REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 2016 Annual Report on the implementation of the European Union's instruments for financing external actions in 2015
Date: 2016-12-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, EU financial instrument, European neighbourhood policy, climate change policy, human rights, international cooperation, natural disaster, poverty, sustainable development, the EU's international role

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.12.2016  COM(2016) 810 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 2016 Annual Report on the implementation of the European Union's instruments for financing external actions in 2015 {SWD(2016) 456 final}  
 
 
GLOBAL COMMITMENTS 

In  2015,  Europe  was  confronted  with  new  and  evolving  global  challenges.  The  European 
Union  (EU)  responded  with  the  entire  breadth  of  its  policy  portfolio  and  tools  that  span 
diplomatic, security, financial, trade, development and humanitarian cooperation, and aid in a 
comprehensive and time-sensitive approach. 

Throughout the year, the EU continued to play a leading role in international efforts to deal 
with  crises  and  provide  support,  notably  in  Ukraine,  Syria,  Iraq,  and  Libya.  The  EU  also 
worked tirelessly with its international partners against the activities of Da'esh. 

During  2015,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  remained  the  world's  largest  provider  of 
development  funding,  promoting  European  core  values  of  peace,  security,  sustainable 
development,  poverty  reduction,  and  human  rights  worldwide,  and  thus  tackling  the  root 
causes of many crises. The European Commission alone disbursed over EUR 10.3 billion in 
official  development  assistance  (ODA)  in  2015.  During  the  year,  the  11th  European 
Development Fund1 (EDF), worth EUR 30.5 billion for the period 2014-2020, became fully 
operational. 

The  worldwide  trend  of  worsening  man-made  and  natural  disasters  continued  in  2015.  The 
European  Commission  provided  relief  assistance  of  over  EUR  1.4  billion  including  food, 
shelter, protection, healthcare and clean water to more than 120 million people in over 80 
countries. 

Through Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), the EU takes account of development 
objectives  in all  its  policies  that are likely to  affect developing  countries. In  2015, the fifth 
EU  PCD  Report2  published  by  the  Commission  highlighted  achievements  and  remaining 
challenges in the area of PCD at EU level and in Member States. 

Working for a common future: From the MDGs to the SDGs - the 2030 Agenda 

The year 2015 saw major developments in international cooperation on poverty reduction 
and sustainable development as well as disaster risk reduction. It marked the end date for the 
Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDGs)  and  offered  a  chance  for  reflection  on  the 
progress made and the challenges that remain. 

The  EU  played  a  leading  role  in  a  series  of  landmark  international  agreements  that 
collectively  re-cast  the  way  forward  for  international  development  and  cooperation  for  the 
next 15 years. 

From  25  to  27  September  2015,  the  international  community  assembled  at  the  UN  in  New 
York to adopt a bold and transformative new vision for sustainable development and poverty 
eradication:  'Transforming  our  world:  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development'3 
that included a set of 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

1 https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/funding/about-funding-and-procedures/where-does-money-come/european-
development-fund_en 
2 SWD(2015)159 final, 3.8.2015 
3 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld  

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The UN Summit in September was the culmination of a lengthy, inclusive intergovernmental 
negotiation process in which the EU played a leading role. A Commission Communication on 
the  Global  Partnership4,  and  subsequent  Council  Conclusions5  demonstrated  the  EU's 
constructive engagement.  

Prior  to  the  Summit,  the  third  United  Nations  (UN)  Financing  for  Development 
Conference in Addis Ababa in July 2015 agreed a comprehensive Means of Implementation 
package for the 2030 Agenda. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) established a new 
sustainable  development  model,  with  good  governance  at  its  core  and  an  emphasis  on 
responsibilities  for  all,  the  primacy  of  domestic  action  including  resource  mobilisation,  the 
importance of conducive policies, the role of the private sector and a commitment to policy 
coherence. 

ODA  will  continue  to  play  an  important  role  and  in  May  2015,  the  EU  took  an  ambitious 
collective commitment to achieve the UN ODA target of 0.7 % of the Gross National Income 
(GNI)  within  the  timeframe  of  the  2030  Agenda.  This  includes  a  specific  commitment  to 
provide 0.15-0.20 % ODA/GNI to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the short-term and 
to reach 0.20 % within the timeframe of the 2030 Agenda6. However, ODA is only a small 
part  of  the  development  finance  landscape.  In  line  with  the  AAAA,  the  EU's  actions  go 
beyond ODA and help bring together aid, investment, trade, domestic resource mobilisation 
and good policies. 

The private sector is also an essential actor for the successful implementation of the 2030 
Agenda.  The  Commission  has  endorsed  private  sector  involvement  in  development  since 
2014  through  the  implementation  of  the  Communication  'A  Stronger  Role  of  the  Private 
Sector in Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries'7.  

In  2015,  the  Commission  promoted  structured  dialogue  with  the  private sector  through  key 
events  such  as  the  Policy  Forum  on  Development,  the  private  sector  side  event  during  the 
Finance  for  Development  Conference  in  Addis  Ababa,  and  an  expert  group  with  Member 
States. 

Disaster Risk Reduction 

In March 2015 at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction the UN Member 
States  adopted  the  Sendai  Framework  for  Disaster  Risk  Reduction  2015-2030  subsequently 
endorsed by the UN General Assembly. As the first of the post 2015 development agreements 
the  Sendai  Framework  is  the  basis  for  a  disaster  risk  informed  and  resilient  sustainable 
development agenda. 

4 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/communication-global-partnership-poverty-eradication-and-sustainable-
development-after-2015_en 
5 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/05/26-fac-dev-council-conclusions-global-
partnership/  
6 http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9144-2015-INIT/en/pdf  
7 COM(2014)263 final, 13.5.2014 

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Revised European Neighbourhood Policy 

The European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign 
Affairs  adopted  a  Joint  Communication  “Towards  a  new  European  Neighbourhood  Policy” 
proposing  how  the  EU  and  its  neighbours  can  build  more  effective  partnerships  in  the 
neighbourhood, providing a strategic framework and taking stabilisation as its main political 
priority. 

Medium-term strategy for EU enlargement policy 

The firm prospect of EU membership continues to drive transformation and anchor stability 
and  security  in  the  countries  of  Southeast  Europe.  On  10  November  2015,  the  European 
Commission  set  out  a  medium-term  strategy  for  EU  enlargement  policy  to  cover  the 
period  of  the  mandate  of  this  Commission.  It  provides  clear  guidance  and  sets  out  the 
framework  and  tools  to  support  the  countries  concerned  to  address  the  core  issues  and 
requirements of the accession process. 

Post-Cotonou 

The EU and its Member States have longstanding relations with the African, Caribbean and 
Pacific  (ACP)  countries.  The  current  agreement  with  our  ACP  partners,  the  Cotonou 
Agreement,  runs  from  2000  to  2020,  involves  78  partner  countries  and  covers  political 
cooperation, development cooperation, and economic and trade cooperation. 

In 2015, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and 
Security  Policy  launched  a  joint  consultation  paper8  on  the  performance  of  the  current 
agreement and possible ways forward from 2020. The public consultation ended in December 
2015 and the outcome will help shape the future of this important partnership. 

Gender 

The  new  Gender  Action  Plan  (GAP)  'Transforming  the  lives  of  women  and  girls  through 
EU  external  relations  2016-2020'9  was  endorsed  by  the  Council  in  October  2015.  This 
ambitious initiative aims to secure greater leadership within the Commission and promote a 
strategic  approach  that  combines  more  investment,  better  coordination  and  shared 
accountability. 

EU action: Gender equality 

Some EUR 6.5 billion of the EU's annual budget within the scope of this report addresses 
gender equality as a significant or principal objective. Across the world, the Commission 
supports  a  number  of  actions  directly  addressing  issues  of  gender  inequality  including 
programmes  to  eliminate  Female  Genital  Mutilation,  to  reduce  Violence  against  Women 
and Girls, to improve women's access to productive resources such as land, and to reduce 
child marriage. 

8 JOIN(2015)33 final, 6.10.2015 
9 SWD(2015)182 final, 21.9.2015 

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Sustainable Energy and Climate Change 

The  UN's  ambitious  sustainable  development  agenda  recognises  climate  change  as  "one  of 
the greatest challenges of our time" and notes, "its adverse impacts undermine the ability of 
all  countries  to  achieve  sustainable  development"10.  The  2030  Agenda  includes  a  specific 
SDG on urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. 

At  the  Paris  climate  conference  (COP21)  in  December  2015,  195  countries  adopted  the 
first-ever  universal,  legally  binding,  global  climate  deal  covering  all  countries.  The  Paris 
Agreement11  sets  out  a  global  action  plan  to  avoid  dangerous  climate  change  by  limiting 
global warming to below 2°C. The EU was at the forefront of this international effort and was 
the first major economy to submit its intended contribution to the new agreement in March 
2015.  

The EU is committed to spending at least 20% of its 2014-2020 budget on climate change-
related actions12 and is doubling its biodiversity-related spending to developing countries. 

EU action: Sustainable Energy for All 

Energy is a key driver for inclusive and sustainable growth. Between 2014 and 2020 EUR 3.5 
billion  of  EU  grants  will  be  blended  with  other  financing  sources  to  leverage  sustainable 
energy investments in partner countries of up to EUR 30 billion.  

Human Rights and Good Governance 

In July 2015, the EU reaffirmed its political commitment to the 2012 Strategic Framework on 
Human  Rights  and  Democracy13  and  adopted  a  new  Action  Plan  on  Human  Rights  and 
Democracy  for  the  period  2015-201914.  The  Action  Plan  translates  into  concrete  goals  and 
targeted  actions  the  broad  objectives  of  protecting  and  promoting  human  rights,  and 
supporting democratic processes worldwide. 

GLOBAL ACTION 

The strong nexus between development and migration was confirmed with the inclusion of 
migration in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda also identifies 
forced displacement as a key factor that threatens to reverse recent development progress.  

The  Valletta Summit in November 2015 brought  together European and African  Heads of 
State and Government in an effort to strengthen cooperation and address the challenges and 
opportunities  of  migration  and  mobility  in  a  balanced  approach  and  in  close  partnership 
between countries of origin, transit and destination.  

The EU Emergency Trust Fund (EUR 1.8 billion) for stability and addressing root causes of 
irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa'15 was launched at the Valletta Summit. 

10 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld, Paragraph 14 of "Transforming Our 
World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" 
11 Adoption of the Paris Agreement: https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf  
12 COM (2011) 500 final, 29.6.2011 and Council Conclusions 37/13, 8.2.2013 
13 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/131181.pdf  
14 https://eeas.europa.eu/human_rights/docs/eu_action_plan_on_human_rights_and_democracy_en.pdf  
15 C(2015) 7293 final, 20.10.2015 

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The  Trust  Fund  is  a  flexible  complement  to  existing  EU  development  cooperation  in  the 
region and aims to support the effective implementation of the Valletta commitments under 
three geographic windows (Sahel/ Lake Chad, the Horn of Africa, North Africa). 

In  2015,  efforts  were  intensified  to  support  countries  bearing  the  heaviest  burden  of  the 
refugee  crisis  caused  by  the  continuing  Syrian  conflict,  in  particular  through  increased 
funding to the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis and the elaboration of 
targeted cooperation agreements (Compacts) with Lebanon and Jordan. The fund is now one 
of the main EU instruments used to address the forced displacement crisis in the region.  

The EU Regional Trust Fund is also open to all other international donors. An amendment to 
the  founding  decision  clarified  that  Internal  Displaced  Person's  in  Iraq  fleeing  from  the 
regional  crisis  are  a  beneficiary  group  of  the  fund  and  also  provided  more  flexibility  to 
support  affected  countries  beyond  the  Syrian  neighbourhood.  This  extension  includes 
providing support in the Western Balkans to non-EU countries. 

In addition, at the EU-Turkey Summit of 29 November 2015, the EU and Turkey adopted a 
joint  statement  including  a  plan  for  the  mobilisation  of  substantial  funding  to  support 
Turkey’s extensive efforts to host Syrian refugees. In this context, the European Commission 
established  the  Facility  for  Refugees  in  Turkey  to  coordinate  the  mobilisation  of  EUR  3 
billion both from the EU budget and contributions from Member States. 

EU action: Syria 

The  project  'Creating  a  Path  to  Early  Recovery  through  Education  in  Syria'  resulted,  for 
example,  in  improved  access  to  education  for  two  million  children  in  approximately  3 000 
schools  in  six  Syrian  governorates  for  the  school  years  2013/14  and  2014/15.  Medical 
education  and  psycho-social  support  was  provided  in  180  schools;  100  schools  were 
refurbished  and  200 000  children  have  had  access  to  a  self-learning  programme.  1 500 
teachers received training for working with children with special needs.  

Migration and mobility  

On  13  May  2015,  the  European  Commission  adopted  the  European  Agenda  on 
Migration16,  putting  forward  the  key  principles  and  actions  in  this  area  for  2015-2020.  As 
one  of  the  ten  political  priorities  of  President  Juncker's  Commission,  this  Agenda  offers  an 
ambitious  and  comprehensive  plan to  manage  migration  better,  both  now  and  in  the  longer 
run. Its four pillars are a strong common asylum policy, the fight against trafficking and the 
prevention  of  irregular  migration,  managing  external  borders,  and  a  new  policy  on  legal 
migration. 

Migration  is  a  vital  issue  in  the  EU's  relations  with  its close  neighbours,  particularly  to  the 
East and the South, of whom many are either sources of migration or transit countries. Within 
these countries, significant EU aid is focused on migration management, promoting stability 
and  tackling  root  causes  of  migration  through  building  the  resilience  of  vulnerable 
populations, economic development and supporting better governance. 

16 COM(2015) 240 final, 13.5.2015 

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Migration dialogues with African partner countries were strengthened and deepened, notably 
through the Rabat and  Khartoum migration processes as well as through the  Africa-EU 
Migration and Mobility Dialogue. 

Development, peace, and security 

There  can  be  no  sustainable  development  without  peace  and  security  and  there  can  be  no 
sustainable  peace  without  development.  Tackling  security  and  development  requires  the 
deployment of all EU instruments and is a key part of the EU's Comprehensive Approach. 

During 2015, the EU worked on a Joint Communication for an EU-wide strategic framework 
to support security sector reform17 that provides a coherent policy for a synergetic approach 
to  short-  and  mid-term  activities  such  as  Common  Security  and  Defence  Policy  (CSDP) 
missions and long-term EU development actions in the field of security.  

A Joint Communication on 'Capacity Building in Support of Security and Development' was 
adopted in 201518. In the short term, concrete pilot projects are being taken forward. In the 
longer  term,  policy  frameworks  and  funding  arrangements  will  be  developed  to  target  all 
relevant actors (both civilian and military). 

At  the  end  of  2015,  the  EU  had  18  CSDP  civilian  and  military  missions  and  operations  in 
place,  of  which  two  military  operations  were  established  in  2015:  EUNAVFOR  MED 
SOPHIA helps disrupt the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in 
the Southern Central Mediterranean, whereas EUMAM CAR is focusing on military advice 
and assistance to the Central African Republic authorities. 

In 2015, the EU continued to invest and develop capacities in conflict prevention and early 
warning systems, which is significantly more cost-effective than post-crisis interventions. 

EYD2015 

Under  the  motto  "Our  world,  our  dignity,  our  future"  the  European  Year  for  Development 
2015 (EYD2015) was a timely and successful campaign. It was the first ever European Year 
devoted to an external relations theme and it arrived at a time of important global decisions. 

EYD2015  enabled  European  citizens  to  understand  better  how  the  EU's  assistance  is 
transforming lives and communities around the world. In total 3 828 EYD2015 events took 
place across the EU involving over 1.9 million participants. 

ACCOUNTABILITY & RESULTS 

Every  Euro  spent in  support of our  partner countries must  deliver  the best possible impact. 
On 26 March 201519, the European Commission's services published the  EU International 
Cooperation  and  Development  Results  Framework  that  strengthens  the  Commission's 
ability to monitor and report concrete results of EU funded actions in the field. It is part of the 
overall  Commission's  policy  to  enhance  the  results  focus  of  EU  action.  The  Commission 
services published the first report on the basis of the results framework20 in 2016. The Staff 

17 JOIN(2016) 31 final, 5.7.2016 
18 JOIN(2015) 17 final, 28.4.2015 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52015JC0017  
19 SWD(2015) 80 final, Launching the EU International Cooperation and Development Results Framework 
20 SWD (2016) 255, EU International Cooperation and Development First Report on Selected Results  

7 

 
 
                                                            
Working Document attached to this Communication represents the second report. From now 
on, the Commission will report annually on the results of EU funded actions in cooperation 
and development policy areas and placing them in relation to overall development results.  

EU action: Key Results in 2015 

Highlights of results achieved by projects and programmes that ended between mid-2014 and 
mid-2015 include: 

Good Governance: Four free and fair elections were supported  

Conflict  Prevention,  Peace  Building  and  Security:  404 000  people  benefited  from 
programmes to support civilian post-conflict peace building and/or conflict prevention 

Sustainable  Agriculture,  Food  Security  and  Nutrition:  5 025 000  women  and  children 
under 5 benefited from nutrition-related programmes, helping to reduce child mortality  

Energy: 2 600 km of electricity transmission/distribution lines were built or upgraded 

Education:  10 635  000  children  were  enrolled  in  primary  education,  7 603 000  children  in 
secondary education, and 175 000 teachers were trained. 

Health:  8 104 000  births  were  attended  by  skilled  health  personnel,  helping  to  reduce 
maternal mortality  

Natural  Resources,  Environment  and  Climate  Change:  3 951 000  hectares  of  protected 
areas were managed to ensure biological diversity and to preserve natural heritage 

Transport: 8 905 000 people were provided with access to all-season roads  

Employment  and  Social  Protection:  195 000  people  benefited  from  Vocational  and 
Educational  Training  or  skills  development  programmes,  intended  to  improve  employment, 
productivity, and competitiveness  

Trade  and  Private  Sector  Development:  10 000  firms  gained  access  to  credit  to  boost 
investment and avoid risk  

GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENTS 

Scaling up the Africa-EU Partnership 

In  addition  to  work  within  the  Cotonou  Agreement,  progress  was  made  on  Africa-EU 
relations  in  the  context  of  the  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy  during  a  significant  Africa-EU 
meeting  in  Brussels  on  22  April  2015  that  brought  together  the  Colleges  of  the  African 
Union Commission and the European Commission. This seventh College-to-College meeting 
discussed a  range  of  topics  including  peace  and  security;  democracy,  good  governance  and 
human  rights;  human  development;  sustainable  and  inclusive  development;  growth  and 
continental integration; and global and emerging issues. 

The year 2015 was also significant in terms of cooperation activities on the ground with the 
African Union Commission with increased financial support channelled through the African 
Peace Facility (APF) and the Pan-African Programme. 

8 

 
 
Peace and Security is a major challenge for development and cooperation in Africa. In this 
context,  the  Commission  has  worked  hard  to  foster  a  political  solution  in  Burundi  and 
consultation procedures under Article 96 of the EU-ACP Partnership  Agreement have  been 
launched.  

The 11th African Union – EU Human Rights Dialogue took place on 24 November 2015 in 
Kigali, Rwanda. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion and protection of 
human  rights  and  to  collaboration  on  the  effective  implementation  of  continental  and 
international human rights instruments. 

Ebola 

The  EU  response  to  the  Ebola  epidemic  continued  throughout  2015.  Additional  budget 
support  was  provided  to  Liberia  (EUR  31  million)  and  Sierra-Leone  (EUR  43  million)  to 
cushion the economic impact of the epidemic and provide the countries with funds to stabilise 
state  finances.  A  number  of  strategic  projects  under  the  programme  linking  humanitarian 
assistance  with  development  were  launched,  including  strengthening  health  systems  and 
resilience  of  livelihoods  in  Guinea  and  access  to  water  in  schools  in  Liberia.  The  first 
recovery programmes were also launched in Guinea (health) and in Liberia (education and 
energy).  

At  a  global  level,  the  European  Commission  services  and  the  European  External  Action 
Service  organised  the  international  Ebola  high-level  conference  on  3 March  2015.  The 
conference helped maintain momentum and focus on the continued fight against the disease. 
By  the  end  of  the  year,  the  three  affected  countries  were  all  on  the  path  to  being  declared 
Ebola-free. 

The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and the Innovative Medicines Initiative 
invested  approximately  EUR  240  million  through  urgent  calls  for  projects  to  tackle  Ebola 
virus21. All the projects started between end of 2014 and early 2015.  

Supporting Somalia 

A joint EU-UNHCR pledging conference on Somalia took place in Brussels on 21 October 
2015.  Somalia  has  one  of  the  largest  displaced  communities  worldwide  with  1.1  million 
internally  displaced  people  and  almost  one  million  refugees  from  the  Horn  of  Africa.  The 
conference  mobilised  international  support  to  improve  the  lives  of  Somalian  refugees  and 
displaced people with EUR 94 million pledged on the day, of which the EU will contribute 
EUR 60 million on two targeted actions. 

EU action: Somalia refugees 

A  EUR  50  million  programme  initiated  in  2015  will  help  manage  voluntary  returns  to 
Somalia  from  Kenya,  Yemen  and  Europe  and  improve  the  legal  framework  for  internally 
displaced  persons,  refugees  and  returnees,  increase  access  to  basic  services,  and  create 
realistic livelihood opportunities. 

21 http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/index.cfm?pg=area&areaname=ebola 

9 

 
 
                                                            
In parallel, the EU will finance a EUR 10 million programme for northern Kenya to provide 
relief and better life opportunities to refugees unable to return and their host communities.  

Hope for the Central African Republic 

On 26 May 2015, an International Conference on the Central African Republic saw the 
European  Union  increase  assistance  by  EUR  72  million  and  new  commitments  worth 
EUR 29 million being pledged to the EU Bêkou Trust Fund22 from a number of countries. 

The  first  ever  EU  Trust  Fund,  the  Bêkou  Fund,  has  demonstrated  its  speed  and  efficiency 
with six new projects showing how the EU can mobilise its energy and instruments swiftly. 

EU action: Bêkou's health project 

The Bêkou health project aims to ensure access to basic health services to one million people 
in a nation where most of the health structures and services have been disrupted. During 2015 
the  project  has  ensured  access  to  basic  health  services  and  reached  450  000  direct 
beneficiaries.  

The Sahel 

During 2015, the EU released EUR 216 million in funding to counter the food and nutrition 
crisis in  the  nine Sahel countries. Recurrent  food crises in the Sahel have  severely eroded 
the resilience of the poorest that are sometimes forced to move to seek better livelihoods. 

The Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, set up following the Valletta Summit in 2015, will 
support some of the most fragile and vulnerable countries across Africa including the Sahel 
and Lake Chad region.  

Western Balkans and Turkey 

The European Commission adopted its medium-term enlargement strategy on 10 November 
201523. The Commission reaffirmed the strong focus on the principle of "fundamentals first" 
in  the  accession  process  within  which  the  rule  of  law,  fundamental  rights,  strengthening 
democratic  institutions,  including  public  administration  reform,  as  well  as  economic 
development  and  competitiveness  are  core  issues.  The  Commission  continues  to  focus  its 
efforts on ensuring that the enlargement countries prioritise reforms in these key areas. 

Western Balkans: Connectivity agenda 

In the Western Balkans, connectivity is at the heart of the Commission's efforts to promote 
integration among the individual countries and with the EU. The EU has set aside up to EUR 
one billion for connectivity investment projects and technical assistance for the period 2014-
2020.  In  2015  the  EU  provided  EUR  200  million  in  co-financing  for  ten  priority  projects 
valued at EUR 600 million including an intermodal terminal,  two bridges and three railway 
projects  as  well  as  power  interconnectors  and  reinforcement  to  the  region's  electricity 
transmission system. 

22 In Sango, the language spoken by most people in the Central African Republic, Bêkou means hope. 
23 COM(2015) 611 final, 10.11.2015 

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European Neighbourhood 

The Joint Communication 'Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy' was adopted 
on 18 November 201524. This followed a Joint Consultation Paper25 issued on 4 March 2015 
and a subsequent public consultation which received over 250 contributions. 

Priorities of mutual interest for the EU and its partners include: good governance, democracy, 
rule of law and human  rights; economic development for stabilisation; connectivity, energy 
and climate change; security; and migration and mobility. 

Ukraine: Strengthening the rule of law 

Ukraine made significant progress in the area of justice and anti-corruption in 2015 through 
the adoption of new legislation including the law "On ensuring the right to a fair trial" and the 
law "On Public  Prosecution".  Assisted  by the EU, the implementation  of the Justice Sector 
Reform Strategy 2015-2020 started and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau was established 
with 70 detectives hired in open competitions. 

Asia, Central Asia & the Pacific 

Nepal was struck by a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake on 25 April 2015 and a further 
major  earthquake  in  May. The European Union responded immediately to  the disaster with 
EUR  six  million  for  emergency  response  work.  This  was  followed  quickly  by  EUR  16.6 
million in budget support to enable the Government of Nepal to carry out further emergency 
response and rebuilding works. 

EU Action: Nepal Recovery and Reconstruction 

In  response  to  the  devastating  earthquakes,  the  EU  established  the  Nepal-EU  Action  for 
Recovery  and  Reconstruction  (NEARR)  programme  at  the  International  Conference  on 
Nepal's  Reconstruction  held  in  June  2015.  The  funding  for  this  programme  includes 
EUR 100 million  budget  support  and  EUR 5 million  for  complementary  measures.  The 
NEARR programme was prepared in record time and supports the Government of Nepal in 
its rehabilitation and reconstruction process: the 'New Nepal Building Campaign'.  

In 2015, EU-funded interventions in Afghanistan covered emergency medical care, food and 
drinking  water,  protection,  shelter, sanitation,  hygiene  promotion,  and  livelihood support  to 
people  affected  by  conflict  and  natural  disasters  in  general  and  to  displaced  people  in 
particular.  In  addition  on  26  October  a  magnitude  7.5,  earthquake  hit  the  capital  of 
Badakhshan  province,  in  north-eastern Afghanistan,  affecting  12  provinces  across  the 
country.  In  2015,  total  EU  humanitarian  aid  to  the  country  amounted  to  EUR  40  million 
including an additional EUR 12 million allocated in December to meet growing humanitarian 
needs. This support came amid a drastic intensification of the conflict in the country.  

EU action: Food security in Afghanistan 

During 2014 and 2015, the EU has helped to teach 540 women how to cultivate vegetables 
and  legumes  to  decrease  malnutrition  and  boost  consumption  of  diverse  and  healthy  foods. 

24 JOIN(2015) 50 final, 18.11.2015 
25 JOIN(2015) 6 final, 4.3.2015 

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Around  900  families  were  supported  in  Bamiyan  and  Ghor  provinces  providing  new  skills 
that extend far beyond the life of the project.  

Latin America & the Caribbean 

On  10-11  June  2015  the  second  Summit  between  the  EU  and  the  Community  of  Latin 
American  and  Caribbean  States  took  place  in  Brussels  under  the  general  theme  'Shaping 
our  common  future:  working  for  prosperous,  cohesive  and  sustainable  societies  for  our 
citizens'. At the summit the EUR 346 million EU-Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme 
for  2014-2020  was  signed.  The  bi-regional  Action  Plan  was  updated  and  two  new chapters 
added on Higher Education and Citizen Security.  

In parallel to the Summit, the EU-CELAC Business Summit, with the theme 'Europe, Latin 
America  and  the  Caribbean:  Promoting  inclusive  and  sustainable  growth  by  enhancing  the 
role  of  Small  and  Medium  Sized  Enterprises'  took  place.  The  EU  is  the  primary  foreign 
investor in the CELAC region and its second trade partner. 

Science,  research,  innovation  and  technology  is  the  first  point  of  the  EU-CELAC  Action 
Plan26,  produced  after  the  related  2015  Summit.  The  dialogue  on  science,  research, 
technology  and  innovation,  through  the  "EULAC  Joint  Initiative  for  Research  and 
Innovation" established in March 2011, will consolidate EU-CELAC cooperation. 

26 http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/eu-celac_action_plan_2015.pdf 

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