Development cooperation in the EU
The EU is the world's largest aid donor - together, the Member States and the European Commission account for more than half the world's development assistance (some EUR 46 billion in 2006). The development assistance managed by the European Commission accounts for about ten per cent of global aid.
The European Commission's development assistance is financed by the Member States through the general EU budget and the European Development Fund (EDF). Sweden contributed some SEK 1.5 billion to the European Commission's development cooperation in 2005 through both Sweden's contribution to the EU and via its contribution to the EDF.
Sweden has a say in both the European Commission's development assistance and the overall development policies pursued by the Member States via political agreements in forums such as the Council of Ministers. Sweden is also represented in implementation committees and expert groups that help prepare and implement the European Commissions development assistance. Sweden's work, conducted through cooperation and coordination among various actors in the developing countries, is also of major importance to the focus of the European Commission's development cooperation.
Policy and priorities
Development assistance in the EU is governed by a joint EU Development Policy Statement, which was adopted in 2005. This policy statement applies to development assistance from both the Member States and the European Commission. The overall goal is to eradicate poverty within the framework of sustainable development and to contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.
The policy statement lists priority areas of the European Commission's development assistance. These are:
- Trade and regional integration
- Infrastructure, communications and transport
- Water and energy
- Rural development, agriculture and food security
- Health, education, culture and gender equality
- Support to economic and institutional reforms
- Democracy and human rights
Management of the European Commission's development assistance is also to follow certain fundamental principles. It is to complement the assistance carried out by the Member States and be based on ownership by the partner countries. The importance of coherence between development policy and other EU policy areas is also emphasised.
Institutions
The European Council (EU summits), where heads of state and government meet, decides on the direction of the policy and on the financial frameworks for the European Commission's development assistance. Descriptions of EU institutions that work closely with development cooperation follow below.
European Parliament
The European Parliament takes decisions on issues concerning the budget in geographic and thematic budget areas.
Council of Development Ministers
The Council of Development Ministers takes decisions in the EU on development policy. The European Commission has the right of initiative regarding development assistance. However, these competencies are shared so that decisions taken in the EU do not prevent the Member States from conducting bilateral development assistance in accordance with national decisions. The Council is assisted in Brussels by a Council Secretariat.
European Commission
The European Commission is responsible for managing joint EU development assistance. The European Commission has various Directorates General (DGs) and other organs that manage, plan and implement the development cooperation. The European Commission manages the various financial instruments that are used in joint EU development assistance.
