REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the 11th European Development Fund covering the period 2014-2015
Date: 2017-04-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Subjects: ACP countries, EU financing, EU programme, European Development Fund, development aid, employment policy, energy policy, international cooperation, migration policy, overseas countries and territories

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.4.2017  COM(2017) 159 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the 11th European Development Fund covering the period 2014-2015 {SWD(2017) 123 final}  
 
 
This  report  complies  with  the  requirements  of  the  11th  European  Development  Fund 
(EDF)  Implementation  Regulation  contained  in  its  article  18.4/5/6.1  It  is  the  first 
report due for the period covered by the 11th EDF (2014-20) and covers the years 2014 
and 2015. 

The 11th EDF entered into force on 1 March 2015, following ratification of the Internal 
Agreement2  by  all  28  EU  Member  States.  The  transition  period  between  the  10th  EDF, 
ended on 31 December 2013, and the coming into force of the 11th EDF was managed via 
the use of transitional measures (so-called Bridging Facility) decided by the Council of 
the EU.3  

The  EDF,  although  with  its  own  specificities,  is  part  of  the  External  Financing 
Instruments, and is covered by existing overall reporting. The main sources for this first 
annual 11th EDF Implementation Report are  

 
 
 
 

the Annual Activity Reports 2014 and 2015,  
the Annual Report 2015,  
the EDF annual accounts 2014 and 2015,  
the Second Report on Selected Results (July 2014 – June 2015)  

and  their  respective  relevant  annexes.  These  sources  are  public  upon  adoption  and 
available on the Europa website (see Staff Working Document - SWD, annex F).   

Ad hoc reporting on Support Expenditures is provided for separately and with a biannual 
frequency (article 6.1, Internal Agreement). Seemingly, the use of EDF resources by the 
European Investment Bank (EIB) and by the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) 
are covered by specific reporting4.  

While  this  report's  exclusive  focus  is  meant  to  be  the  11th  EDF,  the  implementation  of 
such a far-reaching instrument, both in terms of coverage and scope, cannot be seen in 
isolation  from  the  overall  Commission's  international  cooperation  and  development 
policy. That is why, and in order to recall the background, it refers back to Millennium 
Development  Goals  (MDG)  and  the  MDG  Initiative,  shows  the  interactions  with 
thematic  programmes  financed  under  other  External  Financial  Instruments  (e.g. 
Development  Cooperation  Instrument  –  DCI  and  the  European  Instrument  for 
Democracy  and  Human  Rights  -  EIDHR)  and  identifies  the  link  with  the  current 
Commission's  priorities.  Whenever possible, data and/or  examples are extracted for the 
EDF. 

1 OJ, L 58, 3.3.2015, p. 1: Council Regulation (EU) 2015/322 of 2 March 2015 on the implementation of 
the 11th EDF. 
2  OJ,  L  210,  6.8.2013,  p.  1:  Internal  Agreement  between  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the 
Member  States  of  the  EU,  meeting  within  the  Council,  on  the  financing  of  the  EU  aid  under  the 
multiannual financial framework for the period 2014 to 2020, in accordance with the ACP-EU Partnership 
Agreement,  and  on  the  allocation  of  financial  assistance  for  the  OCTs  to  which  Part  Four  of  the  TFEU 
applies. 
3  OJ,  L  335,  p.  48:  Council  Decision  of  12  December  2013  regarding  transitional  EDF  management 
measures from 1.1.2014 until the entry into force of the 11th EDF. 
4http://www.eib.org/projects/regions/acp/funding-and-financial-instruments/investment-
facility/index.htm?lang=en and COM (2016)79 final, Rapport de la Commission au Conseil sur la mise en 
œuvre  de  l'aide  financière  aux  pays  et  territoires  d'outre-mer  au  titre  du  11ème  Fonds  Européen  de 
Développement, 22.2.2016. 

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Importantly, while the funds committed under the Bridging Facility during the period 
1  January  2014  to  28  February  2015  were  accounted  for  as  under  the  11th  EDF,  the 
available resources  were  limited  and  cannot  be  compared  to  the  full-fledged  version  of 
the 11th EDF. Implementation of the 11th EDF will not reach cruise-speed until the 
end of 2016 and the implementation picture that this first annual report provides should 
therefore take due account of the inception conditions of the 11th EDF.  

The same reasoning would apply to results. The results presented in the accompanying 
SWD  are  those  of  projects  and  programmes  which  ended  between  1  July  2014  and  30 
June  2015,  thus  funded  under  the  10th  EDF.  They  have  been  measured  through  the 
indicators  defined  in  the  EU  International  Cooperation  and  Development  Results 
Framework,  launched  by  the  Commission’s  Staff  Working  Document  of  26  March 
20155. In light of the principle of business continuity they represent the baseline against 
which 11th EDF performance will be subsequently measured.  In addition, it is worth to 
note that the projects and programmes the EU has either financed or helped finance often 
produce results which, by their very nature, are not quantifiable (e.g. capacity building).  

In terms of aid effectiveness, the approach is by definition a global one, as portrayed in 
the  latest  Annual  Report  on  the  EU  instruments  for  financing  external  actions,  from 
which  the  last  chapter  is  drawn.  Having  said  so,  strategic  frameworks  with  a  regional 
focus  exist  between  the  EU  and  ACP  countries,  namely  the  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy 
(2007),  the  EU-CARIFORUM  Economic  and  Partnership  Agreement  (2008),  the  Joint 
Caribbean EU Partnership Strategy (2012), and the EU-Pacific Development Partnership 
(2006  and  2012).  A  review  of  development  aid  effectiveness  carried  out  by  the  Global 
Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation at the end of 20166 will be reflected 
in the next 11th EDF Annual Implementation Report. 

Major new developments are not fully captured in the report given its coverage period. 
The  following  annual  report  will  take  into  due  account  new  key  strategic  issues  and 
priorities.  The  current  context  has  been  set  up  by  the  financial  crisis,  the  paradigm 
change in development policy (from MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs), 
and  the  steady  emergence  of  the  EU  as  a  global  actor,  with  EU  actors  increasingly 
working  together.  Under  these  circumstances,  a  review  of  the  European  framework  for 
development policy is required, framed by the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, as embedded 
in  the  EU  Global  Strategy  and  in  the  recent  Commission  proposal  on  a  new  European 
Consensus on Development7. 

Last  but  not  least,  the  11th  EDF  amounts  to  EUR  29.455  billion  (including  OCTs  and 
excluding  support  expenditures)  with  commitments  reaching  EUR  4.024  billion  and 
disbursements  EUR  1.619  billion  as  of  31  May  2015  (see  SWD,  annex  A).  The  slow 
inception  phase  mentioned  above  needs  be  duly taken into  account  when  reading  these 
figures8. 

5  Staff  Working  Document  Launching  the  EU  International  Cooperation  and  Development  Results    
Framework, SWD(2015)80 final. 
6 http://effectivecooperation.org/monitoring-country-progress/explore-monitoring-data/ 
7 https://europa.eu/globalstrategy/sites/globalstrategy/files/about/eugs_review_web_7.pdf; 
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/communication-proposal-new-consensus-development-       
20161122_en.pdf 
8 At the time of finalizing this report in the course of 2016, commitments have doubled and payments have 
increased by half compared to the figures above. 

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CONTEXT AND OVERALL OBJECTIVES 
Eight  MDGs9  were  agreed  at  the  United  Nations  summit  in  2000  by  the  donor 
community,  which  includes  EU  and  its  Member  States,  with  the  ultimate  purpose  to 
eradicate  poverty  by  2015.  The  EU  has  been  committed  to  helping  achieve  the  MDGs 
since their very inception and  has led the way in integrating them into its development 
policy and practice. Together, the EU and its Member States are the main contributors to 
the  MDGs  in  financial  terms,  since  they  provide  around  half  of  the  world´s  Official 
Development  Assistance  (ODA)  since  2000.  Moreover,  the  EU  plays  a  role  in 
coordinating the actions of the different donors. Thanks to its supranational dimension, it 
can  set  ambitious  joint  objectives  and  map  out  comprehensive  solutions  to  global 
development challenges. The EU has a world-wide presence in more than 130 countries, 
wide-ranging expertise and a unique credibility when it comes to human rights, electoral 
observation, governance and crisis resolution. Finally, the EU has the critical weight to 
respond  to  global  challenges.  The  EU’s  development  activities  are  coordinated  with  its 
efforts  in  other  fields,  such  as  humanitarian  aid,  environment,  climate  change,  security 
and trade policy. In terms of human development, the EU continues to be committed to 
spend  at least  20% of  its aid to  basic social  services, with a focus on health, education 
and social protection, throughout the 2014-2020 financial framework. 

To  accelerate  progress  towards  the  MDGs,  in  2010  the  European  Commission 
established a 12-point action plan10. In 2011, when many countries were still off-track on 
most  goals, the  EU  created  a  new  MDG  Initiative11,  making  available  needs-based and 
performance-based funding, worth EUR 1 billion. EUR 700 million targets the most off-
track  MDGs  (hunger,  maternal  health,  child  mortality  and  water  and  sanitation),  while 
EUR 300 million targets countries with a good track record in implementing aid. To date, 
the MDG Initiative funds 70 projects in 46 countries12. In addition, in 2012, the EU and 
its  Member  States  undertook  an  ambitious  programme  of  change  designed  to  heighten 
development  impact  still  further  and  improve  results  within  the  MDGs,  by  focusing 
strategically  on  countries  most  in  need  (including  fragile  countries)  and  on  priority 
sectors.  These  priorities,  laid  down  in  the  Agenda  for  Change13,  are  now  being 
implemented under the new External Action instruments for the 2014-2020 period.  

the  new  Development  Cooperation  Instrument  and 

This is particularly reflected in the new External Action instruments for the period 2014-
2020  (e.g. 
the  Regulation 
implementing the 11th EDF explicitly put the MDGs as the key indicators to measure the 
achievement  of  the  objectives  of  these  instruments).  In  particular,  the  11th  EDF 
Implementation Regulations (Council Regulation (EU) 2015/322)14,  expressly recalls the 
MDGs  as  relevant  indicators  for  measuring the progress in  the  achievement  of  the  11th 
EDF's objectives15, which are fundamentally linked to the objectives of the 10th EDF and 

9  For  an  overview  of  the  MDGi  and  the  financial  contribution  of  the  EDF  to  the  specific  indicators,  see 
SWD, annex E. 
10 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-11-1063_en.htm?locale=en) 
11 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/node/1369 
12  The  countries  with  at  least  one  MDG  Initiative  project  were:  Burkina  Faso,  Malawi,  Rwanda, 
Mozambique,  Ghana,  Tanzania,  Zambia,  Congo  (DRC),  Liberia,  Uganda,  Chad,  Namibia,  Niger,  Côte 
d'Ivoire,  Somalia,  Sierra  Leone,  Jamaica,  Madagascar,  Haiti,  Burundi,  Togo,  Botswana,  Central  African 
Republic,  Mauritania,  Timor  Leste,  Cape  Verde,  Mauritius,  Zimbabwe,  Guinea,  Samoa,  Gambia, 
Swaziland,  Kiribati,  Djibouti,  Guinea-Bissau,  Sao  Tome  &  Principe,  Comoros,  Solomon  Islands,  Tonga, 
Marshall Islands, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Niue, Grenada, Cook Islands, Tuvalu. 
13 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/node/1365 
14 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015R0322&from=EN 
15 The objective are the same for the Bridging Facility: https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/edf-
bridging-facility-impl-regulation-2014-157_en.pdf  

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based  on  those  of  the  Cotonou  Partnership  Agreement,  as  stated  in  its  Article  1.  The 
primary objective shall be the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty. 
Furthermore,  at  the  same  time,  the  11th  EDF  shall:  foster  sustainable  and  inclusive 
economic,  social  and  environmental  development;  consolidate  and  support  democracy, 
the  rule  of  law,  good  governance,  human  rights  and  the  relevant  principles  of 
international  law;  and  implement  a  rights-based  approach  encompassing  all  human 
rights. As indicated in the Implementation Regulations, after the end of the MDG era in 
2015,  the  11th  EDF  will  measure  the  progress  in  its  achieving  the  above-mentioned 
objectives  through  other  indicators  agreed  at  international  level  by  the  Union  and  its 
Member States, notably the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

FOCUS ON COMMISSION'S PRIORITIES  

EU  development  policy  and  the  Commission's  work  in  implementing  this  policy  are 
strongly  anchored  in  two  main  priorities  of  the  President  Juncker's  Commission:  "The 
EU  as  a  Stronger  Global  Actor"  and  "Towards  a  New  Policy  on  Migration". 
Furthermore  it  significantly  contributes  to  "A  New  Boost  for  Jobs,  Growth  and 
Investments"  and  "A  Resilient  Energy  Union  with  a  Forward  Looking  Climate 
Change Policy".  

The EU as a Stronger Global Actor in the ACP region 

The EU has to play its role in responding efficiently to global challenges, in projecting its 
values and contributing to peace and prosperity in the world. 

A top priority of the EU is to build peaceful societies and eradicate poverty in fragile and 
conflict-affected countries. The EU supports partner countries around the world in their 
efforts  to  secure  lasting  peace,  promote  their  political  stability  or  rebuild  societies  and 
infrastructures after crisis situations. The EU's priorities in this field are to promote good 
governance,  establish  the  rule  of  law,  fight  against  crime  and  strengthen  law 
enforcement. 

The  adoption  in  2015  of  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  -  the  successors  of  the 
Millennium Development Goals - and the adoption of the UN Agenda "Transforming our 
world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" set a new framework for global 
action  to  eradicate  poverty  and  achieve  sustainable  development  by  2030.  The  EU  has 
committed  itself  to  fully  implement  the  Agenda  2030  across  the  range  of  both  internal 
and  external  policies.  The  scope,  ambition  and  universality  of  this  new  Agenda-  for 
which  the  EU  played  a  leading  and  influential  role  from  the  outset-  represents  a  true 
achievement in  a generally difficult time for  multilateralism. 2015 was also the year in 
which international negotiations on Financing for Development led to the adoption of the 
Addis Ababa Action Agenda. In Addis, the EU was instrumental in securing the adoption 
of a multilateral agreement where all parties agreed on the Means of Implementation of 
the post-2015 development agenda. The EU has brought forward important contributions 
including  on  the  Official  Development  Assistance  (ODA)  with  an  ambitious  collective 
commitment to achieve UN 0.7% target within the frame of the new 2030 agenda.  

During  2015,  the  European  Commission  jointly  with  the  EEAS  also  launched  a  broad 
consultation on the future partnership of the EU with the ACP countries to feed in the 
future  policy  proposal  during  2016.  A  dedicated  Task  Force  has  been  created  for  that 
purpose.  This  Task  Force,  in  collaboration  with  the  European  External  Action  Service, 
has  conducted  a  series  of  roundtables  with  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  and  drafted  a 
Joint  Consultation  Paper  (06/10/2015  JOIN(2015)  33  final)  on  the  matter.  The  public 
consultation  was  closed  at  the  beginning  2016  and  a  report  with  the  outcome  was 

5 

 
 
subsequently  made  available.  This  consultation  will  provide  precious  material  which, 
combined  with  internal  reflections  and  a  thorough  analysis  of  the  large  number  of 
existing  evaluations,  will  guide  the  next  steps  of  the  process16.  In  parallel,  regular 
meetings at the Council and the European Parliament have been held to help define the 
European  position  on  the  many  different  aspects  of  the  matter.  A  proposal  for  a  post-
Cotonou framework will be made in 2017 through a Communication. It will be based on 
an evaluation and an impact assessment staff working documents. 

Trust  Funds  (TFs)  are  development  tools  that  pool  together  resources  from  different 
donors  in  order  to  enable  a  quick,  flexible,  and  collective  EU  response  to  the  different 
dimensions  of  an  emergency  situation.  Two  types  of  TFs  have  been  introduced  in  the 
11th  EDF  Financial  Regulation  (Article  42),  based  on  the  EU  Budget  financial 
regulation17: 

  Emergency and Post-Emergency TFs to address all type of crisis, by allowing the 
EU  Commission  to  decide  and  apply  rapid  award  procedures  and  to  delegate 
implementing tasks if deemed to be more efficient,  

  Thematic  TFs  to  address  global  challenges,  by  allowing  the  Commission  to 

directly implement required activities under its standard procedures. 

The  EU  continued  its  proactive  engagement  on  the  boards  and  committees  of  global 
initiatives, namely the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTAM), 
Global  Vaccine  Alliance  (GAVI),  and  the  Global  Partnership  for  Education18.  These 
global  initiatives  focus  on  addressing  major  challenges  for  many  partner  countries  in 
their efforts to achieve the health and education MDGs and SDGs, such as those related 
to the three diseases in the case of the GF and ensuring equity of access and improving 
learning  outcomes  in  the  case  of  the  GPE.  Through  its  proactive  participation  on  the 
boards  of  the  Global  Fund,  GAVI  and  GPE,  the  EU  played  an  instrumental  role 
improving  governance,  programmatic  oversight  and  a  more  effective  allocation  and 
programming of resources to poor countries. Board membership in these initiatives gave 
a significant voice to the EU in the international debate on health and education policy, 
as well as providing a platform to support progress in aid and development effectiveness 
and  country  ownership.  The  EU  has  also  been  very  proactive  in  supporting  countries 
affected by the Ebola epidemic crisis. 

16 See the Joint Communication on a renewed partnership with the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and 
the  Pacific  (22.11.2016):  https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/joint-communication-renewed-
partnership-acp-20161122_en.pdf 
17  Since  the  adoption  of  the  financial  regulation,  the  EU  has  established  2  Trust  funds  totally  or  partly 
funded by the 11th EDF: the Bêkou Trust Fund in Central African Republic and the EU Emergency Trust 
Fund for Africa. 
18 Global initiatives are also funded using EDF Intra ACP resources.  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Response to the Ebola crisis 

In  response  to  the  Ebola  crisis  in  West  Africa  in  2014,  the  Commission  mobilised  some  EUR  210  million  in 
development  and  early  recovery  assistance  for  delivery  in  2014  and  2015.  The  funding  aimed  to  support 
macroeconomic stability and the health sectors in the most affected countries, and to strengthen Ebola preparedness in 
other  countries of  the  region.  Adding  to  this the  contributions for  humanitarian  aid  and  with  EUR  138.4  million  for 
research on treatment, diagnostics and vaccines, the European Commission's total contribution amounted to EUR 414 
million. The overall funding from the EU, including the EU budget and Member States’ contributions was more than 
EUR  1.2  billion.  An  additional  amount  of  over  EUR  100  million  was  funded  by  industry  in  the  context  of  the 
Innovative Medicines Initiative. 

EUR  210  million  for  development  and  early  recovery  were  allocated  to  support  the  following  objectives:  EUR  122 
million for supporting macroeconomic stability and health services in the most affected countries; EUR 5 million for 
the  African  Union  mission  'Support  to  EBOLA  Outbreak  in  West-Africa  (ASEOWA);  EUR  8  million  for  mobile 
laboratories and training of health workers in Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia; EUR 28 million to healthcare, food security, 
water  and  sanitation  and  resilience  of  vulnerable  households;  EUR  20  million  for  strengthening  health  services  in 
Forestry Guinea; and EUR 27.5 million for health preparedness, awareness raising and violence prevention in affected 
and at-risk neighbouring countries. 

EU’s  response  continued  through-out  2015  (EUR  660  million  development  funding  pledged).  Additional  budget 
support was paid to Liberia (EUR 31 million) and Sierra-Leone (EUR 43 million) to cushion the economic impact of 
the epidemic and provide the countries with valuable funds to stabilise the state budget – for example to pay salaries 
and  cover  other  important  recurrent  costs.  A  number  of  strategic  projects  under  the  AWARE  (A  West  Africa 
Response to Ebola) programme linking humanitarian assistance with development were launched, e.g. strengthening 
health  systems,  resilience  of  livelihoods  in  Guinea  or  access  to  water  in  schools  in  Liberia.  The  first  recovery 
programmes  were  also  launched  in  Guinea  (health)  and  in  Liberia  (education  and  energy).  By  the  end  of  2015,  the 
three affected countries were all on the path to being declared Ebola free. 

The EU Bêkou Trust Fund 

The EU Bêkou Trust Fund was created on July 2014 with a mandate to support resilience and to link relief recovery 
and  development  in  Central  African  Republic  (CAR)  in  the  aftermath  of  an  unprecedented  crisis  in  2013/2014.  The 
fund is endowed today with EUR 136 million. The EDF contributed to the Bekou Trust Fund's endowment with EUR 
44  million.  However,  contributions  do  not  have  any  specific  allocation,  as  the  TF,  for  its  very  nature,  pool  funds 
without  earmarking.  The  violence  outbreak  of  September  and  October  2015  has  not  led  to  significant  delay  in  the 
implementation  of  the  projects  –  and  all  the  ongoing  activities  resumed  after  few  weeks  of  suspension.  Since  its 
creation the Fund has successfully adopted, launched and implemented a series of projects attending the urgent needs 
of the populations in the sectors of gender, health, urban rehabilitation, food security and refugees.  

To  date,  more  than  500.000  citizens  of  CAR  are  directly  benefitting  from  the  projects  financed  by  Bêkou.  Other 
results:  almost  half  a  million  people  were  assisted  under  basic  health  programme  (vaccinations,  assisted  deliveries, 
etc.),  10.000  farmers  received  200  tons  of  seeds,  almost  1.000  women  were  trained  (including  against  gender-based 
violence), etc. The Fund has ensured a high visibility to the EU in CAR despite a very fragile context, lack of interest 
from the donor community and additional outbursts of violence.  
In the sector of "gender" the programme implemented has improved both the social and the economic conditions of 
Central  African  women  through  trainings,  medical  and  psychological  support  as  well  as  financial  support.  Some 
results obtained in 2015: 
- 990 women have been trained (including against gender based violence)  
- 45 local NGOs associated for the implementation of the project 
- 1780 persons benefitted from economic training  

Another project implemented in the "health" field, run in Bangui and five other cities across the country, aimed at 
ensuring access to basic health services to 1 million people in a context where most of the health structures and 
services have been disrupted in the aftermath of the crisis of 2013. Some results obtained in 2015: 
- Ensuring access to basic health services in 6 cities across the country  
- 450 000 direct beneficiaries (vaccination, assisted deliveries, etc.)  
- Reorganisation of "health district" ensuring long-term effects of the project 

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The  program  implemented  under  the  "urban  rehabilitation"  sector  involves  the  reconstruction  of  the  poor  and 
violence-prone  neighbourhoods  of  Bangui  through  labour  intensive  work  (HIMO),  allowing  among  others  the 
rehabilitation of public infrastructures. Some results obtained in 2015: 
- 1.100 workers hired and trained during the works 
- 800 people enrolled in awareness raising programme on conflict prevention. 

The  "food  security"  program  aims  to  support  food  and  nutrition  security  based  on  three  components:  a)  The 
strengthening of food resilience at the community level; b) the reorganization of the "transhumance" network; c) the 
establishment of local food production and small livestock farming around Bangui. In 2015 the following results were 
obtained: 
- 10.000 farmers have received 200 tons of seeds  
- 28 121 tools and 200 tons of seeds distributed (DRC with FAO) 
- 30 000 cattle were immunised (vaccination against diseases) 

African Peace Facility - The Early Response Mechanism (ERM) 

Across Africa, conflict continues to cause human suffering. It is also one of the root causes of migration and a major 
impediment to economic and social development. This is why supporting peace and security is at the heart of the 
EU's strategy for the continent. The EU believes that peace and security efforts should be led by Africans if they are 
to  be  successful.  The  EU  therefore  established  the  African  Peace  Facility  (APF)  in  2004  to  support  those  efforts. 
From its outset, the APF financed peace support operations in areas affected by conflict, such as Darfur. However, it 
lacked  a  mechanism  that  allowed  the  African  Union  to  address  conflict  before  it  broke  out.  The  Early  Response 
Mechanism (ERM) was established in 2009 to help prevent political and security crises from degenerating into open 
conflict. It is an emergency mechanism that is able to make funds available for the African Union in less than 10 days 
so that it can immediately support mediation, confidence-building or any other activity that prevents mounting tensions 
in troubled areas turning into situations that affect the living conditions of the population.  

In 2015, the ERM funded 9 actions for a total amount of EUR 7 million that were instrumental in either preventing or 
mitigating conflict in several African regions. In South Sudan, where a civil war erupted in December 2014, the ERM 
financed the dialogue that resulted in an agreement for a ceasefire between the Government and the opposition, thus 
improving  the  situation  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  displaced  by  the  war.  The  ERM  also  contributed  to 
consolidating peace  between North and South  Sudan by supporting negotiations on outstanding disputes on issues 
such as border demarcation and wealth sharing.  

In  the  Central  African  Republic  the  ERM  helped  to  find  a  way  to  end  violence,  by  financing  mediation  efforts  that 
resulted  in  a  climate  conducive  to  the  holding  of  elections  in  February  2016.  In  the  Great  Lakes  Region,  where  the 
population living in the eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have suffered from one of the worst 
man-made humanitarian disasters over the last two decades, the ERM helped to restore and promote trust between the 
DRC and its neighbours by supporting a joint verification mechanism of the agreements that they had entered into in, 
order to bring stability to the region. Even in Burundi, where the political situation deteriorated quickly at the end of 
2015, swift ERM funding helped to deter further violence by both allowing the AU to deploy Human Rights observers 
and security officers and by financing the rapid commencement of an Inter Burundian dialogue mediated by Uganda.  

The  ERM  was  externally  evaluated  in  2015  and  found  to  be  a  particularly  relevant  and  useful  mechanism  able  to 
quickly  mobilize  funds  and  support  crises-related  efforts  of  a  preventative  and  mediatory  nature.  In  view  of  the 
performance of the instrument, the Commission has decided to increase the ERM's resources to EUR 15 million until 
mid-2018. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Towards a New Policy on Migration19
The  European  Commission's  agenda  on  migration  sets  out  a  European  response, 
combining internal and external policies, making best use of EU agencies and tools, and 
involving  all  actors:  EU  countries  and  institutions,  international  organisations,  civil 
society, local authorities and national partners outside the EU. 

New  innovative  instruments  alongside  existing mechanisms  were  put  in  place  to  tackle 
the  root  causes  of  irregular  migration  while  ensuring  a  global  response,  presence  and 
added-value of the EU. 

EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced 
persons in Africa 

The  European  Commission  made  an  important,  concrete  contribution  to  deliver  under  the  EU’s  commitments  to 
address  irregular  migration  and  forced  displacements,  and  in  particular  those  in  the  Action  Plan  adopted  at  the  EU-
Africa  Valletta  Summit  in  November  2015.  As  stated  by  President  Juncker  at  the  Summit:  "This  Emergency  Trust 
Fund  for  Africa,  set  up  at  a  record  speed,  shows  once  more  the  EU's  commitment  to  swiftly  reply  to  the  large 
challenges we are facing in the region". DEVCO worked intensely with other European donors, partner countries and 
regional organisations, Commission services and the EEAS, to rapidly establish in November 2015 an EU Emergency 
Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. 

The creation of the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa provided a platform for the EU to step up its collective response 
to  address the root  causes of irregular  migration  and  forced  displacement,  and  in  particular those  in the  Action  Plan 
adopted  at  the  EU-Africa  Valletta  Summit  in  November  2015.  Signed  at  the  Summit  by  the  28  Heads  of  State 
contributing to the EUR 1.8 billion EU Trust Fund, it supports some of the most fragile and vulnerable countries across 
Africa (in 3 regions Sahel and Lake Chad, Horn of Africa, North of Africa and neighbouring countries), reinforcing the 
EU's ongoing development cooperation in the continent. 

The  four  key  priorities  under  the  EU  Trust  Fund  complement  the  EU's  migration  agenda,  and  will  bolster  efforts  to 
address the root causes of migration and support stability and growth in Africa: strengthening economic development; 
enhancing resilience; ensuring better management of migration; and strengthening governance, stability and security. 
The EU Trust Fund for Africa demonstrated its capacity to work as a flexible instrument to respond to crisis, in less 
than two months after its establishment: a first operational committee for Horn of Africa was held at the end of 2015 
and  the  first  operational  committee  for  the  Sahel/Lake  Chad  region  at  the  start  of  2016,  providing  over  EUR  350 
million  in  projects  for  the  two  regions.  Programmes  are  being  prepared  rapidly  for  roll-out  on  the  ground  and 
operations  will  continue  and  intensify  in  2016  including  with  the  conclusion  of  Migration  Compacts  with  relevant 
target countries20. 

A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward Looking Climate Change Policy  

In 2015 the international community adopted two major agreements that will define our 
work in international cooperation and development for the years to come. The 17 goals 
of  the  new  2030  global  sustainable  development  agenda  underline  a  commitment  to 
balance  economic,  social  and  environmental  objectives.  One  of  the  sustainable 
development  goals  adopted  (SDG13)  focuses  on  climate  change.  The  Paris  Agreement 
(COP21) is the first-ever legally-binding global climate deal covering all countries with 
an important EU-ACP agreement paving the way to the final deal. Under the framework 
of  the  2030  Agenda  and  the  Paris  Agreement  awareness  of  the  links  between  climate 
change, poverty reduction, development and sustainability for a global transformation to 
a low emission and climate resilient world needs to be strengthened. Developed countries 
agreed  to  provide  USD  100  billion  a  year  to  address  climate  change  in  developing 

19  The  Communication  from  the  Commission  on  establishing  a  new  Partnership  Framework  with  third 
countries under the European Agenda for Migration, COM(2016) 385 of 7.6.2016, does not fall under the 
period covered by this report.   
20 Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal to start with. 

9 

 
  
 
 
                                                 
countries by 2020 until 2025 when a new collective goal will be set. The EU has already 
committed itself to playing its part, by devoting at least 20 % of its budget for 2014-2020 
to  climate  change  related  actions.  Development  cooperation  has  an  essential  role  in 
supporting this process, in particular in the poorest and most vulnerable countries. ODA 
will continue to be one of the main sources of climate finance, and the EU will enhance 
its  efforts  to  integrate  climate  change  into  its  strategies  (screening  all  programmes  and 
projects  to  integrate  climate  change,  including  the  food  security,  agriculture  and  health 
sectors).  

The  EU  is  also  fully  committed  to  SDG  7,  which  aims  to  ensure  access  to  affordable, 
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Strengthened policy dialogue between the 
EU,  Member  States,  partner  countries  and  other  international  donors  resulted  in  the 
signing of Joint declarations on sustainable energy21. The EU plays a leading role at the 
global  level  through  its  active  presence  in  international  fora  and  by  building  strategic 
partnerships  such  as  the  Africa-EU  Energy  Partnership  (AEEP)  or  the  Sustainable 
Energy  for  All  initiative.  The  Africa  Renewable  Energy  Initiative  was  launched  during 
COP21, as well as the extension of the EU Covenant of Mayors initiative to Sub-Saharan 
Africa.  Again,  through  development  cooperation,  partner  countries  receive  financial 
assistance to access modern, affordable and reliable energy services thus contributing to 
inclusive economic growth. In this area in particular, the chosen EU approach is to help 
boost  investment  through  the  EU  blending  framework  with  the  aim  of  maximising  the 
leverage of EU development cooperation resources. Under the EDF, 26 partner countries 
and regions have chosen energy as a focal sector for their cooperation with the EU (10% 
of the 2014-20 budget). An evaluation on sustainable energy development cooperation is 
being undertaken.   

Pacific Region 

Through EU support, the University of the South Pacific (USP) continued providing formal and informal training and 
granted  scholarships  for  climate  change  scientists  and  negotiators.  A  total  of  174  students  from  14  Pacific  ACP 
countries  graduated  through  Masters,  Post-graduates  and  PhD  programmes  and  many  of  those  graduates  have 
successively joined competent authorities within national governments and regional institutions. This investment has 
not only contributed to building trust, but has already paid off through the formation of the high ambitious coalition 
with  Pacific  ACP  countries,  which  contributed  to  the  conclusion  of  the  Paris  Agreement  at  COP21.  The  additional 
training  of  more  than  2,000  Pacific  islanders  in  on  the  ground  adaption  activities  at  community  level  and  the 
finalization  of  vulnerability  assessments  for  44  communities,  plus  capacity  building  and  direct  support  to  the  most 
affected communities (e.g. rainwater harvesting technologies) on Small Islands Stated, has laid a good foundation for 
EU future cooperation on climate change in the Pacific region.  

An EU strategic approach to wildlife conservation in Africa 

Under the EU Biodiversity for Life (B4Life) flagship initiative, an African Wildlife Crisis Window has been created to 
address the increasing concern of wildlife poaching and biodiversity loss and define a strategic approach for African 
wildlife conservation. The study 'Larger than Elephants', was also carried out. It describes the scale of the crisis facing 
Africa and its people, identifies lessons learned from conservation programmes to date and sets out priority areas for 
future  action.  The  study  is  an  example  of  the  European  Commission's  new  joined-up  approach  to  development 
cooperation  and  provides  inputs  for  an  EU  strategic  approach  to  wildlife  conservation  in  Africa.  Similar  strategic 
studies are now developed for Asia and Latin America. 

21  Over  the  period  2014-15,  Uganda,  Sierra  Leone,  Kenya,  Nigeria,  Cameroon,  Senegal,  Madagascar, 
Benin,  Micronesia,  Marshall  Islands,  Tonga,  Palau,  Nauru,  Niue,  Rwanda,  Togo,  Côte  d'Ivoire,  Cape 
Verde, Liberia were among the signing countries.  

10 

 
 
 
                                                 
A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investments  
Beyond Europe, there exist additional opportunities coming from the development policy 
and instruments that are at its disposal to primarily stimulate investment, create economic 
activities, and hence growth and jobs in partner countries while at the same time having 
positive economic effects in Europe.  

The Agenda for Change emphasises the support of inclusive growth and job creation as a 
key priority of EU external cooperation. By alleviating poverty, improving the enabling 
environment  for  the  private  sector  in  developing  countries  while  contributing  to  decent 
work, and making a contribution to public financial management, good governance and 
the rule of law, the EU's bilateral, multilateral and global development efforts can make a 
positive  contribution  to  sustainable  growth  in  developing  countries.  Over  the  medium 
term, sustainable development in developing countries can increase the size of the EU's 
external markets, generating prosperity and opportunities for jobs and growth within the 
EU as well as in developing countries themselves. 

Strengthening the strategic partnership with Africa is one of the EU’s political priorities. 
The  EU-Africa  Partnership  promotes  a  relationship  between  equals  and  is  based  on 
shared interests and common values. While supporting African integration, the EU also 
aims  to  boost  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  and  to  contribute  to  prosperous  and 
peaceful  societies.  Sustainable  prosperity  and  peace  in  Africa  also  benefit  Europe  by 
contributing  to  addressing  mutual  challenges  such  as  climate  change  and  demographic 
unbalances, by offering new economic, trade and investment opportunities for both sides, 
and  by  reducing  mutual  security  threats.  In  this  respect,  the  EU  support  to  the 
establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) funded via the African 
Union Support Programme was adopted. The EU also further engaged the European and 
African Private Sector via a High Level event on "Catalysing private sector engagement 
and resources for development: the EU and African perspectives”, in the framework of 
the  third  UN  Conference  on  Financing  for  Development  (Addis  Ababa,  15  July  2015), 
organised  jointly  by  the  European  Commission  and  the  African  Union  Commission. 
Private  sector  organisations  involved  in  large  infrastructure  projects  and  in  mining  in 
Africa were also brought together in the context of a joint EU-AU High Level Workshop 
on the infrastructure needs of the Mineral Sector in Africa (Brussels, March 2015). 

The  Commission  has  set  up  two  initiatives  to  attract  investments  in  the  sectors  of 
sustainable  energy  (ElectriFI)  and  agriculture  (AgriFI),  so  as  to  bridge  the  gaps  in 
structuring  and  financing  new  investments.  These  support  mechanisms  will  be 
instrumental in stimulating the private sector, mobilising financiers and bringing about a 
catalytic  impact  on  economic  growth.  In  developing  countries  there  is  often  a  lack  of 
access  to  seed  capital,  as  well  as  medium  and  long-term  capital,  partly  due  to  the 
reluctance of the risk adverse banking sector. 

AID EFFECTIVENESS: STATE OF PLAY 

The  Global  Partnership  for  Effective  Development  Cooperation  (GPEDC)22  is  the  key 
framework  for  the  aid  and  development  effectiveness  agenda  and  is  based  on  four  key 
commitments/areas:  Democratic  country  ownership; 
transparency  and  mutual 
accountability;  focus  on  results;  inclusive  development  partnerships.  The  EU  is  fully 
committed  to  the  process  through  two  main  policy  initiatives:  transparency/  mutual 

22 The Commission represented the EU constituency in the GPEDC Steering Committee (SC), being one of 
the  three  representatives  of  donor  partners  in  the  SC,  which  met  in  2014  in  Abuja  (February)  and  New 
York (July). The first GPEDC High Level Meeting took place in April 2014. 

11 

 
 
                                                 
accountability and joint programming. 

Joint  Programming  helps  respond  to  partner  countries  growing  requests  to  reduce  aid 
fragmentation  and  transaction  costs  placed  on  their  institutions.  It  also  improves 
transparency,  predictability,  coordination,  and  reduces  bureaucracy  and  costs  for  all 
actors involved. 

In this context, while this Report was being drafted, Council Conclusions adopted in May 
2016 on Stepping-Up Joint Programming gave renewed impetus to the commitments for 
reducing  aid  fragmentation  and  increasing  development  effectiveness.  The  Conclusions 
emphasise  that  Joint  Programming  can  contribute  to  increasing  the  European  Union's 
ability  to  play  a  key  role  and  to  support  partners  in  the  implementation  of  the  2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development and of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Moreover, 
it  puts  forward  that  Joint  Programming  should  also  be  pursued,  where  relevant,  in  the 
framework  of  wider  forms  of  political  engagement23,  such  as  in  connection  with  the 
High-Level Dialogues on Migration. 

Since 2012, in 30 cooperation countries, development partners have reached the stage of 
a joint analysis24; in 25 of them they have developed a joint strategy, with some still in 
draft or being revised25. 

At  country  level,  development  partners  in  Ethiopia  reports  progress  in  coordination  in 
three  strategic  areas/clusters  i)  job  creation,  ii)  natural  resources  and  iii)  governance. 
"Joint  actions"  (EU+-wide  coordination  frameworks  focusing  on  implementation)  are 
being  developed  in  the  Nutrition,  Health  and  Green  sector.  In  Kenya,  a  "EU  Joint 
Cooperation  Strategy  in  Support  of  Kenya’s  Medium-term  Plan  2014  –  2017"  was 
adopted in 2015 by 10 EU development partners, and presented jointly with the Ministry 
of Finance. It has an indicative amount of EUR 3 billion (loans/grants) to be allocated by 
EU donors to support the implementation of the Medium Term Plan II and Vision 2030 
for the period 2013-2017. In Uganda, a similar joint strategy was signed in March 2015 
by  11  EU  development  partners  and  Norway.  All  three  new  strategies  are  aligned with 
the  respective  national  development  programmes,  increase  transparency  and  mutual 
trust26.  

Work  towards  the  replacement  of  Commission  multi-annual  programming  documents 
with  a  joint  multiannual  indicative  programme  is  ongoing,  with  Asia  in  the  forefront 
(Laos)  and  potential  followers  among  the  ACP  countries,  such  as  the  Central  Africa 
Republic and Senegal.  

23 See footnote 7 and also later on in the course of 2016, the Commission Communication on the next steps 
for  a  sustainable  European  future:  https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/communication-next-
steps-sustainable-europe-20161122_en.pdf 
24  Among  the  30,  the  following  ACP  countries  are  currently  included:  Burkina  Faso,  Burundi,  Chad, 
Comoros,  Cote  d'Ivoire,  Ethiopia,  Ghana, Kenya,  Malawi,  Mali,  Mozambique,  Namibia,  Niger,  Rwanda, 
Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Benin (draft). 
25 Among the 25, the following ACP countries are currently included: Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Ethiopia, 
Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, plus Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Cote d'Ivoire, Niger as drafts. 
26 At the time of writing this Report, the EU, France, Germany and the government of Togo have signed a 
Joint Programming agreement set to deliver 715 million EUR. The strategy will enable more predictability 
and transparency on EU funding together with a better ownership by the partner country. 

12