41
42.26
63.67
23.77
52.01
0.04
101.61
52.18
92.75
34.70
23.81
99.72
67.34
15.76
3.76
80.89
51.47
4.29
111.96
117.13
107.66
13.12
28.67
3.43
122.04
2.06
38.11
77.49

176.01
12.52
46.00
13.59
0.23
21.40
12.65
22.00
6.95
24.61
4.91
107.82
3.33
0.11
22.59
16.65
2.06
10.42
9.59
14.91
1.46
3.00
23.33
13.32
13.26
14.02

27.01
6.74
20.02
12.42
9.71
20.11
14.22
15.61
1.51
14.41
13.83
2.97
26.88
6.60
11.02
4.54
10.65
1.73
11.51
0.67
21.22
21.35

0.02
0.77
0.05
30.93
0.03
4.30
20.63
0.63
26.94
4.18
0.41
16.85
0.65

1.40
76.68
25.36
11.66
2.21
26.12
0.16
0.00
10.11
3.88
2.78
15.03

27.96
41.29
14.96

2.71
3.21
13.20

1.57
26.10
15.45

5.99

34.82
0.70
0.74

61.75

0.03
6.01

12.28
2.55
8.84
2.32
0.24
3.76
4.32
6.22
2.19
3.65
0.32
9.22
0.18

1.44
2.15
0.14
2.01
1.75
3.07

4.70
0.06
3.08
0.82
6.77

7.12
0.46
2.30
1.57
2.03
1.67
6.58
0.00
0.07
1.80
1.43

6.74
0.25
2.50
0.23
0.28

16.22
0.38
2.17
4.51

15.03
0.08
3.16
0.07
0.07
0.87
2.13
1.54
1.13
6.51
0.01
12.09
0.01

0.44
1.36

0.56
0.18
0.93

0.39
0.00
0.58
0.91
9.73
0.04
1.44
0.09
3.12
0.35
0.93
0.84
0.57
0.07
0.16
4.63
1.31
0.57
2.55
0.15
1.09
5.58
7.89
0.15
0.15
0.25

1.01

12.00

25.18
1.10

57.71
17.45
4.24
0.38
1.40

16.01

2.84
5.59

4.09
1.05
27.20

7.06
8.77
20.91
2.93
5.69

31.42
1.64
52.11
3.38
1.87
45.42
31.71

0.41
32.43
13.58
0.01
0.47
8.93
52.31
1.45
8.23
1.50
23.35
0.10
1.29
43.80

45.78
4.03
30.99
0.87
0.16
11.22
5.55
3.03
9.55
42.18
0.02
52.85
2.63
0.01
0.47
44.96
0.14
0.81
0.02
57.38
1.01
1.21

21.88
3.07
0.27

5.64
1.88
0.24
16.99
6.20
28.04
0.04
0.09

1.06
5.59
0.75
68.67
101.20
5.86
0.62
0.83
0.05
8.58
0.65
13.41
0.23

0.29
0.01
0.49
0.02
0.01

0.18
0.12
0.03
0.02
0.02
1.28
2.11

0.32

0.54
0.01
0.35

0.05

0.03

0.51

1.01
0.07

0.36
0.42
1.03

0.04
0.46
0.29

0.66

0.05
0.01
0.04
0.01
0.46
0.00

0.57

3.41 

2 836.46

871.45

538.27

140.40

90.74

577.00

606.71

11.90

187 

 
 
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
      
        
        
        
      
        
        
        
      
        
        
      
      
        
      
      
        
        
        
        
      
        
        
        
        
        
      
      
        
        
        
      
        
        
      
        
     
        
        
        
        
        
 
Other Low Income Countries (OLIC)

Cote d'Ivoire
Ghana
Kenya
Korea, Dem.
Kyrgyz Rep.
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Zimbabwe

Total Other Low Income Countries

Lower Middle Income Countries (LMIC)

Albania
Algeria
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cameroon
Cape Verde
China
Colombia
Congo, Rep.
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Georgia
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kosovo (2)
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Republic of Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Namibia
Nicaragua
Niue
occupied Palestinian territory
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Syria
Thailand
Tokelau
Tonga
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Wallis & Futuna

Total Lower Middle Income Countries

3.95 
2.61 
2.24 
0.74 
5.19 
0.40 
1.06 
2.08 
1.98 
0.15 
0.54 
5.06 
1.14 

19.40 
1.62 
22.24 
1.94 
3.77 
15.27 
2.53 
33.06 
0.03 
0.78 
3.53 
0.31 
3.31 
1.53 
0.59 
4.93 
23.42 
2.07 
27.45 
4.30 
0.05 
0.40 
0.01 
0.30 
7.08 
13.09 
120.09 
25.49 
1.17 
10.77 
30.12 
1.29 
4.77 
9.96 
5.15 
478.62 
71.18 
2.91 
0.59 
0.40 
1.62 
20.21 
1.28 
0.24 
44.41 
62.65 
12.44 
0.61 
2.40 
400.71 
0.66 

77.99
63.57
90.63
17.97
27.68
63.42
184.54
14.29
13.65
4.19
47.56
63.63
669.10

62.17
57.35
68.77
17.81
37.43
57.41
49.66
16.40
34.03
35.98
14.28
3.45
32.87
22.07
48.11
30.53
101.91
29.75
20.71
32.67
61.02
94.85
0.70
9.60
19.39
80.99
219.23
52.52
0.06
1.20
107.62
3.56
152.54
22.75
29.83
0.70
287.52
18.77
17.24
36.94
33.74
23.97
26.18
16.59
0.05
6.52
130.38
3.10
109.03
5.44
2 345.43

28.68
8.27
13.07
1.28
23.15
55.74
35.70
9.55
8.48
3.41
11.60
29.56
228.49

36.50
22.13
20.58
10.24
18.45
36.47
9.20
7.28
23.45
13.26
5.37
1.39
8.84
5.32
34.76
24.89
60.55
8.84
1.04
11.40
43.88
66.12
0.08
3.56
4.47
45.39
178.07
20.29
0.02
0.27
34.77
0.76
66.94
14.49
9.81

218.91
16.41
9.75
19.27
15.72
12.36
10.80
3.67

6.87
15.53
22.51

0.01
0.85

0.27

0.02
0.60
46.67

14.41
6.11
4.58
5.69
5.49
5.67
26.00
0.09
2.67
0.26
2.18
0.45
13.16
0.95
2.45

3.05
1.53

0.96
1.53
2.46

0.05
1.04
16.46
15.27
2.15
0.00
0.83
38.57

55.99
5.00
8.52
0.66
1.95
0.15
0.94

0.01
1.57
0.05
0.03

0.09
34.79
2.60
21.75
1.62
1 216.62

2.40
0.11
72.11
3.81
327.34

4.43
3.71
10.19

0.87
0.43
0.88
4.19
2.89
0.21
3.93
8.58
40.32

8.20
13.09
0.28
0.82
3.81
7.31
7.85
0.57
3.63
8.14
2.03
1.17
6.57
11.41
1.03
3.73
3.10
2.12
14.53
6.00
1.19
4.20

10.27
12.74
9.99
10.79

0.31
2.41
16.57
0.20
4.84

11.75
0.95
0.09
3.32
0.78
9.84
8.17
0.40

0.21
2.15
0.11
8.11

224.76

0.39
4.12
5.72

0.40
0.22
5.77
0.22
0.69

12.47
5.42
35.43

3.00
2.77
0.30
1.01
2.86
3.34
4.93
3.57
2.08
0.02
2.40
0.05
0.22
1.47
3.19
0.10
1.16
4.64
5.13
5.35
4.30
0.68

0.04
2.50
1.76
7.30
17.90

0.01
11.18
0.04
0.60
1.86
2.14

4.36
0.25
0.82
1.76
0.60
0.18
0.01
0.99

0.45
9.75
0.10
6.92
0.01
124.12

31.04
2.03
2.88
0.75

2.74

0.90

17.18
5.61
63.13

43.01

3.50

4.89

0.48

1.24

0.04
9.97

7.93

0.10
0.15

20.00

12.43

2.22

2.97
0.05
0.27
1.87

5.50
69.47

12.14

12.14

25.15
0.78
36.77
7.55
2.50
6.13
139.31
0.27
0.41
0.29
2.35
13.87
235.38

13.14

0.06
3.32
0.38
1.67

0.85
14.29
1.79
0.39
2.82
2.85
6.67
1.81
33.96
2.66

1.03
9.93
21.29
0.40
5.95
0.94
4.42
0.30

0.04
0.09

0.35

0.16
2.18
0.04
47.53
0.96
4.95
10.67
16.61

7.14
11.48
0.05
0.09
11.76
0.00

0.33
0.10
0.34
6.25

0.05
0.15
0.05

0.27
0.01

7.55

0.06
0.12
0.01

4.25
0.02

1.36
0.01
0.04

0.01
0.06
0.00

0.06

0.01

0.20
0.11
0.22

0.07
0.06
8.31
1.39

2.79

1.04
0.12

0.06

0.42
0.05
0.03
0.02
0.01
0.01

0.18
0.06
0.17
0.14

186.07

245.03

21.49  

188 

 
 
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
      
        
      
        
        
      
        
      
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
      
        
      
        
        
        
        
        
        
      
     
      
        
      
      
        
        
        
        
     
      
        
        
        
        
      
        
        
      
      
      
        
        
     
        
Upper Middle Income Countries (UMIC)

Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Belarus
Belize
Botswana
Brazil
Chile
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Dominica
Fiji
Gabon
Grenada
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Libya
Malaysia
Mauritius
Mexico
Montenegro
Montserrat
Nauru
Palau
Panama
Serbia
Seychelles
South Africa
Suriname
St.Helena
St.Kitts-Nevis
St.Lucia
St.Vincent & Grenadines
Turkey
Uruguay
Venezuela

Total Upper Middle Income Countries

1.32 
36.32 
0.28 
1.16 
24.31 
7.55 
0.07 
0.66 
57.72 
0.29 
170.02 
6.05 
3.64 
24.51 
0.88 
9.31 
5.59 
0.04 
43.83 
0.06 
27.32 
269.63 
7.07 
2.61 
0.16 
23.59 
56.85 
2.85 
10.37 
801.36 
237.56 
87.10 
87.96 
4.30 
2.28 
0.15 
1.61 

0.02
3.22
11.42
11.13
7.57
15.14
12.84
11.27
1.17
1.36
11.52
5.21
5.48
2.56
14.08
39.34
35.56
1.08
56.95
7.25
17.25
1.60
0.07
0.05
0.58
189.46
4.92
142.79
5.44
3.30
12.45
15.18
9.62
313.07
7.67
4.34
981.98

0.02
2.40
9.15
5.90
2.31
13.68
4.86
5.01
0.16
0.54
1.01
3.58
1.49
0.75
12.05
13.98
11.07
0.33
1.03
1.49
8.48

0.03

0.05
102.92
1.85
116.83
0.57

0.05
12.17
3.67
79.00
3.80
3.17
423.40

0.82

0.82
2.58

0.82
0.00

2.22

2.20

0.10
1.24

0.44

3.81

0.01

38.67

10.33
2.37
3.30
0.76
0.03
0.69
12.77
0.08

84.06

1.25
1.06
1.68
0.02
4.43
4.45

0.80
3.89
1.30
1.76
0.18
1.59
2.82

0.01
0.20
3.93
2.85
1.60

0.05
19.67
0.00
10.24
2.13

2.04
5.00
82.27
0.15
0.09
155.47

0.34
0.13
0.79
1.30
2.29
0.70

0.10
0.27

0.26
1.07
0.33
0.30
0.29
1.80
1.33

0.28
24.25
0.20
4.64
0.22

0.11
0.10
138.77
3.61
0.28
183.77

0.04

3.90

1.63

54.45

2.85

11.48

74.35

0.64

0.21

0.34
1.11
1.01
0.02
0.40
0.05

0.06
20.22
24.16

0.69

0.04
0.04
0.19
2.46

0.10

0.16
0.82
0.16
0.09
0.04
0.81
53.80

3.21
0.00
0.15
0.09
0.01

0.00
0.01
0.04

0.01
0.02

0.97
0.03
0.10

1.48
0.02
0.75
0.07

0.17

7.13

Total LDC + OLIC + LMIC + UMIC

1.22 

6 832.97

2 739.97

996.33

560.94

434.05

900.55

12.14

1 140.91

48.07

By region
Europe
Africa
America
Asia
Oceania
Bilateral unallocated

Total Region

9.52 
3.86 
1.24 
0.49 
9.29 
0.16 
1.60 

1 437.12
3 939.04
720.63
1 874.00
84.78
909.64
8 965.21

636.19
1 182.40
255.45
1 024.85
41.26
191.49
3 331.63

255.65
729.62
97.37
48.40
6.68
35.81
1 173.51

167.18
401.07
134.16
124.47
18.73
47.80
893.42

292.21
206.77
52.96
72.86
3.25
70.65
698.70

21.47
701.17
74.07
130.19
7.11
14.39
948.39

13.09

13.09

4.55
611.87
104.75
462.47
7.50
50.26
1 241.39

59.88
93.07
1.89
10.76
0.25
499.26
665.10

Breakdown by country/region of external aid financed on the general EU budget and the European Development Fund (EDF) in 2011.
Bilateral ODA flows.
(1) Source : World Population Prospects - United Nations Population Division - 2010 revision
(2) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

189 

 
 
        
      
        
        
      
        
        
        
      
        
     
        
        
      
        
        
        
        
      
        
      
     
        
        
        
      
      
        
      
     
     
      
      
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
 
 
 
Table 5.13 Sectoral breakdown of ODA managed by the European Commission in 2011

Commitments in € Million

773 M€, 7%

Disbursements in € Million

665 M€, 7%

1 299 M€, 11%

0 M€, 0%

213 M€, 2%

1 884 M€, 17%

1 245 M€, 14%

4 830 M€, 43%

13 M€, 0%

948 M€, 10%

702 M€, 8%

3 543 M€, 38%

1 268 M€, 11%

1 056 M€, 9%

893 M€, 10%

1 203 M€, 13%

Social infrastructures: education, health, water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services : transport, communications, energy, other services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing, industry, mining and construction, trade and tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Action relating to debt

Humanitarian aid : Emergency response, reconstruction relief and rehabilitation, disaster prevention
and preparedness
Other/Unallocated : admin. costs, unspecified

190 

 
 
 
Table 5.14 Detailed description of ODA by sector in 2011 - Commitments

Commitments in € Million

Sector of Destination

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED
Administrative costs of donors (1)
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

Total

Managed by 
EuropeAid

Managed by 
Other DGs

4 830.00
690.91
153.32
177.40
65.23
294.96
244.09
99.29
144.80
123.49
304.17
2 659.97
807.37

1 055.69
666.08
11.89
297.45
3.27
77.00

1 268.28
779.02
722.98
51.21
4.83
128.39
128.39

265.47
351.28
9.60

1 884.15
443.37
1 440.78

212.96
204.58
8.38

1 298.81
1 174.75
86.35
37.72

773.49
684.62

1 233.40
178.59
8.17

25.93
144.49
2.75
2.75

43.90
880.25
127.91

193.60
165.82

21.52
3.27
3.00

263.17
211.49
211.49

2.50
2.50

49.18
46.58
2.60

528.66
155.92
372.74

3 596.60
512.32
145.15
177.40
39.30
150.47
241.34
96.54
144.80
123.49
260.27
1 779.72
679.47

862.09
500.26
11.89
275.93

74.00

1 005.11
567.53
511.49
51.21
4.83
125.89
125.89

216.29
304.69
7.00

1 355.49
287.45
1 068.04

212.96
204.58
8.38

189.84
131.84
56.90
1.10

617.51
555.77

1 108.97
1 042.90
29.45
36.62

155.98
128.85

88.88

61.74

27.13

11 323.38

7 839.61

3 483.78

(1) Including €  192 million corresponding to a multianual programme for administrative cost financing. The 
corresponding share for the year 2011 is € 67.4 million.
Breakdown by sector of Official Development Assistance (ODA) financed on the general EU budget and the 
European Development Fund (EDF) in 2011.
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.

191 

 
 
 
Table 5.15 Detailed description of ODA by sector in 2011 - Disbursements

Disbursements in € Million

Sector of Destination

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED

Administrative costs of donors
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

Total

Managed by 
EuropeAid

Managed by 
Other DGs

3 542.94
625.72
236.72
108.70
77.31
202.99
490.90
98.85
392.05
97.67
328.78
1 483.87
515.99

1 203.31
689.40
37.53
348.95
39.46
87.97

893.42
478.70
406.62
41.92
30.16
240.62
223.07
16.27
1.28
122.41
162.50
11.59

702.15
185.11
517.04

948.39
741.78
206.61

13.09
13.09

1 244.69
1 037.84
131.12
75.73

665.10
555.82

109.27

9 213.08

2 642.56
421.30
221.45
105.47
54.36
40.02
475.43
86.47
388.96
85.95
297.11
891.53
471.24

1 083.73
644.29
23.76
318.54
36.26
60.90

744.65
363.30
294.16
40.57
28.56
222.19
205.02
15.88
1.28
107.47
149.39
9.76

446.75
163.32
283.43

892.87
686.78
206.08

13.09
13.09

199.42
56.72
99.64
43.06

513.30
425.46

900.38
204.42
15.27
3.23
22.95
162.96
15.47
12.38
3.10
11.72
31.67
592.35
44.75

119.58
45.12
13.78
30.42
3.20
27.07

148.77
115.39
112.45
1.35
1.59
18.43
18.05
0.39

14.94
13.11
1.83

255.40
21.79
233.61

55.53
55.00
0.53

1 045.27
981.13
31.48
32.67

151.80
130.36

87.84

21.44

6 536.36

2 676.72

Breakdown by sector of Official Development Assistance (ODA) financed on the general EU budget and the 
European Development Fund (EDF) in 2011.
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.

192 

 
 
 
Table 5.16 EuropeAid in 2011: A closer look. Sectoral breakdown per region

Commitments in € Million

Sector of Destination

ENPI 
East

ENPI 
South

ENPI

Asia

Latin 
America

ACP

Multi 
Region

Total

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED
Administrative costs of donors (1)
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

336
37

37

5
0
294

99
7

87

5

0

0
0

101
8
93

19

19

39

696
57
23
2
7
24

2
22
239
376

111
18
4
70

20

89
22
22

35
35

32
32

354
13
341

18
18

10

39

592

10

1 279

559
229
30
134
7
58
10
10

9
16
283
13

45

8
11

26

54
8
8

31
31

15
15

60

60

184
74
111

53
53

0

0

252
54
34

20

25
51
121

2

2

39
15
15

0
8
8

17
10
7

55
7
48

7

7

0

0

1 196
103
26
41
25
11
156
76
80
40
194
540
164

559
476

557
32
32

76
11
65
68
3
373
6

46

61

46

23

639
339
299
36
5
52
52

247
247

482
89
393

206
205
2

100
61
38
1

203
203

184
184
168
16

121
97
24

366
353

3 597
512
145
177
39
150
241
97
145
123
260
1 780
679

862
500
12
276

74

1 005
568
511
51
5
126
126

312
305
7

1 355
287
1 068

213
205
8

190
132
57
1

618
556

13

62

60

896

354

3 385

1 273

7 840

(1) Including €192 million corres ponding to a multianual programme for administrative cost financing. The corresponding share for the year 
2011 is € 67.4 million.
Breakdown by sector and region of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid and the European Development 
Fund (EDF).
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.
On budget side, region is identified following geographical budget lines and recipient countries for thematic budget lines.
ENPI East : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine. (Russia excluded)
ENPI South : Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia. (Israel excluded)
Asia : Iran, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Rep., Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, 
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Korea, Dem., Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, 
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam.

Latin America : Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

ACP : South Of Sahara + Oceania + Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, 
Jamaica, Montserrat, St.Kitts-Nevis, St.Lucia, St.Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, Regional, Guyana, Suriname.  
(Turks & Caicos Islands excluded)

Multi region : covering several regions or unspecified location.

193 

 
 
 
Table 5.17 EuropeAid in 2011: A closer look. Sectoral breakdown per region

Disbursements in € Million

Sector of Destination

ENPI 
East

ENPI 
South

ENPI

Asia

Latin 
America

ACP

Multi 
Region

Total

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED

Administrative costs of donors
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

158
13
1
0
11
1
15
1
14
3
13
98
16

168
26
2
135
1
3

25
4
4
1

16
13
3

5
5
1

26
6
20

9
8
1

30
0
30

33

555
71
49
8
12
3
34
31
4
10
34
118
287

106
26
3
61
12
3

122
20
20
0
0
86
86

16
16
0

27
12
16

85
82
3

12
7
4
1

1

33

450

1

909

17

0
16
0

1
0

0

0

0

0

18
0
17

11

11

46

505
145
91
36
14
4
131
17
114
10
19
154
45

12
2
0
7
2
1

83
47
41
5
1
19
18
0

17
16
1

57
10
47

84
21
62

47
3
41
3

4

4

793

181
42
1
22
3
16
5
2
4
2
16
83
32

34
5
7
19
0
3

75
29
18
10
0
37
37
1

9
8
0

42
10
32

29
10
18

3
1
0
3

1

1

1 074
130
61
39
13
17
221
33
188
38
213
390
82

741
584
11
74
20
51

417
242
196
18
28
64
51
12
1
111
105
7

207
69
138

672
565
107

13
13

106
45
24
36

102
80

22

365

3 331

152
20
18

2

69
4
65
22
1
31
9

22

22
0

22
21
15
6

1
1
0

0
0
0

69
57
13

15

15

0

0

361
346

15

642

2 643
421
221
105
54
40
475
86
389
86
297
892
471

1 084
644
24
319
36
61

745
363
294
41
29
222
205
16
1
159
149
10

447
163
283

893
687
206

13
13

199
57
100
43

513
425

88

6 536

Breakdown by sector and region of external aid financed on the general EU budget managed by EuropeAid and the European Development 
Fund (EDF).
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.
On budget side, region is identified following geographical budget lines and recipient countries for thematic budget lines.
ENPI East : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine. (Russia excluded)
ENPI South : Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia. (Israel excluded)
Asia : Iran, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Rep., Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, 
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Korea, Dem., Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, 
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam.

Latin America : Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

ACP : South Of Sahara + Oceania + Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, 
Jamaica, Montserrat, St.Kitts-Nevis, St.Lucia, St.Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, Regional, Guyana, Suriname.  
(Turks & Caicos Islands excluded)

Multi region : covering several regions or unspecified location.

194 

 
 
 
Table 5.18 External aid in 2011: A closer look. Sectoral breakdown per instrument

Commitments in € million

Sector of Destination

ENPI

EDF

DCI - 
Geo (2)

DCI - 
Thema 
(3)

Food 
Facility 
(4)

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED
Administrative costs of donors (1)
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

1 166
92
25
41
25
1
153
76
77
35
187
535
164

559
476

61

23

397
148
144

4
33
33

216
216

394
51
343

74
74

95
56
38
1

202
202

1 088
160
23
2
7
127

22
530
376

190
25
4
137

25

89
22
22

35
35

32
32

514
21
494

37
18
19

57
43

14

842
311
64
134
7
106
10
10

9
41
336
134

34

8

26

79
9
9

39
39

32
25
7

275
67
208

82
76
7

53
53

57
57

0

438
33
33

78
11
68
79
8
235
6

4

4

439
389
337
51
1
19
19

31
31

149
149

56
56

5
5

0

77
44

34

1 976

2 887

1 423

1 168

EIDHR

IFS

NSI

158

170

CFSP 
(5)

284

158

170

284

9
9

75

75

2

2

0
0

2

26

26

32
7

25

237

10
10

169

1
1

IPA

Echo

Other

 Total 

601
20
8

4
7
3
3

44
407
128

185
157

22
3
3

260
211
211

3
3

46
43
2

527
154
373

6

4
2

44
43

1

81
75

22
53

3
4

4
0
0

4
3
0

26
2
24

1 077
1 043

34

8
8

284
268

16

4 830.00 
690.91 
153.32 
177.40 
65.23 
294.96 
244.09 
99.29 
144.80 
123.49 
304.17 
2 659.97 
807.37 

1 055.69 
666.08 
11.89 
297.45 
3.27 
77.00 

1 268.28 
779.02 
722.98 
51.21 
4.83 
128.39 
128.39 
-
-
360.88 
351.28 
9.60 

1 884.15 
443.37 
1 440.78 

212.96 
204.58 
8.38 
-

-
-

1 298.81 
1 174.75 
86.35 
37.72 

773.49 
684.62 
-
88.88 

76

284

1 622

1 086

394

11 323.38 

(1) Including € 192 millions corresponding to a multianual programme for administrative cost financing. The corresponding share  for the year 2011 is € 67.4 millions. Column "Other" includes 
expenditure concerning other instruments.
Breakdown by sector and region of external aid financed on the general EU budget and the European Development Fund (EDF).
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.
(2) DCI - Geo : Asia, Latin America, South Africa
(3) DCI - Thema : Migration, Food security, Non-state actors, Environment, Human & social development, ACP sugar programmes
(4) Food Facility : facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries, pilot project — Finance for agricultural production
(5) CFSP is financed on the general EU budget managed by DG FPI

195 

 
 
 
    
       
       
       
         
       
       
         
       
       
       
    
       
    
       
         
       
          
         
    
       
       
         
          
       
       
 
            
 
            
       
       
          
    
       
    
       
       
          
 
            
 
            
 
            
    
    
         
         
       
       
 
            
         
  
 
 
Table 5.19 External aid in 2011: A closer look. Sectoral breakdown per instrument

Disbursements in € Million

Sector of Destination

ENPI

EDF

DCI - 
Geo (2)

DCI - 
Thema 
(3)

Food 
Facility 
(4)

EIDHR

IFS

NSI

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Education

Education, level unspecified
Basic education
Secondary education
Post-secondary education

Health

Health, general
Basic health

Population polices/programs and reproductive health
Water supply and sanitation
Government and civil society
Other Social Infrastructure and services

ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transport and storage
Communications
Energy generation and supply
Banking and financial services
Business and other services

PRODUCTION SECTORS

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing

Industry, Mining and Construction

Industry
Mineral resources and mining
Construction
Trade and Tourism

Trade policy and regulation
Tourism

MULTISECTOR / CROSSCUTTING

General environmental protection
Other multisector

COMMODITY AID AND GENERAL PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE

General budget support
Development food aid/food security assistance
Other commodity assistance

ACTION RELATING TO DEBT
Action relating to debt

HUMANITARIAN AID

Emergency Response
Reconstruction relief and rehabilitation
Disaster prevention and preparedness

OTHER / UNALLOCATED / UNSPECIFIED
Administrative costs of donors (1)
Refugees in donor countries
Unallocated/unspecified

GRAND TOTAL

729
130
50
7
22
51
48
31
17
7
47
197
300

224
52
5
146
13
6

144
22
22
0
0
101
98
3

21
20
1

66
14
51

90
90
0

41
6
34
1

58
43

16

832
93
59
11
8
15
157
27
131
18
208
316
40

719
579
10
70
20
40

263
125
90
9
26
31
18
12
1
107
104
3

172
54
118

520
510
9

13
13

102
42
24
36

96
79

17

709
244
91
76
14
62
145
16
129
5
29
190
96

52
7
7
22
3
13

139
48
40
8
0
65
64
1

26
24
1

85
16
69

40
28
12

48
4
41
3

62
57

4

1 352

2 717

1 134

352
41
20
10
11
0
122
12
111
56
12
86
33

32
5
1
24
1
1

162
137
111
24
2
24
24
0

2
1
1

112
79
32

150
49
101

8
5
0
3

74
39

35

890

1

1

1

0

17
17
17

93
9
84

3
3

118
0
0
0

0

117
0

0

0

0
0
0

0
0
0

9
9

0

92
1
1

1

1

90
0

0

0

0
0
0

0

0

34
6
28
0

7
6

1

CFSP 
(5)

262

262

56

56
0

0
0

1
1

0

IPA

ECHO Other

Total

365
46
14
3
3
26
15
12
2
12
32
217
43

119
45
14
30
3
27

146
115
112
1
2
18
18
0

12
10
2

253
19
234

1

1

4
0
3
0

62
43

19

949

84
70
1
0
20
49
1
1

1
8
3

1
1
0
0
0

22
15
15
0

1
1

6
3
3

15
2
13

55
55

1 007
975

32

7
7

1 014

286
269

17

463

3 543
626
237
109
77
203
491
99
392
98
329
1 484
516

1 203
689
38
349
39
88

893
479
407
42
30
241
223
16
1
174
163
12

702
185
517

948
742
207

13
13

1 245
1 038
131
76

665
556

109

9 213

115

127

134

57

262

(1) Including €192 million corresponding to a multianual programme for administrative cost financing. The corresponding share f or the year 2011 is € 67.4 million. Column "Other" includes 
Breakdown by sector and region of external aid financed on the general EU budget and the European Development Fund (EDF).
Bilateral and multilateral ODA flows.
(2) DCI - Geo : Asia, Latin America, South Africa
(3) DCI - Thema : Migration, Food security, Non-state actors, Environment, Human & social development, ACP sugar programmes
(4) Food Facility : facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries, pilot project — Finance for agricultural production
(5) CFSP is financed on the general EU budget managed by DG FPI

196 

 
 
 
 
Table 5.20 External aid in 2011: A closer look. Sectoral breakdown per instrument

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

ENPI

EDF

DCI - Geo

DCI - Thema

Food Facility

EIDHR

IFS

NSI

CFSP

IPA

ECHO

Social infrastructures: education, health, water, government and civil society, other

Economic infrastructures and services : transport, communications, energy, other services

Production : agriculture, forestry and fishing, industry, mining and construction, trade and tourism

Multisector/Crosscutting : environment, other

Budget support, food aid, food security

Action relating to debt

Humanitarian aid : Emergency response, reconstruction relief and rehabilitation, disaster prevention and preparedness

Other/Unallocated : admin. costs, unspecified

Commitments %

197 

 
 
 
 
Table 5.21 Budget Support 2011 : breakdown by instrument

Commitments in € million

General 
Budget 
Support

Sector 
Budget 
Support

Total 
Budget 
Support

Total ODA

Budget 
Support / 
Total ODA

European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)

-

Development Cooperation Instrument - Geographic (1)

Development Cooperation Instrument -Thematic (2)

European Development Fund (EDF)

76 

56 

74 

513 

383 

67 

84 

513 

458 

123 

158 

1 976 

1 423 

1 168 

2 887 

Grand Total

205 

1 047 

1 252 

7 454 

26%

32%

11%

5%

17%

(1) DCI - Geographic : Asia, Latin America, South Africa
(2) DCI - Thematic : Migration, Food security, Non-state actors, Environment, Human & social development, ACP sugar 
programmes

198