REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS On the implementation, results and overall assessment of the European Year for Development 2015
Date: 2016-12-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Subjects: European cooperation, European cultural event, development aid, public awareness campaign, sustainable development, the EU's international role

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 1.12.2016  COM(2016) 525 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS On the implementation, results and overall assessment  of the European Year for Development 2015 {SWD(2016) 286 final}  
 
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE 
COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

On the implementation, results and overall assessment  
of the European Year for Development 2015 

1.  INTRODUCTION 

1.1. Context: 2015 as the European Year for Development 

The  European  Year  for  Development  ('EYD2015'  hereafter)  was  the  first  European 
Year1 to be devoted to external relations. It came at an important moment for major 
international  policy  decisions:  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDGs)  were 
replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as part of the 2030 Agenda 
for  Sustainable  Development  adopted  at  the  United  Nations  General  Assembly  in 
September  2015.  A  major  breakthrough  took  place  in  July  2015  when  the  Addis 
Ababa Action Agenda on a global framework for financing sustainable development 
was agreed upon. Finally, in December, at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change 
Conference in Paris (COP21), 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally-
binding global climate deal. 

It  is  against  this  backdrop  that  the  European  Union  coordinated  an  innovative 
communication campaign on development that aimed to bring these global decisions 
closer  to  European  citizens  and  their  everyday  life.  Preparatory  conferences  were 
organised  to  make  the  campaign  as  inclusive  as  possible.  All  partners  –  including 
Member  States,  EU  institutions,  international  organisations,  civil  society,  and  the 
private sector – agreed that the campaign should be a multi-stakeholder celebration of 
development cooperation. 

1.2. Objectives and principles 

Decision No 472/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council designating 
the European Year for Development 20152 ('EYD2015 Decision' hereafter) identified 
three objectives: 

(a) to inform Union citizens about the development cooperation policies and actions 
of the Union and its Member States, highlighting the results achieved in this field by 
the Union as a global actor, and the commitment to continuing to play a leading role 
in development in line with the emerging  post-2015 framework;  

(b)  to  foster  direct  involvement,  critical  thinking  and  active  interest  among  Union 
citizens  and  stakeholders  in  development  cooperation,  policy  formulation  and 
implementation; and  

1 European Years addressed since 1983 specific subjects to encourage debate and dialogue within and between 
countries. 
2 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32014D0472  

2 

 
 
 
                                                            
(c) to raise awareness of the benefits of the Union's development cooperation not only 
among  beneficiaries  but  also  among  Union  citizens,  to  achieve  a  broader 
understanding of policy coherence for development, and to foster among citizens in 
Europe  and  developing  countries  a  sense  of  joint  responsibility,  solidarity  and 
opportunity in a changing and interdependent world. 

1.3. EYD2015 resources 

The financial resources mobilised for the campaign totalled EUR 10,579,345.113. 

Contributions  to  the  national  work  programmes  of  the  European  Union  Member 
States  involved  in  the  campaign  amounted  to  EUR 5,268,613.31;  CONCORD  (the 
Civil  Society  Alliance)  received  EUR 938,639.50;  EUR 170,258.55  was  invested  in 
developing  the  communication  campaign  strategy  in  2014;  EUR 3,451,833.75  was 
allocated  to  the  implementation  of  the  strategy,  EUR 500,000  to  the  temporary 
recruitment  of  additional  support  staff;  and  EUR 250,000  went  to  the  external 
evaluation study. 

1.4. Corporate and partnership approach 

The EYD2015 was a corporate communication priority for the European Commission 
and other EU institutions. An Inter-institutional Working Group4 was set up to help 
the  Year  reach  wide  audiences,  while  an  Inter-service  Working  Group  (within  the 
Commission) ensured coherent messaging with an emphasis on policy coherence for 
development.  The  coordination  meetings  with  the  working  groups  were  vital  in 
exchanging information, producing EYD2015 material and organising public debates. 

A  new  network  was  set  up  between  the  Commission  and  participating  Member 
States.5 Six workshops were organised in Brussels to bring all implementing parties 
together  and  to  develop  methods  to  promote  development  communication  at 
European level. There is a firm commitment by all participating sides to sustain this 
network. 

The non-institutional partnerships of the campaign brought diversity and dynamism to 
it.  The  coalition  around  the  EYD2015  included  international  organisations,  local 
the  private  sector,  academia,  and  youth 
authorities,  civil  society  groups, 
organisations. 

1.5. Eurobarometer results on development 

Two  Eurobarometer  surveys6  were  conducted,  one  at  the  start  of  the  campaign  and 
one at the end. The purpose was to gauge public opinion on development topics and 

3 Resources coming from the following Decisions: C/2013/8977; C/2013/9197; C/2014/5179; C/2015/4689 
4  Participants  were  representatives  from  the  European  Commission  services,  the  European  External  Action 
Service as well as representatives from the Council, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the 
European Economic and Social Committee and CONCORD. 
5  Twenty-five  National  Work  Programmes  were  signed  but  all  EU  Member  States  participated  in  some  of  the 
regular workshops. 
6  Special  Eurobarometer  421  (2015)  "The  European  Year  for  Development  –  citizens'  views  on  development, 
cooperation  and  aid":  http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_421_en.pdf  ;  Special  Eurobarometer 
441  (2016)  "The  European  Year  for  Development  –  citizens'  views  on  development,  cooperation  and  aid": 
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/sp441-devco-report-final_en.pdf 

3 

 
                                                            
to track any shifts in these attitudes during the year. The 2016 Eurobarometer survey 
on  Development  showed  a  clear  increase  of  the  proportion  of  citizens  who  support 
development  (from  85%  to  89%)  and  confirmed  that  the  European  public  had 
acquired  greater  knowledge  of  the  new  SDGs,  with  36%  of  the  public  stating  that 
they had heard or read about them. In relation to the EYD2015 itself, from an initial 
12%  recognition  rate  in  January  2015,  the  Eurobarometer  survey  showed  a  50% 
increase by the end of the year. 

2.  IMPLEMENTATION AT DECENTRALISED LEVEL 

The EYD2015 Decision stated the need  for broad support  for  development, as  "the primary 
responsibility  for  raising  citizens'  awareness  of  development  issues  rests  with  Member 
States".7  At  the  same  time,  consensus  was  reached  regarding  the  importance  of  multilateral 
partnerships to Member States' ability to achieve the objectives of the European Year.8 

2.1. Working with EU Member States 

The  cooperation  with  EU  Member  States  became  a  cornerstone  of  the  campaign  in 
establishing  a  network  of  development  communicators.  Twenty-five  Member  States 
implemented  an  EYD2015  national  work  programme.  The  EYD2015  offered  an 
opportunity to focus on the results of the MDGs and on the 2030 Agenda on SDGs 
and  to  increase  interest  and  engagement  in  development  issues.  In  all  EU  Member 
States combined, some 3,828 events took place, with a total of 1,923,240 participants. 

A  variety  of  activities  were  organised,  ranging  from  special  development  days, 
cultural  events  and  TV  and  radio  programmes,  to  literary,  photo  and  video 
competitions, conferences and learning events. The European Parliament Information 
Offices  organised  35  events,  seminars  and  debates  on  development  issues  in  the 
Member States, in many cases with Members of the European Parliament present. 

Special  emphasis  was  placed  on  educational  work  targeting  young  people.  The 
Commission  produced  an  educational  toolkit  on  development  with  a  Teacher's 
Handbook,  12  lesson  plans  and  a  quiz  booklet  in  23  EU  languages.9  These 
educational  materials  were  distributed  through  Education  Ministries  to  educational 
institutions,  mostly  secondary  schools,  but  also  universities,  and  teachers'  unions 
through  relevant  educational  ministries.  Many  Member  States  appointed  national 
ambassadors whose popularity was instrumental in increasing the campaign's reach. 

Media  and  press  partnerships  were  established  in  all  Member  States;  altogether  45 
such  partnerships  supported  the  campaign,  and  –  notably  in  Ireland,  Spain,  and 
Austria - provided some strong examples targeting young audiences.  

Good News for Europe – a special day 

The Commission worked closely with the Danish NGO World's Best News in support 
of  a  series  of  special  European  Development  Days  celebrated  in  nineteen  Member 

7 Decision No 472/2014/EU. Link: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32014D0472  
8 Ibid. 
9 https://europa.eu/eyd2015/en/content/teachers-corner  

4 

 
                                                            
States  to  spread  positive  messages  on  EU  development  cooperation  and  on  the 
progress seen in partner countries.10  

To mark the occasion, a special newspaper in all EU languages was created, with a 
total  print  run  of  250,000.  The  distribution  of  the  newspaper  by  volunteers  and  in 
most  cases  in  cooperation  with  private  sector  partners  enhanced  the  outreach  of  the 
Year.  The  European  Development  Days  were  often  organised  in  relation  to 
international  days,  such  as  the  Global  Day  of  Action  for  the  Global  Goals  or  other 
national occasions. 

2.2. Working with Civil Society and Development Education Awareness Raising (DEAR) 

The European Civil Society  Alliance,  led by CONCORD,  used  the EYD2015 as  an 
opportunity  to  foster  critical  discussion  and  active  engagement  on  global  justice 
among EU citizens. In a period of 15 months, 17 smaller projects were awarded sub-
grants  by  CONCORD  and  implemented  in  20  countries  in  Europe  reaching 
approximately 17 million people at local, national, European and global level. At the 
end of 2015, CONCORD published a Policy Recommendations booklet.11 

Civil  society  was  further  involved  in  the  campaign  through  the  requirement  for 
DEAR beneficiaries in all 28 Member States to take EYD2015 into account in their 
programmes for 2015. Outputs included photo exhibitions and competitions, film and 
music  festivals,  writing  contests,  development  summer  camps,  exhibitions,  cultural 
events and teachers' fora. 

2.3. On the international stage: working with international organisations 

The  United  Nations  (UN)  and  the  World  Bank  played  an  important  role  in  the 
campaign  by  contributing  to  the  website,  social  media  co-curation  and  spreading 
awareness  of  the  campaign  both  inside  and  outside  the  Union.  The  UN  Regional 
Information Centre for Europe (UNRIC) played a particularly valuable coordination 
role  throughout  the  Year.  Fifteen  UN  agencies  contributed  with  posts,  stories  and 
event  announcements  on  the  EYD2015  website,  and  by  co-curating  the  EYD2015 
social media accounts.  

The many joint events organised included the meeting of young people with the UN 
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon at Bozar Brussels, the UN Day at the Grand Place in 
Brussels, the labelling of the Ciné-ONU screenings in Brussels, and the Conference 
on  the  SDGs  in  the  context  of  the  "Quinzaine  de  la  Solidarité  internationale"  in 
Brussels.  International  conferences  on  development  cooperation  entitled  "Engage. 
Cooperate.  Share  Experience"  (Lithuania)  and  "Advancing  Women's  Economic 
Empowerment via the Post 2015 Development Framework" (Poland) were supported 
by the World Bank in the context of the EYD2015 campaign. 

10 The EU Member States that participated were Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, 
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the 
United Kingdom. 
11 http://concordeurope.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/12/Policy_RecommendationEYD2015_Civil_Society_Alliance-1.pdf?1d6b43  

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2.4. Commitment of the private sector 

Twenty new partnerships with the private sector were set up during the year. 

The private sector used EYD2015 visuals and materials for their own communication 
purposes,  including  events,  magazines,  and  newsletters,  which  were  distributed 
through the networks of the collaborating companies/associations. As an example, the 
160,000  European  enterprises  making  up  the  agribusiness  association  Cooperative 
Europe and the 10,000 member-companies of Corporate Social Responsibility Europe 
in Energy were all recipients of EYD2015 messages. 

3.  IMPLEMENTATION AT CENTRALISED LEVEL 

Acting  in  a  spirit  of  inclusiveness  and  co-ownership,  the  European  Commission,  in 
collaboration with other EU institutions, played a central coordinating role in the running of 
the campaign. 

3.1. The campaign materials 

thematic 

A comprehensive campaign toolkit was made available online through the EYD2015 
website, with most materials translated into 23 EU languages. The materials consisted 
of: two EYD2015 videos; a radio spot; 52 'Stories of the week'; a monthly newsletter; 
monthly 
thematic  posters; 
PowerPoint  presentations;  two  editions  of  the  EYD2015-World's  Best  News 
newspaper;  an  educational  toolkit  on  the  EYD2015;  a  full  visual  identity  toolkit;  a 
photo-bank;  roll-up  templates;  a  limited  number  of  giveaways;  and  after  the  end  of 
the year, a widely distributed hardcover publication of all 'Stories of the week'. The 
European Parliament created its own special campaign toolkit for the EYD2015. 

infographics;  EYD2015 

factsheets  and 

The production of the graphic representation of the EYD2015 motto was essential in 
reinforcing  the  visual  identity  of  the  campaign.  Further,  the  "thematic  months"12 
approach  (with  one  key  theme  assigned  to  every  month  of  the  year)  was  useful  in 
helping partners to communicate effectively about a topic, event or area of particular 
interest to them. 

3.2. Young people in focus 

The  EYD2015  Decision  recognised  young  people  as  a  key  target  group.  Many 
activities organised by the European Commission, other EU institutions and Member 
States directly targeted young people. Among them were the 12 young leaders from 
across the world selected to speak in high-level panels at the European Development 
Days (EDD) in June 2015. In the same spirit, an interactive debate was organised at 
Bozar Brussels in May between youth ambassadors and UN Secretary-General, Ban 
Ki-moon on the post-2015 agenda and the role of young people. The event was web 
streamed and the hashtag #AskBanKimoon appeared in the Twitter feeds of over 10 
million people. 

12  The  12  thematic  months  were:  Europe  in  the  World  (January);  Education  (February);  Women  and  Girls 
(March); Health (April); Peace and Security (May); Sustainable Green Growth, Decent Jobs, Businesses (June); 
Children and Youth (July); Humanitarian Aid (August); Demography and Migration (September); Food Security 
(October);  Sustainable  Development  and  Climate  Action  (November);  Human  Rights  and  Governance 
(December). 

6 

 
                                                            
the  UN  Development  Programme  (UNDP).  At 

Leading  global  thinkers  discussed  development  issues  in  the  framework  of  the 
Kapuscinski  Development  Lectures,  organised  jointly  by  the  European  Commission 
and 
least  one  Kapuscinski 
Development  Lecture  took  place  in  each  Member  State  during  the  campaign, 
involving  leading  national  universities  and  speakers  such  as  Thomas  Piketty,  Julia 
Gillard, Dani Rodrik and Carl Bildt, who gave fascinating lectures. 

A  special  EYD2015  video  was  prepared  through  a  unique  collaboration  with  a 
popular young blogger. The video became the most viewed audio-visual output ever 
of  the  Directorate-General  for  International  Cooperation  and  Development  (DG 
DEVCO)  with  1  million  views  on  YouTube;  on  Facebook,  the  campaign  reached 
6,073,539  impressions  in  total;  and  in  cinema  showings,  the  video  reached  an 
audience of 335,389 people. 

3.3. Flagship events, wide visibility, diversity of targets and activities 

The opening and closing ceremonies (in Latvia and Luxembourg respectively) were 
attended  by  the  College  of  Commissioners  and  the  political  leadership  of  the  two 
Presidencies. In March 2015, a conference on gender took place with specialists and 
stakeholders  to  analyse  the  state  of  inequalities  in  Europe  and  beyond.  On  9  May 
2015,  the  EYD2015  was  the  main  theme  on  Europe  Day  when  more  than  30 000 
citizens visited the Open Doors Day in EU institutions.  

The EYD2015 was also promoted by the EU institutions at the 20K Run in Brussels 
and the EYD2015 logo decorated the European Parliament skywalk plaza with a large 
banner  throughout  the  year.  In  addition,  EYD2105  was  integrated  in  the  European 
Parliament's  Euroscola  that  welcomed  thousands  of  16-18  year-old  students  in 
Strasbourg  in  February  2015.  The  European  Parliament  guest  photographer  contest 
was based on the monthly EYD2015 topics and the winning photos were featured in 
an  exhibition  at  the  Bronisław  Geremek  Agora  in  Strasbourg  in  November  2015. 
Similarly, the "Family Meal" photo exhibition was on display at the Parlamentarium 
between May and November.  

The EYD2015 campaign was present at the main international events of the year: a 
special EYD2015 stand was set up at the COP21 conference in  Paris;  and a special 
Kapuscinski Development Lecture was organised on the occasion of the adoption of 
the 2030 Agenda by the UN General Assembly in New York.  

The  campaign  was  present  at  the  Milan  EXPO2015,  where  EYD2015  visuals  were 
strongly  featured  alongside  the  nutrition  theme  of  the  Expo  (Feeding  the  Planet: 
Energy for Life) at the EU pavilion.  

The  EYD2015  also  played  an  active  part  in  the  celebration  of  the  70  years 
anniversary of the UN on 25 October 2015, with a large stand at the Grand Place in 
Brussels which attracted around 5 000 visitors. 

3.4. Working with EU Delegations: A year of stories 

Story-telling  was  the  centrepiece  of  the  campaign.  EU  Delegations  prepared  more 
than  150  stories  showing  the  tangible  impact  of  EU  development  on  the  lives  of 
people in partner countries. The stories combined simple language, compelling, first-
hand  narratives,  and  key  facts  about  the  positive  results  of  EU  development 
assistance.  The  best  stories  were  selected  for  the  campaign's  'Story  of  the  Week' 

7 

 
thread,  translated  into  23  languages,  posted  on  the  website,  and  disseminated  via 
social media. Most of the remaining stories were published in their original language.  

Given the quality of the stories and the encouraging feedback received, a single book 
gathering all the 'Stories of the Week' was issued in a special publication. "EYD2015: 
a  Year  of  Stories"13  was  distributed  at  the  closing  event  in  Luxembourg,  and  by 
European  Commission  Representations,  Europe  Direct  Information  Centres  and  EU 
Delegations in 23 languages. 

3.5. An innovative campaign website 

The EYD2015 website was a platform that forged new relationships between the EU 
and  development  partners  and  allowed  genuinely  interactive  communication.  While 
set  up  and  managed  by  the  Commission,  it  gave  partner  organisations  full  editorial 
control  of  their  content.  More  than  200  accredited  partners  were  free  to  post 
information about themselves, events, stories and other information in the language of 
their  choice.  Among  them  were  24  Member  States,  30  international  organisations, 
137 civil society/non/governmental organisations, and 9 private sector companies.  

Social media co-curation 

The  work  with  social  media  –  Facebook  and  Twitter14  -  was  both  a  success  for  the 
EYD2015  and  an  investment  in  future  online  campaigning.  Over  330 000  mentions 
were recorded of the EYD2015 hashtag. The event that attracted most attention to the 
#EYD2015 hashtag was the youth takeover of DG DEVCO's social media accounts in 
October 2015.  

One of the key successes was the co-curation of the EYD2015 social media accounts 
by a different partner every week in 2015; demand for co-curation slots exceeded the 
number of weeks in the year. Our co-curators came from all walks of public life, from 
private  sector  companies  to  NGOs.  Co-curation  was  successful  in  producing  varied 
content, leveraging existing networks and building new partnerships. 

3.6. Media work 

Bringing development cooperation to the attention of the media was an important part 
of the campaign. The EYD2015 ensured major coverage in top quality media across 
the EU. A good number of well-informed articles were published, some of them using 
the  motto  of  the  Year  in  their  reporting.  Altogether,  3,914  articles  mentioned  the 
EYD2015.  DG  DEVCO  regularly briefed  journalists  on  the  campaign  by  setting  up 
press  seminars  and  briefings.  A  press  trip  to  Tanzania  was  organised  as  part  of  the 
campaign in order to focus on climate change ahead of the COP21 Conference. 

4.  LEGACY AND FOLLOW UP OF THE EYD2015 

The  EYD2015  campaign  resulted  in  stronger  partnerships  in  development  communication. 
The  Commission  will  continue  to  bring  the  topic  of  development  cooperation  closer  to 
European citizens. 

13 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/year-stories-european-year-development-2015_en  
14 https://twitter.com/eyd2015  

8 

 
                                                            
4.1. EYD2015 legacy 

The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission signed a Joint Declaration 
on  the  European  Year  for  Development  at  a  special  ceremony  in  Luxembourg  on 
Wednesday,  9  December  2015.15  The  Joint  Declaration  included  the  following  key 
elements: 

  Build  on  partnerships  and  engage  new  stakeholders  beyond  the 

development community: 

The networks set up with Member States, parliaments, regions, civil society, 
the  private  sector,  regional/local  authorities,  academia,  and  research/ 
educational institutions during the EYD2015, have proved to be very efficient 
for building synergies, agreeing on joint activities and sharing lessons learnt. 

  Address young people: 

Efforts  in  the education sector will continue to  play an important  role in the 
run  up  to  2030,  ensuring  that  all  learners  acquire  the  knowledge  and  skills 
needed to promote sustainable development. 

  Put people at the centre: 

The  story-telling  approach  was  one  of 
the  most  popular  ways  of 
communicating  on  development  cooperation's  global  challenges  and  efforts 
affecting people's everyday lives. 

  Be interactive: 

Building  on  the  highly  participatory  manner  in  which  the  2030  Agenda  for 
Sustainable  Development  was  developed,  interaction  among  and  with 
stakeholders will continue to be key. 

  Be fact-based: 

A results-based communication campaign will be an important contribution to 
the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

  Keep the spirit of the EYD: 

The motto of the EYD2015 – our world, our dignity, our future – can be a tool 
for conveying messages around the 2030 Agenda. 

4.2. Conclusion 

The Commission welcomes the positive overall findings of the independent evaluation 
of the EYD201516, while acknowledging that some conclusions need to be considered 
in  the  light  of  the  data  gathering  constraints  encountered,  and  the  fact  that  the 
evaluation  draws  extensively  on  a  survey  of  stakeholders  who 
themselves 
implemented campaign activities, which implies a potential risk of positive bias. 

15 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/declaration-eyd2015_en.pdf 
16 See Commission Staff Working Document on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 
European Year for Development 2015 (SWD(2016)286)  

9 

 
                                                            
The  Commission  welcomes  the  evaluator's  conclusions  as  to  the  relevance  and 
complementarity  of  objectives  and  activities.  EYD2015  combined  EU  and  Member 
State  input  to  ensure  an  appropriately  pitched  campaign  that  helped  to  increase 
awareness, knowledge and understanding among the general public and young people 
in particular. Having a broad set of objectives and target groups helped Member States 
and  other  partners  to  better  tailor  messaging  to  their  own  priorities  and  interests, 
although  clearer  communication  on  specific  political  messages  would  have  been 
helpful  in  mitigating  the  attenuation  of  the  European  dimension  in  some  cases.  The 
Commission  notes  with 
storytelling  approach  made 
communication  on  development  more  relevant  to  the  different  audiences,  and  that 
campaign  activities  -  including  those  involving  international  organisations  -  were 
complementary at national at European level.  

satisfaction 

that 

the 

The  Commission  acknowledges  the  interlinked  conclusions  regarding  effectiveness 
and impact. While, no direct causal link can be established between the campaign and 
the increase of the proportion of citizens in favour of development shown in the 2016 
Eurobarometer  survey,  given  the  volume  of  activity  and  evidence  of  the  new 
audiences  reached,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  EYD2015  contributed  to 
improving  public  and  political  support  for  development  cooperation.  The  online  and 
social  media  strategy  was  particularly  successful  in  projecting  the  EU  as  a  global 
player  and  informing  citizens  about  the  development  activities  of  the  EU  and  its 
Member  States.  The  Commission  notes  that  the  opening  up  the  website  and  social 
media  accounts  to  partners  was  an  effective  way  to  build  partnerships,  which  could 
usefully  have  taken  place  even  earlier.  The  evaluation  also  highlights  good  press 
coverage of the campaign and effective coordination across all major players. 

As regards efficiency, coherence and EU added-value of the EYD2015 activities, the 
partnership  model  was  perceived  as  an  efficient  way  to  reach  the  development 
community  as  multipliers,  the  general  public,  and  young  people  in  particular.  The 
Commission  notes  that  some  partners  considered  the  monitoring  and  reporting 
requirements  burdensome.  The  Commission  further  acknowledges  the  evaluator's 
suggestion that more human and financial resources could have been allocated to the 
EYD2015,  and  submits  this  report  on  the  basis  of  the  resources  available  to  the 
project,  taking  account  of  the  broader  context  of  financial  and  human  resources 
constraints.  

On  the  sustainability  of  the  EYD2015  activities,  the  evaluation  concludes  that  the 
campaign  provided  stakeholders  with  an  opportunity  to  develop  new  forms  of 
engagement, notably through storytelling, making use of new tools, or learning about 
communicating  with  new  audiences.  The  foundations  have  been  laid  for  sustainable 
outcomes, including through the Joint Declaration; the challenge will be to ensure that 
the  motivation  and  momentum  generated  by  the  EYD2015  are  sustained  and  the 
requisite financial and human resources made available. 

The  new  global  framework  of  the  UN  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development, 
including  the  SDGs,  will  require  innovative  and  inclusive  campaigns.  Future 
campaigns  will  benefit  from  the  lessons  learned  during  the  EYD2015,  and  the 
cooperation networks and good practices developed and  implemented. Thanks  to  the 
EYD2015,  the  EU  has  significantly  improved  its  capacity  to  communicate  with 
European citizens on development. 

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