(*) Key achievements in the table state which period they relate to. Many come from the implementation of the predecessor programmes under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework. This is expected and is due to the multiannual life cycle of EU programmes and the projects they finance, where results often follow only after completion of the programmes.
Budget for 2021-2027
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Rationale and design of the programme
Through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI – Global Europe), the EU aims to cooperate with partner countries, especially those most in need, in overcoming medium- and long-term developmental challenges and pursuing EU values and interests, while addressing urgent and immediate needs.
It contributes to achieving the EU’s international commitments and the objectives that it has agreed to, in particular the 2030 Agenda, its sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
The EU is facing increasing external challenges. Political fragility, instability and conflicts, shrinking civic and political space, terrorism, inequality and migratory pressures have combined with long-term trends such as population growth, climate change and environmental degradation. Added to this, more recently, has been the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its worldwide consequences on food insecurity, rising inflation and increasing energy prices. These multiple crises are deeply affecting EU partner countries, in particular least-developed ones. Despite the unforeseeable series of crises that have put NDICI – Global Europe under great pressure from the outset, the EU has demonstrated its reliability to partner countries by providing a prompt answer to crises while ensuring the continuity of programmed support. The main challenge will be to continue supporting partner countries with adequate resources, in a context of extremely tense geopolitical competition, scarcity of resources for external action and competing priorities.
As an actor of significant weight and reputation, the EU can also provide significant added value in coordinating measures and providing leverage to find multilateral answers to those challenges.
The general objectives of NDICI – Global Europe are as follows.
- To uphold and promote the EU’s values, principles and fundamental interests worldwide, in order to pursue the objectives and principles of the EU’s external action, as laid down in Article 3(5) and Articles 8 and 21 of the Treaty on European Union, thus contributing to reducing and, in the long term, eradicating poverty; to consolidating, supporting and promoting democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, sustainable development and the fight against climate change; and to addressing irregular migration and forced displacement, including their root causes.
- To contribute to promoting multilateralism and achieving the international commitments and objectives that the EU has agreed to, in particular the United Nations’ SDGs, the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
- To promote stronger partnerships with non-EU countries, including with the European neighbourhood policy countries, based on mutual interests and ownership, with a view to fostering stabilisation and good governance and building resilience.
NDICI – Global Europe’s specific objectives are as follows.
- To support and foster dialogue and cooperation with non-EU countries and regions in the neighbourhood, in sub-Saharan Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, and in the Americas and the Caribbean. To develop special strengthened partnerships and enhanced political cooperation with the European neighbourhood, founded on cooperation, peace and stability and on a shared commitment to the universal values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and aiming at deep and sustainable democracy and progressive socioeconomic integration, along with people-to-people contacts.
- At the global level, to protect, promote and advance democracy and the rule of law, including accountability mechanisms, and human rights, including gender equality and the protection of human-rights defenders. To support civil-society organisations. To further stability and peace and prevent conflict, thereby contributing to the protection of civilians. To address other global challenges such as climate change, protection of biodiversity and the environment, and migration and mobility.
- To respond rapidly to situations of crisis, instability and conflict, including those that may result from migratory flows and forced displacement, along with hybrid threats, and to respond to resilience challenges, including natural and human-made disasters and the linking of humanitarian aid and development action, along with the EU’s foreign-policy needs and priorities.
NDICI – Global Europe strengthens specific priorities through horizontal targets.
- At least 93% of expenditure should fulfil the criteria for official development assistance.
- At least 20% of official development assistance spending should be dedicated to social inclusion and human development.
- 30% of NDICI – Global Europe should contribute to climate objectives, while also contributing to the ambition of providing 7.5% of annual spending under the multiannual financial framework to biodiversity objectives in 2024 and 10% in 2026 and 2027, while considering the existing overlaps between climate and biodiversity goals.
- Indicatively, 10% of NDICI – Global Europe should be dedicated to action supporting the management and governance of migration and forced displacement, and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement when they directly target specific challenges relating to migration and forced displacement.
- At least 85% of new actions should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective. At least 5% of these actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective.
NDICI – Global Europe's funding can be provided through grants, procurement contracts, budget support, budgetary guarantees, blending operations and financial assistance, along with all the types of financing listed in Article 27 of the NDICI regulation.
NDICI – Global Europe is implemented under direct management (by the Commission and the EU delegations) and through indirect management (by entities such as EU Member State agencies, international organisations or partner countries, and all the entities listed in Article 62(1)(c) of the financial regulation). The lead services involved in implementing the instrument are DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, DG International Partnerships, and the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, in cooperation with the European External Action Service and line directorates-general, especially in relation to the external dimensions of internal policies such as climate, energy, trade, digital and education.
In line with its specific objectives, NDICI – Global Europe operates through three pillars:
- a geographical pillar, encompassing country and regional programmes;
- a thematic pillar, complementing the geographic pillar with global thematic programmes on human rights and democracy, civil-society organisations, peace, stability and conflict prevention, and global challenges;
- a non-programmable rapid-response pillar, dealing with crisis response, resilience and linking humanitarian and development nexuses, and EU foreign policy needs and priorities.
NDICI – Global Europe also has a buffer reserve for emerging challenges and priorities that can top up any of the three pillars mentioned above.
Through the External Action Guarantee, NDICI – Global Europe can raise additional financial resources from the private sector to support financing and investment operations in all its geographical areas, with special attention paid to least-developed countries and countries experiencing fragility and conflict.
The programme groups together several EU budget instruments from the 20142020 multiannual financial framework , including the Development Cooperation Instrument and the European Neighbourhood Instrument. In addition, sub-Saharan African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries formerly covered under the off-budget European Development Fund are now also covered by the EU budget. Having such a comprehensive instrument allows the EU to carry out better, more coordinated external action and to deliver better results. The transition between the 2014-2020 and the 2021-2027 EFIs and the aspects mentioned above will be analysed as part of the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of NDICI-Global Europe and the other EFIs, to be adopted in the first semester 2024. This MTE will address the efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability and the continued relevance of the objectives of the Instrument, as well as the added value of integrating previously separated instruments into a streamlined instrument.
Programme website:
Impact assessment:
- the impact assessment of the NDICI was carried out in 2018;
- for further information please consult: https://europa.eu/!gh96VH.
Relevant regulation:
Evaluations:
- Mid-term review reports of the 2014-2020 external financing instruments SWD(2017) 463 final, SWD(2017) 600 final, SWD(2017) 601 final, SWD(2017) 602 final, SWD(2017) 604 final, SWD(2017) 605 final, SWD(2017) 606 final, SWD(2017) 607 final, SWD(2017) 608 final, SWD(2017) 609 final.
Budget
Budget programming (million EUR):
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Financial programming:
- EUR 409.7 million (- 1%)
compared to the legal basis*
* Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual financial framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison. Financial programming excludes macrofinancial assistance loans provisioning.
- The amount for the NDICI – Global Europe neighbourhood geographic programme has been increased through the adoption of the annual budgets or during budget implementation in the years 2021-2024 by EUR XXX million. EUR 1.1 billion of macrofinancial assistance loans provisioning in the Common Provisioning Fund is excluded from the financial programming.
Budget performance – implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR) (*):
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(*) Excluding macrofinancial assistance loans provisioning.
Voted budget implementation (million EUR) (*):
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Overview
In 2023, NDICI-GE implementation was in full speed, with a good level of implementation of the geographic and thematic multiannual indicative programmes (MIPs) and the signature of the first guarantee agreements under the EFSD+ open architecture scheme. The implementation of Team Europe Initiatives moved forward in 2023, with 166 Team Europe Initiatives either finalising their design or having started their implementation.
The Mid-Term Review of the programming was formally launched in June 2023. Services assessed the level of implementation of their respective MIPs (including achievement of the different targets), the geopolitical context and impact of recent crises, with a focus on potential for new Global Gateway initiatives.
Fight against climate change effects, loss of biodiversity and energy diversification
In 2023, the European Commission continued working with partner countries to tackle climate change, contributing to mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction via the development and implementation of Team Europe Initiatives as part of the implementation of the Global Gateway, by increasing our contribution to the Global Methane Pledge and to Global Climate Funds, as well as continuing to assist partner countries in implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The year 2023 was also marked by the decision taken at the COP28 UN Climate Conference on the operationalisation of Funding Arrangements including a fund to address loss and damage resulting from climate change impacts in vulnerable developing countries, to which the EC has pledged contributions. Finally, 2023 was marked by the first UN conference on water since 1977, featuring the launch of an ambitious Action Agenda to which the EU significantly contributed.
Energy transition remains a priority for the EU, as is securing access to key critical raw materials for the energy transition. In 2023, the Commission played an important role in convincing partner countries to join the global pledge on renewable energy and energy efficiency, endorsed during COP28 by 120 countries. Moreover, the Commission continued to support partner countries in promoting renewable energy, including renewable hydrogen, the development of transmission and distribution grids and energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, as well as participating in the Just Energy Transition Partnerships. Developing renewable energy sources, including renewable hydrogen, is a triple win for energy security and for decarbonisation of economies for the benefit of our planet, as well as developing competitive and clean industries and markets contributing to growth and jobs, for mutual benefits for the EU and its partner countries.
The Commission supported the implementation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular through integrated approaches for the sustainable management of key biodiversity landscapes, enhanced support to Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative and new partnerships on forests as well as renewed engagement for ocean protection, including in the Mediterranean region. Action has been launched to raise awareness on the new EU Regulation on deforestation and forest degradation in the Neighbourhood, Asia and Latin Americas.
Food security
Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine aggravated the global food systems crisis. Climate change, conflict and economic difficulties have eroded the resilience of food value chains. The EU and Member States – Team Europe – committed more than EUR 18 billion in grants for food security action in 2021-2024. The Commission continued to operationalise the four-pronged Team Europe response to global food insecurity, particularly focusing on the sustainable production pillar.
Critical raw materials
Critical raw materials are essential for the deployment of the technologies that enable the green and digital transitions. The Commission was directly involved in the discussions around the external dimension of the Critical Raw Materials Act expected to be adopted in 2024. Securing sustainable supply of raw materials, renewable hydrogen and batteries will be decisive to develop the resilience of industries in partner countries. Strategic partnerships on raw materials value chains were concluded with Argentina, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Greenland and Zambia, in addition to Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Ukraine.
Human development
In 2023, 27 new Global Gateway Flagships in human development have been approved, and education and skills are an important feature of most GG Flagships. At the same time, gender equality continues to be mainstreamed across GG flagships. 2023 also marked the launch of the Global Gateway CSO/Local Authorities Platform.
Following through with the Global Health Strategy adopted a the end of 2022, several initiatives in the field of health were adopted including on global pandemic preparedness through the Pandemic Fund, Africa regional TEIs with a focus on Manufacturing and Vaccines (MAV+), strengthening health systems and health security through a One Health approach and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights actions.
The Regional Teacher Training Initiative was launched in South Africa in January 2023. This EU flagship brings together the EU and three EU Member States (Belgium, Finland and France) to support African partner countries in their efforts to bridge the teachers’ gap and achieve a more competent, motivated and inclusive teacher workforce able to ensure quality learning in the classroom.
2023 also marked the first year of the implementation of the Youth Action Plan in EU’s external relation and the launch of a Youth Empowerment Fund. the midterm report on the EU Gender Action Plan III illustrates progress towards the 85% target of gender responsive actions, currently reaching 72% across the external relations DGs).
The global Team Europe Democracy (TED) initiative launched in 2022 helps the EU and 14 EU Member States to enhance the impact of joint actions in promoting democratic governance in partner countries, creating a strong policy framework for thematic flagships on human rights and democracy, such as the “Global Initiative on Impunity”.
The increasing number of politically estranged contexts and countries further reinforces the case for implementing a robust humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus approach, and supporting the realisation of Nexus Collaborative Frameworks, based on joint analyses of conflict and the root causes of fragility and crises, while embracing a multi-dimensional and integrated approach tailored to the individual context of each country. In this regard, the Commission has supported a stronger and more focused approach to conflict-sensitivity, as prescribed by Article 12(2)(b) of the NDICI-Global Europe regulation, through the implementation of conflict analyses and the EU conflict Early Warning system for fragile and conflict affected countries, as well as conflict sensitivity assessments for specific programmes with partner countries.
Migration
In 2023, the Commission strongly contributed to ensure that the overall NDICI-Global Europe spending target on migration was met in 2023 through migration and forced displacement actions launched at national, regional and global level. At a global level, the Commission contributed to the successful International Conference on a Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, hosted by the Commission President. The Commission pledged at the 2nd Global Forum on Refugees, including through the launch of new global actions aimed at improving the data and evidence on internal displacement. In the framework of the EU Presidency of the platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), the Commission has contributed to better protecting people displaced across borders and internally in the context of disasters and climate change.
Inequality
In 2023, the Inequality-Marker was launched and used for the first time, allowing an enhanced understanding, tracking, and benchmarking of the impact of action supported across all sectors in relation to inequalities, including in the midterm review of the MIPs. Likewise, the thematic flagship programme linking social protection and public finance management was finalized feeding into the new generation of social protection programmes. Additionally, flagship initiatives contracted under the NDICI Civil Society Thematic Programme in 2023 include the EU System for Enabling Environment (EU SEE) and the New Financial Framework Partnership Agreements with Global CSO networks. The Commission also launched a regional initiative in Asia to manage opportunities and risks related to labour rights and protection in the context of the megatrends affecting the Future of Work (climate change, demography, digital transition, shifting in societal attitudes).
Climate change In 2022 and 2023, the Commission continued to support the EU’s bilateral relations with strategic partner countries on climate-related policies and investment through the EU Climate Dialogues initiative. Climate diplomacy interventions worldwide resulted in 17 high-level meetings, 49 events and 15 publications on adaptation, methane abatement, carbon pricing/Emission Trading Systems, sustainable finance, just energy transition and renewable energy, among others.
Digital
In 2023, the Commission continued to support a sustainable digital transition, including digital governance and connectivity, at the national, regional, and international levels. The Global Gateway and the Digital 4 Development Hub (D4D) proved to be fundamental tools in that respect. In 2023, the D4D hub was further enhanced with the launch of a new Neighbourhood regional window. Interventions were launched to accompany the implementation of new digital partnerships concluded by the EU in Asia (Japan, Korea, Singapore). Finally, a new action (Global Initiative on the Future of Internet) was launched to operationalise the commitments of the 70 signatories of the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. This formed an integral part of the EU’s strategic digital diplomacy agenda, initiated and promoted jointly with the US and set out a shared and comprehensive vision for the future of the open Internet.
Disinformation
The Commission launched several interventions aiming to enhance the EU’s ability to counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) through exchanges with like-minded partners and the provision of support to countries closely aligned with the EU in terms of threat analysis and approach to address it.
Sustainable and responsible supply chains
In 2023, action was launched to promote fair, responsible and resilient supply chains, with a view to reinforcing the EU’s strategic autonomy, as well as promoting and raising awareness on the new EU legislation on mandatory due diligences (“Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence” Directive). Seemingly, the Commission has worked with governments, the private sector, and civil society to boost the uptake of environmental standards and human rights in business operations.
Neighbourhood
In 2023, the Commission’s actions focused on addressing the consequences of the Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, responding to instability and increased migration needs in the Neighbourhood South, continue supporting Syrian refugees and their host communities, supporting countries’ resilience in the Middle East and North of Africa, and implementing economic and investment plans and priorities jointly agreed with partner countries.
The Commission mobilised or guaranteed EUR 19.5 billion to support Ukraine’s economic, social, and financial resilience in 2023 (EUR 18.5 billion was disbursed), out of which direct support under the NDICI totalled to EUR 825 million and it was focused on fast recovery and reforms. In 2023, EUR 445 million in financial assistance programmes were approved for the six Neighbourhood East partner countries, excluding bilateral support to Ukraine. The assistance was designed to strengthen the reform agenda and increase the capacity in the partner administrations. This was particularly important following the EU’s agreement to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and to grant Georgia candidate status. In addition, substantial support was provided through a repurposing of the Annual Action Programme to help Armenia address the immediate-to-long-term needs of over 100,000 refugees displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Commission continued to provide budget support operations to Moldova, amounting to EUR 241 million for the period 2021 to 2023. The implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan continued and to date the EU has mobilised EUR 8.5 billion worth of investments in the region, of which nearly EUR 1.8 billion were in support of the private sector, through concessional credit lines or business development services.
Migration remains high on the political agenda of the EU, its Member States and partner countries in the in the North of Africa. While the EU Trust Fund for Africa cannot make new funding available, through its ongoing operations it remains an important tool in supporting partner countries on legal migration and labour mobility, border management and the fight against trafficking of human beings and smuggling of migrants as well as protection and social cohesion. In 2023, EUR 318 million were committed under the regional Annual Action Plan covering the North of Africa with a focus on voluntary returns to countries of origin, strengthening the capacities of Egypt and Tunisia in border management, fighting trafficking and smuggling networks as well as ensuring protection of migrants and social cohesion across the region. Increasing instability in the Sahel region and the continued impact of the war in Ukraine to name just a few factors, pressure on migratory routes and for migration management in partner countries are likely to increase. In this context, the Commission will continue providing support under a comprehensive approach to migration.
Although formally it came to an end in December 2021, the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syria Crisis remained a major EU tool to address the needs of refugees from Syria and host communities in neighbouring countries throughout 2023. This was done through its ongoing operations, which have reached more than 10.5 million people since its inception, focusing primarily on education, livelihoods, health, water and sanitation, social assistance, and social protection, along the axes of the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. In 2023, EUR 287.5 million was committed under the neighbourhood geographic programme in support of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Following the Multiannual Financial Framework revision, the Southern Neighbourhood is reinforced under NDICI by EUR 3 billion, inter alia allowing continuation of migration related actions previously undertaken under the EU Trust fund for Africa as well as support to the Syrian refugees and host communities in the region.
The programming framework for Interreg NEXT programmes was adopted on 12 August 2022 ([1]). Commission Implementing Decision 2022/74 lays down the total NDICI commitment for each Interreg NEXT programme for 2022-2027. Following Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the programming of all cooperation programmes involving Belarus and Russia was stopped and programmes with Russia and Belarus were cancelled. The Commission had adopted seven Interreg NEXT programmes involving neighbourhood partner countries in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood. The NDICI allocation initially planned for programmes with Russia and Belarus for 2021-2027 (EUR 160 million) was transferred to programmes that benefit Moldova and Ukraine. The Interreg NEXT programmes that have been adopted are multiannual programmes implemented under shared management. The EU’s contribution to these programmes covers multiple funds (ERDF, IPA III, NDICI). For 2023 a total of EUR 108 million was committed under NDICI (out of total EU funds of EUR 245 million), while EUR 101 million (out of total EU funds of EUR 240 million) is expected to be committed in 2024 and EUR 102 million (out of EU funds 256 million) in 2025.
Resilience
EUR 240 million was committed in 2023 through the individual measure in favour of socio-economic development support and infrastructure services for refugees and host communities in Türkiye following the February 2023 earthquakes. It is estimated that EUR 350 million would be committed in 2024 to be mobilised from the NDICI-GE cushion, channelled through the Resilience component of the Rapid Response Action pillar. As a result of the MFF revision, the support to the Syrian refugees in Türkiye is reinforced by EUR 2 billion in 2025-2027, out of which EUR 1.2 billion channelled through the Resilience line. The assistance in 2025 is expected to focus on addressing socio-economic and education needs.
Election Observation
Under the thematic programme for human rights and democracy, the deployment of electoral missions continued to provide substantial benefits to the democratic processes of partner countries and to the peaceful transition of countries emerging from civil strife or conflict. In 2023, the EU deployed 24 missions, six of which were full election observation missions.
Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding, Global Threats & Crisis Response
Moreover, the 2023 annual action plans for programmable measures for conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and crisis preparedness and for addressing global, trans-regional and emerging threats were adopted, for EUR 39.4 million and EUR 98.4 million respectively. Initiatives under the annual action plan for 2022 were contracted and covered themes such as the following: support for in-country civil-society stakeholders on conflict prevention and peacebuilding; inclusivity in peace and security; conflict-sensitive natural-resource management; support for the EU–United Nations partnership on insider mediation and tripartite cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank on post-crisis assessments; counterterrorism; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risk mitigation; disrupting organised crime; critical infrastructure protection; climate change; environmental degradation; and security.
By the end of 2023, 40 new crisis-response initiatives, as well as five increases to existing initiatives, had been adopted under the rapid response pillar with a budget of EUR 269.9 million, along with 29 initiatives (including 14 new ones) responding to foreign-policy needs with a budget of EUR 91.4 million. 30 new contracts were also signed under the global threats component with a budget of EUR 68.4 million while implementation continued for actions from previous years (145 ongoing for approximately EUR 127 million).
Contribution to horizontal priorities
Green budgeting
Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):
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A higher climate spending target (30%) has been set by the co-legislators for NDICI – Global Europe for 2021-2027 compared to the previous programming period (20% for 2014-2020). Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, pledged an additional EUR 4 billion in her 2021 State of the Union address.
As indicated in the table, 2021 data showed a performance level on the order of 18%, and 24.5% for 2022. The cumulative 2021-2022 figures resulted in contributions of 22% to the climate spending target. 2023 figures continue to show a positive trend, which places the overall figures closer to the targets to be achieved over the course of the entire 2021-2027 period. Positive trends will be reinforced after the midterm review, as climate is an essential component of the global gateway strategy, which is being mainstreamed across the programming documents. To ensure the delivery of the climate target, a number of actions are currently being put in place, including the following:
- strengthening of internal processes for the integration of climate change and biodiversity in the formulation of new actions, including the revision of existing guidance and manuals, or the development of specific webinars and trainings;
- significant outreach to EU delegations to reinforce knowledge and increase awareness with regards to the integration of climate change and support to biodiversity in the EU external action;
- operationalisation of the ‘Green knowledge’ hub comprising several technical assistance facilities in support of climate and biodiversity actions providing high-level policy advice and technical assistance, relevant knowledge, data, tools, products, and trainings.
In the course of 2021-2023, as part of the implementation of the global gateway, Team Europe initiatives were developed. These included the TEI on adaptation and resilience in Africa, the green and blue alliance for the Pacific, or energy efficiency in buildings in the Southern Neighbourhood, just to cite a few.
Regarding biodiversity more specifically, the figures for 2022 and preliminary estimates for 2023 are consistent with the pathway provided in the NDICI – Global Europe programme statement. In 2022, the programme contributed 6.10% to biodiversity. Preliminary estimates for 2022 are around 8.10%, confirming the positive trajectory year after year. Pending final verification, spending under NDICI – Global Europe is in the range of the 7.5% target for 2024 defined for the whole multiannual financial framework. These efforts must be sustained in the second part of the framework, with a view to meeting the Commission’s political ambitions for biodiversity. Therefore, a comprehensive approach that combines the development of a substantial portfolio of biodiversity-related actions and the mainstreaming of biodiversity into relevant sectors and actions continue to be deployed. Under the NaturAfrica initiative, it is confirmed that more than EUR 1 billion will have been allocated to biodiversity projects in sub-Saharan Africa between 2021 and 2024.
Accelerating the global energy transition is one of the priorities of the EU: energy is very prominent in its dialogue with partner countries and the list of global gateway flagships, covering a wide range of energy solutions, from hydropower to geothermal plant, but also green hydrogen, solar plant or biogas, transmission lines and regional interconnections as well as energy efficiency in buildings. In 2023, the implementation of the Just Energy Transition in Coal Regions – Inter-regional platform continued, promoting just energy transition pathways away from coal. In the Neighbourhood of the EU, following the successful coupling of electricity grids with Moldova and Ukraine, work has continued in the alignment of energy policies and energy market integration with, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, including support to investments. Moreover, the implementation of the TEI Africa-EU green energy initiative has been an important milestone in 2023. At the COP28 conference, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announced a pledge of more than EUR 20 billion from Team Europe partners of this initiative (12 Member States, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development).
Gender
Contribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):
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Gender disaggregated information: |
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1. Making the NDICI – Global Europe regulation deliver for implementation of the gender action plan III
- The gender action plan III has fostered a policy-driven, context-specific approach, in a Team Europe spirit. Country-level implementation plans are in place in 125 NDICI countries. Set up by EU delegations in cooperation with EU Member States and based on meaningful consultations with partners including civil society and women’s rights organisations, they are the political and operational roadmaps for EU action for reaching NDICI – Global Europe gender targets and objectives. The simultaneous launch of the plan and the 2021-2027 programming cycle have significantly improved policy-programming alignment, resulting in increased actions and funding for gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment.
- A significant number of EU delegations have an up-to-date gender analysis at the country level, along with a sector analysis, and they have put measures in place to ensure the use of gender-specific and sex-disaggregated data, which are essential tools to ensure the high-quality mainstreaming of new initiatives.
- The EU also aims to ensure that investments mobilised through the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD+) include a gender perspective. For instance, the Commission is working with international and development finance institutions to increase the impact of innovative finance on promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment; to jointly enhance the expertise of financial officers on gender-mainstreaming; and to monitor the implementation of operations. In 2022, 75% of all reported NDICI EFSD+ guarantees and blending operations had gender equality as a significant or main objective.
2. Implementation of the gender action plan III by thematic area of engagement
- Combating gender-based violence is a priority for the EU in most partner countries, where many targeted interventions have been adopted or are under preparation to promote legal and policy reforms, changes in social norms and support for survivors.. In the previous multiannual financial framework, unprecedented support for the fight against gender-based violence was channelled through the EUR 500 million Spotlight initiative implemented in partnership with the United Nations. The initiative was showcased at the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Summit as one of the 12 high-impact initiatives contributing to transformative progress and acceleration towards the SDGs. To build on the results and ensure the sustainability of the programme, in 2023, the EU has launched the high-impact programme for violence elimination by 2030 (EUR 16.5 million), which notably supports effective country programmes, increased global awareness and knowledge-sharing.
- For instance, in 2023, new targeted programmes (score G2) to combat violence against women and girls, improving prevention and survivor-centred services have been adopted for Bolivia (EUR 3.5 million), Colombia (EUR 3.8 million) and Paraguay (EUR 4 million). In El Salvador, the focus of a EUR 4 million intervention lies on the protection of girls and adolescents from gender-based violence and early pregnancy. In Bangladesh, a EUR 10 million score 2 project seeks to strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence in the public sphere and at the workplace.
- The EU also continues its efforts to end gender-based violence in the Neighbourhood. For example, the EU support to women empowerment programme in Egypt (EUR 1 million) seeks to strengthen protection, response and prevention services that address gender-based violence.
- In the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights, in December 2022 the Commission and 10 Member States, in collaboration with sub-Saharan African partners, launched a regional Team Europe initiative for sub-Saharan Africa with a particular focus on adolescent and young women. Funding from the EU budget notably includes EUR 60 million in new funds for 2023-2027, in addition to EU Member States’ financial contributions. Moreover, as part of the focus of the EU Resilience Facility for Azerbaijan (EUR 13.5 million), the European Commission supports women’s access to economic opportunities, gender based budgeting, as well as social infrastructure and services. The Commission is also a long-standing partner of the United Nations Population Fund, including support for the fund’s Supplies Partnership focusing on contraceptives and maternal health medicines, with a new score 2 commitment of EUR 45 million in 2022. Furthermore, the EU has made a record contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (EUR 715 million for 2023-2025).
- Women’s economic and social empowerment is a priority for the Commission. It is key to achieving poverty reduction, inclusive and sustainable growth in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and holds enormous potential for economic growth in our partner countries. The Commission promotes women’s economic empowerment through (a) support to regulatory and policy reforms and practices to tackle the underlying direct and indirect barriers women face in their economic participation; (b) increased investments targeting women’s economic empowerment, such as through the EFSD+ and the global gateway investments, and (c) targeted actions supporting increased economic opportunities for women, such as through support to women entrepreneurs and increased access to finance (c) working with business support services and other ecosystem actors to ensure that there an offer for women led business adapted to their needs and constraints (d) by promoting more and better access to education which is a key factor that will result in higher economic empowerment. For example, through the regional programme supporting women’s economic empowerment in the Southern Neighbourhood (EUR 5 million), the European Commission seeks to support the economic empowerment of women focusing on the nexus between financial inclusion, access to finance and digitalisation.
- For instance, in 2023, the EU increased the funding for the Investment Climate Reform Facility, which works with public and private partners in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, to focus on business environment reforms that support women’s full participation in the economy. Among other, the facility supported the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank to launch a gender scheme that will address financial and non-financial challenges women and youth face by relaxing some of the terms and conditions of existing bank products, allowing for wider access to credit facilities throughout the value chain.
- As regards gender-lens investing, the EU is working closely with international and development financing institutions to increase the impact of innovative finance and to further integrate a gender perspective in investments made by the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). For instance, in 2023 the European Investment Bank, with the backing of the Commission, signed EUR 158 million in loans dedicated to women entrepreneurs and/or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) providing quality leadership and employment opportunities for women, or services and products that close gender gaps. It is also at the centre of the ‘Investing in young business in Africa’ TEI, that brings together 11 Member States, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Development Finance Institutions to mobilise more and better financial and non-financial support to early-stage business, with an emphasis on women.
- The EU promotes gender-responsive and disability-inclusive social protection and care policies through sector interventions, public finance management reform and gender-responsive budgeting in partnership with the International Labour Organization, Unicef, the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors and national partners. As an example of country-level intervention, the EUR 59 million ‘Gender Responsive Social Protection – Kutukula Amai’ programme (score G2) in Malawi, adopted and launched in 2023, will empower Malawi’s poorest and most vulnerable girls and women by enhancing the effectiveness of the Malawi national social support programme, enhancing access to social services and reinforcing complementary services to support women’s economic resilience and livelihoods. Supporting the development and implementation of gender-responsive care policies has also been one of the main priorities for EU cooperation with the Latin American region. At the EU–Latin America and the Caribbean Forum in 2023, the Commissioner for International Partnerships announced the new EU programme ‘Inclusive Societies in LAC’. The EUR 60 million programme (score G2), contributing to a Team Europe initiative, aims to tackle gender and other inequalities, reduce poverty and social exclusion and enhance social cohesion within/among Latin American and Caribbean countries. It envisages a strong focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment, addressing intersectionality with other forms of discrimination. It also seeks progress in social policies and inclusion with a focus on the bottom 40% income households, while encouraging social investment and innovation to foster just transitions. EU funding will start operations in 2024.
- The ‘Gender for development Uganda’ action adopted in 2023 contributes to the TEI on demography and social inclusion. The action is composed of two components: (i) adolescent girls’ education (indicative EU budget: EUR 40 million) and (ii) reducing gender-based violence, including sexual violence, and promoting the building of sexual and reproductive health and rights on the successful spotlight initiative in Uganda (indicative EU budget: EUR 20 million). The second component of the action, building on the ongoing spotlight initiative, will aim at reducing forms of gender-based violence that contribute to girl-child school drop-outs and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights at the national and sub-national levels. In a TEI approach, significant funding from both the German and Belgian Federal Governments will complement the EU contribution to increase the scope and impact of the action.
- To promote equal participation and leadership, in 2023 the Commission launched the women and youth for democracy programme (EUR 40 million), which will support women and youth-led initiatives, including capacity-building and funding for girl-led initiatives to tackle the legal, societal and economic barriers to equal participation The EU’s Youth Empowerment Fund, a EUR 10 million pilot flagship initiative of the youth action plan designed by, with and for young people, will provide and facilitate access to vital resources for young women and men to contribute to the sustainable development of their local communities and societies in EU partner countries to reach the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The activities of the Youth Empowerment Fund started in late 2023 and the first grants will be distributed in 2024. The digital democracy initiative (EUR 51 million), launched in 2023 and co-funded by the EU and Denmark, includes a focus on threats and opportunities to women’s online democratic participation. An example of gender-responsive action for women’s equal participation and leadership at the country level is the EUR 15 million civil society support programme ‘Cidadania activa’ in Mozambique, which aims at enhancing civic engagement, including the participation of civil society organisations representing women, youth and persons with disabilities, in democratic participation and accountability processes, thus contributing to strengthen inclusive and participatory democracy in Mozambique. In Lebanon, through the ‘Women empowerment’ hub in Lebanon (EUR 6 million), the Commission supports political mentoring and coaching services to prepare women for political work and enhance their political skills.
- The EU action plan on women, peace and security was integrated as one of the thematic areas of engagement of the gender action planIII. It was implemented in 2022 and 2023 with initiatives shown below.
- In 2023, under the conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness pillar: the Commission continued contributing to the Global Survivors Fund (EUR 2 million under the 2022 annual action programme). The fund has provided reparations and other forms of redress (including medical interventions, psychological and/or psychiatric support and economic compensation) to 2 267 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Iraq and Türkiye.
- In addition, the Commission funded the UNWOMEN project ‘Promoting Women Peace and Security’ with military stakeholders in transition countries in Africa, namely the Central African Republic and Mozambique. The project works to enhance women’s inclusion and integration among military actors, and to ensure that armed forces are better prepared to integrate a gender perspective in the planning and conduct of operations and activities.
- Under the rapid response pillar, in 2023 the Commission continued to mainstream gender equality in its crisis response support to Ukraine.
- In Moldova, a EUR 4 million project supported the resilience of host communities and local authorities in their response to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. The action focused on access to basic services, including the reception, referral and protection of individuals with enhanced vulnerability to sexual exploitation and trafficking such as women and children.
- Three projects supported victims of conflict-related sexual violence (EUR 6 million). (1) A project implemented by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund strengthens local organisations as first responders to victims of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. (2) A project implemented by Global Rights Compliance provides hands-on support and expertise on investigating cases of conflict-related sexual violence to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine via mobile justice teams. (3) A project implemented by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence will support the government of Ukraine with specialised women protection advisors in line ministries and the implementation of the national action plan on violence against women.
- In Cameroon, a EUR 17 million civil society support programme will strengthen the contribution of women’s organisations, women’s rights defenders and civil society organisations in general to multi-partner efforts to protect displaced populations, in an effort to contribute to resilience, social cohesion and dialogue for peace in crisis-affected communities in the north-west and south-west regions, including neighbouring regions hosting displaced populations.
- Efforts to prevent and combat conflict-related sexual violence pursued a victim-centred approach supporting better accountability and the integration of survivors. For example, the EU continued to contribute to the Global Survivors Fund with an additional EUR 2 million in 2023. The fund provides reparations and other forms of redress (including medical interventions, psychological and/or psychiatric support and economic compensation) to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Iraq and Türkiye.
- Efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Eastern Partnership region continued through support from the ‘EU4 Gender Equality Reform Helpdesk’ project, with an additional EUR 3 million allocated in 2023 for a second phase. A virtual forum in 2022 facilitated dialogue among civil society organisations in the Eastern Neighbourhood on collaboration opportunities for gender equality and women's empowerment. Key discussions included implementing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, addressing forced displacement, trafficking and security concerns. In May-June 2023, four webinars on ‘Gender equality in the security sector’ enhanced the capacity of gender focal points within the National Police of Ukraine.
- The gender action plan III introduced a new and innovative focus on the promotion of gender equality in the formulation of green transition and digital transformation policies and operations.
- For instance in 2023, the Commission adopted the action ‘Skills for employment’ in Mozambique (EUR 15 million), contributing to the TEI ‘e-youth and green deal’, with a focus on technical and vocational education and training, gender-sensitive insertion of youth in the labour market and support to young entrepreneurs, in particular women-led start-ups, through access to business development services (incubators, accelerators, training and mentoring technical assistance, and access to funding) with a focus in green and digital areas.
- As a major contributor to international public climate finance, the EU supports gender-responsive approaches through programmes for bilateral cooperation or through multilateral initiatives and platforms, supporting governments to adopt gender-responsive climate mitigation and climate-adaptation plans that involve women, girls and youth from a variety of backgrounds, along with local and marginalised communities. For instance, the TEI on ‘Green recovery’ in Nepal launched in February 2023 and will support the country’s efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow greener through more jobs, energy access, increased resilience of society to shocks by better services in water supply, sanitation, nutrition and education, all while fostering increased participation of women in leadership and the economy. Moreover, the EU support to women empowerment programme in Egypt, for example, aims to support women and girls’ empowerment and to promote overall gender equality. The action seeks to work towards these objectives also through the promotion of financial and digital inclusion, to strengthen women’s access to sustainable income and climate-friendly economic opportunities. Moreover, through the State and Resilience Building Contract for the Republic of Moldova, aiming to assist Moldova in mitigating the socioeconomic impact of the rising energy prices and in the energy transition, special focus is dedicated to gender equality – including in terms of socio-economic inclusion and support.
- Score 0 programmes related to support measures and administrative costs, but also to initiatives in gender-relevant sectors like migration, water management, electoral observation and other sectors. To improve the quality of gender mainstreaming and to increase gender-targeted actions and funding, the EU will continue to enhance quality-review processes (including for the global gateway flagship projects and TEIs) to make sure that the gender equality policy marker criteria of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee are being met.
Digital
Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):
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- To calculate the above-mentioned values, the commitments for interventions marked with 1 or 2 by the digitalisation marker are aggregated, which is the Global Europe Results Framework indicator 3.2 ‘Amount and share of EU-funded external assistance directed towards digitalisation’.
- In 2021, the Commission continued to boost digitalisation and digital transformation in partner countries. The African Union–EU data flagship project was launched as a cooperation framework. Work continued in improving digital skills, by publishing a toolkit on digital and data technologies and by proposing e-learning tools and courses on space technologies, cybersecurity and digitalisation. Support for EU delegations and partner countries was strengthened in 2022 by means of various technical assistance facilities and the maturing of multi-stakeholder operations, memberships and outreach within the ‘Digital for development’ hub. Regional branches of the hub for the Americas and the Caribbean region and the Asia and Pacific region were launched in 2021 and 2022 respectively (in addition to the sub-Saharan Africa branch, which was launched in 2020). In 2023, the Neighbourhood branch of the Digital for development hub was launched. Relations with key multilateral organisations (such as the International Telecommunication Union) were strengthened, and exchanges with other important stakeholders (such as Smart Africa) were multiplied. Specific exchange formats have been created with the United Nations, but also with civil society and the private sector. The first African Union–EU Multistakeholder Forum was organised in March 2022 with support from the Digital for development hub. A support action was launched in 2023 to accompany the implementation of the digital partnerships concluded with Japan, Korea and Singapore, in line with the recommendation of the EU Indo-Pacific strategy.
- 2022 saw a move towards the concrete implementation of actions. Examples of global gateway flagship actions include the Team Europe initiative on data governance, the EurAfrica gateway, regional fibre optic backbones in Africa, the extension of the Bella project, the Team Europe initiative on digital connectivity in central Asia and the Earth observation flagship project with Africa. The Commission is also ready to start operationalising the Africa–Europe digital innovation bridge. Moreover, the Commission further supported cyber capacity building, especially in African countries, to enable a more efficient response to cyber threats, in addition to cybersecurity being mainstreamed across digital flagship projects.
- In 2023, several delegations across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region were supported through digital connectivity studies (Mozambique, Indo-Pacific region) and technical assistance (Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo) through the Knowledge Hub Digital. In Rwanda, the government was supported in the introduction of a digitalised process of obtaining licenses for responsible mineral sourcing.
- The EUR 60 million Team Europe project ‘Data governance in Africa’ was officially signed in 2023. Through this project, the EU and the African Union agreed to leverage the potential of the data economy through the development of data policy frameworks and data use cases to showcase the value of data. Additionally, the project aims to support the identification of investments in green and secure data infrastructure in Africa, by leveraging on partnerships with the private sector and financial institutions.
- Three digital economy packages were launched in Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya in 2023. These serve to foster collaboration between the EU and partner countries to advance digital transformation. Aligned with the global gateway strategy, they focus on critical areas such as private sector engagement, connectivity, governance, cybersecurity and Earth observation.
- In 2023, under the digital alliance, two Copernicus centres were launched in the Latin American and Caribbean region, namely in Chile and Panama. The Chilean centre plays a vital role in enhancing climate change mitigation through the use of advanced geo-spatial information, while the Panama centre focuses on supporting Latin American and Caribbean authorities in disaster prevention and management, offering essential geo-spatial products. Similarly, in Asia, a Copernicus centre was set up in the Philippines to reduce the vulnerability of populations and ecosystems to natural disasters. In Central Asia, the first component of a satellite connectivity programme was launched to create an enabling environment aimed at providing connectivity to the most unserved and underserved populations in the region.
- In 2023 the Medusa project was launched, providing high-speed internet connectivity between the European Union and North Africa. This strategic project aims at digitally connecting the two shores of the Mediterranean. Through the EU4Digital facility, the EU supported the digitalisation of economies in eastern Europe and in the Caucasus through the roll-out of secure and affordable broadband connectivity in rural areas, connecting more than 300 Eastern Partnership research and education institutions with their EU counterparts, benefiting 730 000 students, teachers and scientists; the development of an e-commerce accelerator benefiting 40 EaP SMEs, along with an online digital skills academy for thousands of SME staff to obtain training on how to promote, register, sell and ship their products to the EU. The EU4Digital facility also implemented key pilot projects between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine in the fields of e-customs, including in support of the Solidarity Lanes initiative and as part of wider roadmaps to develop digital transport corridors with the EU.
- EU policies were further strengthened in 2023 by developing internal digital policies and strategies such as the digital connectivity masterplan, the guidelines on education and skills and internal work about data centres) and by strategically supporting such policies while working with partners. This was done, for example, by working with multilateral organisations on strategic topics covered by EU policy (such as digital rights and principles and artificial intelligence). The EU is also working towards very concrete benefits for people, such as the adoption in 2022 of an action plan on reducing roaming charges in the Western Balkans and the development of a regional roaming agreement to be endorsed with Eastern Partner countries to reduce roaming charges in the region and in the future with the EU. The Commission is also stepping up its efforts to mainstream the digital domain across various thematic sectors, for instance by supporting the African Union in developing strategies on digital health, digital education (finalised in 2022) and digital agriculture (adopted in November 2023). Moreover, interlinkages between the digital and green transitions have been strengthened through the work of the Digital for development hub thematic working group on digital and green.
- In 2023, the EU CyberNet action enhanced its support to the EU’s cyber capacity building efforts, including through expertise, project mapping, coordination activities, trainings to EU staff and the completion of the EU’s operational guidance for cyber capacity building. The Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre, based in the Dominican Republic, gained visibility and recognition in the region.
Budget performance – outcomes
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Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
- In 2023, NDICI contracts are gradually starting to be implemented, which was anticipated in the milestones of relevant key performance indicators. The process before signing a contract and implementation starts can take several months up to more than a year, and also the preparation of the implementation itself takes time. Some indicators achieved their milestones, whereas others are not yet there. At the same time, the implementation of the predecessor programmes is and will still showcase aggregated results and indicate the direction in which the NDICI results should go. Also in the Neighbourhood regions, NDICI has demonstrated its general effectiveness during the reporting period and is on track on delivering against its main objectives, although it still faces some limitations. NDICI has been efficient in deploying a mix of modalities and tools, including budget support, grants, loans and guarantees to holistically respond to its objectives.
As illustrated by the Commission’s proposal on the revision of the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, there is a mismatch between EU ambitions and the funds available to meet the challenges in the different regions and globally, or respond to the multiplicity of crises, notably in the Neighbourhood. Increased migratory pressures had to be addressed in the absence of adequate funding, also due to the ending of the relevant EU regional Trust Funds. In the case of Neighbourhood, the implementation of the incentive-based approach has proven challenging and insufficient to promote political and economic reforms due to the limited funding available (indicatively 10% of the overall Neighbourhood envelope) and the complexity of assessing the progress along the several criteria set out by the NDICI-Global Europe regulation. The application of the incentive-based approach was further complicated by the negative economic impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and a democratic backsliding in several partner countries, particularly in the South Neighbourhood.
When looking at the key performance indicator on ‘Number of individuals with access to improved drinking water sources and/or sanitation facilitation with EU support’, an initial analysis of agreed NDICI action documents that include water and/or sanitation interventions has suggested that the targets will be achieved. There are several larger actions planned under NDICI that support this, such as the ‘EU support to Aqaba-Antman Water Desalination & Conveyance Project’ in Jordan, working on safe drinking water with a target of 10 900 000 people, the ‘Punjab urban water and wastewater governance and services improvement for Faisalabad and Lahore cities’ in Pakistan, with a target of 400 000 people and the ‘NEPAL Sustainable WASH for all (SUSWA)’ with a target of 252 500 people. For these three (and further) interventions, the contracts have been signed but no results have been reported so far; this is expected for the upcoming reporting exercises. Several multiannual indicative programmes and expected actions show a similar trend.
As with other cases of key performance indicators, the one on ‘Number of migrants, refugees and internally displaced people or individuals from host communities protected or assisted with EU support’ has also yet to start showing very concrete results. However, in line with the NDICI indicative 10% spending target on migration and forced displacement, allocations earmarked for migration featured prominently in country and regional multiannual indicative programmes in 2023, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Asia–Pacific regions, where they are most relevant. Cumulative figures of adopted initiatives in 2021-2022 resulted in contributions to the migration and forced displacement spending target of EUR 3.364 billion, or around 14% of the total NDICI annual budget. In 2023 the EU increased its engagement with partner countries in support of comprehensive Migration Partnerships, in line with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (3). Migration dialogues were strengthened and accompanied by significant EU funding support, taking partner countries’ needs and priorities into account. Joint engagement with Member States in a Team Europe approach was strengthened in the area of migration and forced displacement. Two regional flagship TEIs launched in December 2022 and started to pick up speed in addressing all aspects of migration management, following a whole-of-the-route approach, notably along the central and western Mediterranean and Atlantic migration routes. A regional TEI addressing the situation of Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries, was also launched in 2023.
As regards the key performance indicator ‘Number of individuals directly benefiting from EU-supported interventions that specifically aim to support civilian post-conflict, peacebuilding or conflict prevention’, the corresponding actions were adopted only in late 2021. Regarding non-programmable actions under the rapid response pillar, crisis-response actions continued to display a high degree of flexibility and timeliness. The most important achievements of 2023 include the continued response to the war of aggression against Ukraine, with six crisis response packages for Ukraine and an additional two for Moldova. It also included significant responses in both the Western Balkans and in the South Caucasus in relation to Armenia and Azerbaijan, along with responses to new crises during the year, such as the January earthquake in northwest Syria, the war in Sudan that broke out in April, and the war in Gaza following the 7 October attack by Hamas. Furthermore, ongoing and new crises were addressed in a variety of countries and regions, including Afghanistan, the African Great Lakes region, Armenia/Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ecuador, Haiti, the Horn of Africa, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Sahel region and Yemen.
NDICI demonstrated adaptability and responded well to emerging crises. Various flexibility features in the NDICI have proved their relevance to pursue EU priorities and to provide support to partner countries in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, notably in the Neighbourhood. However, 3 years into implementation, the cushion has almost been depleted, showing a mismatch between available funds and actual needs.
The ongoing Russian war of aggression in eastern Ukraine has had a direct negative impact on the region’s socioeconomic development, decreasing the levels of community security and disrupting the ability of local governments to adequately address the needs of the people. This has worsened the inequalities and further eroded trust in public institutions, especially in judiciary and law enforcement. To address these challenges, the European Union finances the EUR 40 million project ‘EU Support to the East of Ukraine – Recovery, Peacebuilding and Governance’, implemented by the UN Development Programme, UN Women, the UN Population Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organization. One of the objectives is to stimulate employment and economic growth.
Through NDICI, good administration was supported, as the cornerstone for preventing corruption and fostering an environment conducive to investment and business. A notable example was Ukraine, which lacked a comprehensive administrative procedure framework, relying instead on over 400 laws and thousands of pieces of secondary legislation that offered various approaches. The new Law on Administrative Procedure, a legislative effort of some 20 years, took effect on 15 December 2023 to remedy this and the EU supported the Ukrainian government in a comprehensive manner. The EUR 18 billion EU Macro-Financial Assistance Plus Instrument for Ukraine included a conditionality, mutually agreed upon by the Ukrainian government and the EU, to ensure the alignment of sectoral legislation with the new law. This condition played a significant role in mobilising stakeholders support for the law’s implementation process as part of the EU–Ukraine policy dialogue.
Three new Neighbourhood countries, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, became enlargement countries in 2022. Given that Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance III beneficiaries are defined in the annex of the related regulation, these three countries will continue to receive support to their EU accession process under the NDICI-Global Europe Instrument.
In 2023, the Commission was involved in the implementation of four distinct Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) with Indonesia, Senegal, South Africa and Vietnam, striving to deliver support and ambition for just energy transitions. The EU, together with other Group of Seven (known as G7) partners, concluded a JETP to support Senegal’s efforts to achieve universal access to energy and consolidate a low-carbon, resilient and sustainable energy system to accelerate the deployment of renewable energies. Senegal pledged to increase the share of renewable energies in the electricity mix to 40% by 2030.
Renewable hydrogen is expected to play a key role for energy security and for decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, with mutual benefits for EU and its partner countries, and the EU focused many assignments of the EU Technical Assistance Facility for Sustainable Energy on this topic, in Latin America, Africa and Asia. One of these assignments contributed to the launch of the Green Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap of Kenya at the Africa Climate Summit in September 2023. Other examples of support from the EU in Africa include Mauritania, Namibia and South Africa. In 2023, the EU also signed memoranda of understanding with Argentina and Uruguay to develop cooperation on renewable hydrogen.
Digitalisation was at the forefront of NDICI – Global Europe. In 2022, the Commission gave a grant of EUR 40 million to the European Investment Bank to support the Medusa project: the deployment of a state-of-the art submarine cable connecting the Southern Neighbourhood. The Medusa submarine cable system is an initiative for a high-capacity, low-latency solution to connect North Africa with Europe. This flagship infrastructure project is intended to become operational in 2025 and will significantly improve connectivity capacity towards Europe, quality of service and resilience, as it will provide an alternative path for data traffic towards targeted EU routes. In Rwanda, the government was supported in the introduction of a digitalised process of obtaining licenses for responsible mineral sourcing.
Furthermore, the EU made a commitment that at least 85% of all new external actions will have gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment as a significant or principal objective by 2025. For 2022 (the latest-known score), this percentage was 77%, or 427 out of 555 actions. This is leading to positive developments. For example, 23% of new actions that support public finance management reforms currently include a gender-budgeting component, which is beyond the 20% gender action plan III target.
Actions under NDICI also focus on horizontal priorities. Within this framework and, against the background of the gender action plan III and its key thematic areas of engagement, the European Commission’s efforts towards gender equality and women’s empowerment should take into account the challenges and opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation. In this sense, actions financed under the NDICI instrument also approach gender equality from an intersecting point of view, by focusing on cross-cutting themes. The EU support to women empowerment in Egypt, for example, aims to support women and girls’ empowerment and to overall promote gender equality. The action seeks to work towards these objectives also through the promotion of financial and digital inclusion, to strengthen women’s access to sustainable income and climate friendly economic opportunities. Moreover, through the State and Resilience Building Contract for the Republic of Moldova, aiming to assist Moldova in mitigating the socio-economic impact of the rising energy prices and in the energy transition, special focus is dedicated to gender equality – including in terms of socioeconomic inclusion and support.
In 2023, the midterm evaluation of the implementation of the gender action plan III took place, providing two conclusions on the results. On one hand, the plan has provided greater specificity on what the EU means by women’s economic empowerment, including important concepts of intersectionality and transformative change, but despite new opportunities for action in areas such as digital transformation and green economy, there is still more continuity than change in terms of what is being supported by EU external action. Furthermore, through the different gender action plans, the EU has made increasing commitments to women, peace and security, culminating in its identification in gender action plan III as a thematic priority requiring a transformative approach. However, the women, peace and security agenda has been lagging behind the broader gender equality and women’s empowerment mainstreaming agenda. Further information on the gender action plan III implementation is available in the ‘Horizontal priorities’ section.
NDICI demontrated effectiveness in using the whole EU tool box for pursuing its objectives (such as grants, budget support and guarantees) In 2021-2023, the Commission made available EUR 12.6 billion of guarantee cover for European Investment Bank loans and EUR 399 million of guarantee cover under the ‘open architecture’ part of EFSD+ for the Neighbourhood. Negotiations of guarantee agreements are underway for another EUR 1.2 billion of EFSD+ guarantee cover to be deployed in the Neighbourhood. As regards European Investment Bank loans, under EFSD+ Investment Window 1, which is dedicated to public sector investments, eight operations amounting to around EUR 850 million in loans and expected to mobilise EUR 2.9 billion of investments were approved in 2023 for neighbourhood countries. In addition, 26 blending operations were approved, for a total EU contribution of more than EUR 340 million. All investments contribute significantly to the implementation of the Economic and Investment plans for the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods.
(3) https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/new-pact-migration-and-asylum_en.
MFF 2014-2020 – Development Cooperation Instrument
The Development Cooperation Instrument was the main financial instrument in the EU budget for funding aid to developing countries during the 2014-2020.
Budget implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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- To achieve its objectives, the Development Cooperation Instrument provided funding for: (1) geographical programmes covering most developing countries (approximately 60% of the instrument’s budget); (2) thematic programmes (approximately 36%); (3) the Pan-African programme, which supports the Africa–EU Strategic Partnership (approximately 4%).
- The Development Cooperation Instrument is expected to complete its operations by the end of 2027. The remaining payments are mostly for Asia and the Middle East (49%).
- As the instrument winds down, 2023, has not seen significant new contracts signed. In Asia, while new contracts amounted to EUR 58 million, all new engagement were below EUR 10 million. Likewise in Latin America, where contracting amounts to EUR 23 million.
- In Asia and the Middle East, payments decreased, from EUR 734 million in 2022 to EUR 616 million disbursed in 2023. However, ongoing commitments still amount to EUR 1,529 million. Bangladesh, Iraq and Pakistan account for one third of the total disbursements.
- Latin America accounts for 20% of the remaining payments, which will occur over the next following years. For this region, the importance of sustainable investments continues to grow. The Development Cooperation Instrument’s contribution through the Latin America Investment Facility continued 2023. The level of investment leveraged based on this contribution amounts to approximately EUR 3 billion. By the end of 2023, EUR 368 million have been paid out.
- In Latin America, EUR 216 million were disbursed in 2023, with ongoing commitments already down to EUR 401 million. Bolivia, Paraguay and Nicaragua accounted for 40% of disbursements, while almost one quarter of payments were managed centrally by Headquarters.
- The EU Trust Fund for Colombia continued to support the implementation of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The trust fund has financed 34 projects, amounting to EUR 130 million.
- The midterm evaluation conducted in 2017 also considered the Development Cooperation Instrument to be generally cost-efficient when looking at indicators measuring organisational performance. It was considered to be largely on track to deliver on its objectives. Drawing on the report of the UN Secretary-General on SDG Progress in 2019, this conclusion can be extended for the full MFF 2014-2020.
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Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
- The specific, diverse and rapidly changing context of EU external action requires the use of all the existing implementation means and delivery methods to pursue the policy objectives and operational priorities. With a budget of approximately EUR 20 billion, the Development Cooperation Instrument has been a key financing instrument to support EU development policy.
- By using the Development Cooperation Instrument, the EU financed measures aimed at supporting geographic and thematic cooperation with developing countries.
- The Development Cooperation Instrument was monitored by the EU Results Framework. The final evaluation of the external Financing Instruments under the previous (2014-2020) multiannual financial framework is underway, together with the midterm evaluation of the external financing instruments under the current (2021-2027) multiannual financial framework. The ‘Mid-term review report of External Financing Instruments’ for 2014-2020 was published in 2017.
- The EU’s financial support via the Development Cooperation Instrument has improved the lives of millions of people worldwide, enabled young people to fulfil their potential, helped to fight inequality and supported equitable and sustainable growth .
- However, it remains difficult to measure the direct impact of the 2014-2020 Development Cooperation Instrument on development outcomes such as poverty reduction, because there are so many other contributing actors and factors, and separating the specific effect of the Development Cooperation Instrument is challenging.
- With the above caveat in mind on the impossibility of establishing a direct link with the programme measures, most of the population residing in Development Cooperation Instrument partner countries has seen progress in poverty reduction and human and economic development over the last 10 years.
- Indeed, the proportion of the world population below the international poverty line dropped every year between 2014 and 2019, when it reached 8.5%. Similarly, the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 and the prevalence of stunting also decreased every single year between 2014 and 2021. For these figures there is no newer data available.
- Despite these positive trends, the rates of change have slowed over time as numbers have approached (but not reached) their ambitious targets. The prevalence of stunting is the exception for which targets have consistently been met.
- On the other hand, most international indicators point to a sustained global decline in democracy and the rule of law over the last decade or more. Funding through thematic, regional, and country programmes has been shaped by analysis of these trends. Most programmes identify democratic governance as a key area of support and thematic programmes address some of the most problematic issues, for example through support to parliaments, political parties and independent media.
MFF 2014-2020 – European Neighbourhood Instrument
The European Neighbourhood Instrument financed, for the 2014-2020 period, the European neighbourhood policy, which aims at supporting political, economic and social reform processes in the EU's neighbouring countries.
Budget implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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- As of 31 December 2023, the whole of the European Neighbourhood Instrument envelope was committed, and 80.9% was paid.
- In average 2.1 years are needed to pay the total costs of legal commitments, less than the internal Commission target of 4 years for external action programmes. The implementation of the European Neighbourhood Instrument payment appropriations is expected at the level of EUR 727.6 million in 2024, and EUR 460 million in 2025. This should bring the implementation rate up to 78.3% at the end of 2024 and 81.0% at the end of 2025.
- 39.5% of European Neighbourhood Instrument payments in 2023 were dedicated to social infrastructure and services, 21.1% to humanitarian aid, and 17.2% to economic infrastructure and services, 10% to production sectors and 6.7% to multisector measures.
- Moreover, 57.5% of payment appropriations were implemented through direct management (out of which 44.5% through trust funds and 44.2% through EU Delegations), 29% through indirect management (out of which 39.1% through international organisations, 20.7% through European investment bank/fund, 18.7% through public law bodies and 16.8% through private law bodies with a public service mission) and 4.2% through shared management.
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- The European Neighbourhood Instrument remained relevant and overall fit for purpose. It allowed the EU to implement the reviewed Neighbourhood Policy. The implementation of the principle of differentiation, which was still paramount in 2018-2020, has allowed the EU to adapt its support to partner countries’ needs and ambitions.
- ENI proved to be a flexible instrument, by allowing the EU to react to multiple crises and new challenges in the Neighbourhood. A part of the ongoing assistance covered by the instrument was repurposed to tailor- made interventions, following the Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. On top of that, unallocated funds were mobilised quickly to sign new contracts to respond to urgent needs, especially at the grass root level.
- However, its flexibility was stretched to its limits in financial terms, and the indicative allocations had to be modified beyond the 10% range set in the multiannual programmes. This constraint remained valid from 2018 to 2020 and was addressed via the introduction of flexibilities in NDICI-Global Europe.
- The EU managed to increase its visibility in a difficult environment. The EU continued to assist Neighbourhood countries in tackling the causes of instability through a sustained focus on good governance and the rule of law and human rights, both in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood. This dovetails with the work on implementing the Eastern Partnership agenda which calls for a more flexible, strategic, and streamlined way that is fit for the fundamentally new geopolitical context resulting from the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the Council conclusions of June 2022 for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. The contribution of the European Neighbourhood Instrument to good governance and the rule of law is reflected, for example, in the fact that Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine demonstrated several achievements in these areas. This progress was also included in the 2023 enlargement reports.
- ENI has demonstrated efficiency in deploying a mix of modalities and tools, including budget support, grants, loans and guarantees to holistically respond to its objectives. A notable example is the Integrated Territorial Development-Budget Support Contract which, aims to promote regional development by increasing competitiveness and improving the living conditions of the population in the regions outside of Tbilisi and Batumi. Reducing regional inequalities and increasing territorial cohesion are at the centre of the Regional Development Programme, which targets all regions of Georgia. Implementation of activities under the programme started already in 2021 and the first tangible results were achieved in 2022, such as support to SMEs (trainings and entrepreneurship discovery), improvement of key infrastructure and municipal services (kindergartens, transport, street numbering, parks and other public facilities). In addition, the programme also promoted citizen participation in Georgian cities and communities to ensure higher relevance of local policy to the needs of local population.
- ENI has also continued to provide support for the green transition to partner countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood, in line with the external dimension of the European Green Deal ensuring a sustainable and green economic recovery. For example, EU for Climate Action in the Southern Neighbourhood (2018-2025) provides technical assistance to support the transition of Southern Neighbourhood countries towards sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient development. By 2020, the project had reached 9 million people in eight countries through the development and implementation of sustainable energy and climate action plans. Six communication campaigns have been held; 138 cities have been trained and have benefited from a help desk on the Covenant of Majors; 420 cities’ staff have been trained on developing sustainable local actions that helps municipalities drafting - and seeking funding for - their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP). By January 2024, the project reached 28 million people in 10 countries (8 southern Mediterranean countries plus Iraq and UAE) and in 189 cities, members of the Covenant of Mayors for the Mediterranean. Furthermore, 92 cities and unions of municipalities, with a population of 8,787 million, prepared Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) in 69 published documents. The percentages of SECAP projects implemented and under implementation per country are: Egypt 80%, Jordan 47%, Lebanon 100%, Morocco 35%, Palestine 72%, and Tunisia 61%. Additionally, 8 Climate Action Strategies and 1 Climate Finance Guidebook were completed.
- Some 10.5 million beneficiaries were supported in 2014-2023 by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis. In the eastern neighbourhood at least EUR 230 million has been spent, focusing mainly on legal migration – including mobility, circular migration, and diaspora cooperation – and on border management
- The opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and the granting of candidate status to Georgia have paved the way to the need to recalibrate the Eastern Partnership. As regards to the indicator ‘‘Number of ministerial, platform and panel meetings under the Eastern Partnership’’ the trend is not positive. In line with the request of a lighter institutional framework of the Eastern Partnership by Member States and EaP partners at the EaP Ministerial Meeting in December 2022, in 2023 EC and EEAS carried out a consultation process on the Eastern Partnership Annual Work Plan. As outcome of this process, endorsed at the EaP Senior Officials Meeting in March 2023, there are no more formal panels and platforms meetings among Member States and partners per se. The regular fruitful discussions at expert or policy level were re-branded differently as meetings, workshops, seminars and events.
- Following the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the Communication on attracting skills and talent, the Commission’s strategy on legal migration and mobility has been evolving with its focus moving from the concept of Mobility Partnerships to the one of Talent Partnerships. Current work under Talent Partnerships aims at establishing dialogue and common priorities between the EU, its Member States, and key North African partners (Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco). 3 partnerships have been launched in 2023 with Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. Activities supporting these partnerships have so far been funded through the EUTF for Africa , North of Africa window notably the THAMM programme. With the phasing out of the Trust Fund funding for this type of activities is gradually coming from NDICI- GE.
MFF 2014-2020 – European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights
The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights aimed at providing support for the promotion of democracy and human rights in non-EU countries. It focused on the following two objectives:
- supporting, developing and consolidating democracy in non-EU countries, by enhancing participatory and representative democracy, strengthening the overall democratic cycle, in particular by reinforcing an active role for civil society within this cycle, and the rule of law, and improving the reliability of electoral processes, in particular by means of EU Election Observation Missions;
- enhancing respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international and regional human rights instruments, and strengthening their protection, promotion, implementation and monitoring, mainly through support to relevant civil society organisations, human rights defenders and victims of repression and abuse.
Budget implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2022 (million EUR):
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- In 2023, the programme, , still supported 333 initiatives, primarily led by civil-society organisations across the world.
- In addition, the implementation of Flagship initiatives continued in 2023, namely:
- the Crisis facility for the most difficult human rights situations;
- projects on parliamentary strengthening (INTER PARES) through peer-to-peer support between EU Member States and parliaments from partner countries;
- the implementation of the four contracts awarded in the call for proposals launched in 2020 with the objective of countering the shrinking space for civil society (EUR 10 million);
- The full absorption of payments is expected in 2027.
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The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was implemented against the backdrop of an overall slowdown in the consolidation of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, and human rights globally. In relation to the World Bank’s rule-of-law score, the situation deteriorated between 2014 and 2016 and has not significantly improved since.
In this context, the key added value of the EIDHR lay in the independence of its action and in its worldwide coverage, allowing for interventions in the most difficult country situations and without the consent of the host governments, and acting where other instruments and donors cannot or do not act. It has been able to address challenges relating to human rights and democracy in even the most difficult and challenging environments.
The midterm evaluation conducted in 2017 judged the instrument to be generally efficient thanks to a relatively low level of administrative expenditure and its essential, built-in, flexible tools, for instance its direct support for human-rights defenders, its direct small grants, and the way it works with informal partners.
333 projects were still ongoing in 2023.
In addition, the implementation of Flagship initiatives continued in 2023, namely:
- Crisis facility for the most difficult human rights situations;
- projects on parliamentary strengthening (INTER PARES) through peer-to-peer support between EU Member States and parliaments from partner countries;
- the implementation of the four contracts awarded in the call for proposals launched in 2020 with the objective of countering the shrinking space for civil society (EUR 10 million).
MFF 2014-2020 – Partnership Instrument for Cooperation with Third Countries
The Partnership Instrument for Cooperation with Third Countries was, in 2014-2020, the EU's first instrument specifically designed to promote the EU's strategic interests worldwide by reinforcing its external strategies, policies and initiatives.
The Instrument also contributed to the trade-related aspects of the Union’s external relations including supply-chain due diligence in order to ensure consistency and mutual support between Union trade policy and development goals and actions.
Budget implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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- The 99.9% execution of commitment appropriations and 76% execution of payment appropriations reflect the way the Instrument is implemented through annual action programmes and multi-year contracts (on average 4 years). Consequently, the implementation of interventions will continue over the coming years, with the last contracts ending around 2025-2026.
- In 2023, the Instrument continued to contribute to the EU’s external action by supporting its foreign policy, articulating and implementing the external dimension of internal policies, leveraging its influence, interconnecting different policy areas and supporting multilateralism. Actions covered challenges of global concern such as climate change, environmental protection; improving access to markets and boosting trade, investment, and business opportunities for EU companies (with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises); and public diplomacy.
- The requests for payment appropriations for the Partnership Instrument in 2024 and 2025 will allow for continued implementation of measures previously committed. For example, the implementation of important measures in the domain of policy dialogue support, trade, competition, intellectual property rights, urban cooperation, civil aviation, business and human rights, public health, climate change and digital cooperation will continue in 2024 and 2025.
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- Given the variety and diversity of themes covered by the Partnership Instrument, sectoral evaluations and project evaluations were carried to assess the efficiency of the instrument by examining how its specific objectives were achieved. In particular, in 2023 a sector evaluation of the Policy Dialogues Support Facilities (PDSF) was carried out.
- This evaluation assessed the relevance, outcomes, and approach of thirteen PDSF, as well as the added value of the activities in strengthening EU’s partnerships/alliances and the EU’s positioning as a global player in support multilateralism and rules-based order, in line with the objectives of the PI. The thirteen facilities cover the Americas and Asia.
- The evaluation concluded that PDSFs are demand-driven interventions. They focus on areas of dialogue, exchange and advocacy that are part of the EU agenda. They work best where there are clear agendas and priorities for the region and are aligned with EU Foreign Policy interests. The flexibility of the Facilities is recognised as one of their main advantages, providing sufficient scope for the EU Delegations to adapt their requests and support new emerging priorities and needs.
- The PDSFs reinforce cooperation and links between the Headquarters based EU central services and the EU Delegations, thus strengthening the advocacy’s role of the delegations and overall EU’s ability to reach out to its key partners.
- Finally, the evaluation recommended that FPI’s central services provide guidance on the different opportunities offered the facilities, encouraging exchange of lessons learnt and best practices, also in relation to monitoring and how to identify suitable indicators to capture results.
MFF 2014-2020 – Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace
Between 2014 and 2020, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace was one of the EU's main instruments in the areas of crisis response, conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness, and in addressing global and transregional threats.
Budget implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2022 (million EUR):
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- The implementation of financial programming in 2014-2020 was fully in line with expectations. By the end of 2023, 100% of the envelope had been committed and 85% had been paid.
- The 85% execution of payment appropriations for the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace is explained by measures responding to conflict situations or situations at risk of conflict, with a high risk of unforeseen events impacting implementation and resulting in measures consequently being amended.
- The payment-appropriation requests for 2024 and 2025 will allow the continued implementation of measures under the Instrument committed until the adoption of the NDICI – Global Europe regulation. For example, the implementation of important measures focusing on challenges linked to counterterrorism, organised crime and disinformation, women, peace and security, climate change and conflict and to making digital solutions, including social media, work for peace and stability, will continue in 2024 and 2025.
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- Between 2014 and 2020, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace funded activities in the areas of (1) crisis response, (2) conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and crisis preparedness and (3) response to global, transregional and emerging threats. The Instrument’s activities were implemented in conflict zones, post-conflict environments and emerging crisis contexts.
- 70% of the Instrument's funds were allocated to the non-programmable crisis-response component enabling the EU to respond quickly to crises. Almost 1 000 actions were put in place during the 2014-2020 period, including EUR 100 million specifically for building capacity of military actors in security for development, following the amendment of the instrument's legal basis in 2017.
- Longer-term programmable measures on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and crisis preparedness, along with responses to global, transregional and emerging threats, represented 9% and 21% of the overall budget, respectively.
- The Instrument delivered timely crisis-response measures: the percentage of measures adopted within 3 months of a crisis context has reached levels above the target.
- In terms of emerging crises, the instrument has been of great importance in developing the EU Early Warning System, which has subsequently allowed, among others, for the mobilisation of timely and targeted measures in the countries analysed.
- For the conflict prevention component, the Instrument has supported, through 75 action grants to civil-society organisations between 2014 and 2020, a multitude of locally driven conflict prevention measures in more than 30 countries, strengthening the role of women and young people in confidence-building activities and peace processes.
- Engagement in areas such as counterterrorism, prevention of violent extremism, fight against organised crime, climate change and security, protection of critical infrastructure and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risk mitigation reinforced the EU’s role as a credible and responsive external actor.
- Evaluations carried out in 2018 and 2022 on European Union external response to counterterrorism (CT) and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), both confirmed that the EU continues to be a major donor and implementer of CT and P/CVE actions across the globe and is increasingly seen in the field as a ‘player’ (i.e. implementer and source of good practice), not just as a ‘payer’ (i.e. donor).
- Regarding support to in-country civil society actors in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness, an evaluation from October 2022, highlighted how interventions funded by the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace have contributed directly and indirectly to improving relations between stakeholders, promoting civil society participation in decision-making, and reducing or preventing conflict. The identified strengths of the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace are its flexible and timely capacity to respond to crises worldwide, strong capacity to underpin and consolidate conflict prevention and peace building involving civil society and its global reach allowing the EU to respond proactively to major global and transregional threats.
- The final evaluation of the previous multiannual financial framework instruments (2014-2020), including the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, and the mid-term evaluation of NDICI-Global Europe are expected during 2024. These evaluations’ conclusions will provide an objective assessment of the performance of the Instrument as a whole.
Sustainable development goals
Contribution to the sustainable development goals
SDG | Example |
---|---|
SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere | The enhancing rural resilience in Yemen programme (ERRY III) aims to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience of crisis-affected communities in Yemen through the creation of sustainable livelihoods, improved food security, economic recovery, access to basic services, climate risk reduction and community conflict mitigation. The programme is implemented by a consortium of United Nations agencies under the lead of UNDP and comprising WFP, ILO, and FAO. The main local partner for the implementation in Yemen is the Social Fund for Development, a local non-governmental organisation with public-sector competences in basic service delivery and small business support. The programme is in its third phase and the benefits for the target communities include the creation of sustainable livelihoods opportunities through improved farming practices, support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to stimulate employment opportunities, community assets restoration (communal marketplaces, water infrastructure), agricultural value chains, supporting women’s economic empowerment (targeted training and business skills support) as well as access to renewable energy (provision of solar power to public buildings and businesses). To date, the programme achieved significant results, such as the activation of 326 Village Cooperative Councils to define community needs; the creation of 50 Sub-district Development Committees; the implementation of 407 self-help initiatives to empower communities; development of 5 accredited vocational curricula for highly-demanded occupations and partnered with the Federation of Yemen Chambers of Commerce and Industry to develop an entrepreneurship training package. The EU contribution to the third phase of this programme, which lasts from 2022 to 2025, is EUR 35 million, with an additional contribution of EUR 1 million from Sweden. The overall investment of the EU in all three phases of the enhancing rural resilience in Yemen programme amounts to EUR 105 million since 2016. |
SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture | Extreme poverty and hunger are predominantly rural, with smallholder farmers and their families making up a very significant proportion of the poor and hungry. Understanding and acting on the inter linkages among supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering small farmers, promoting gender equality, ending rural poverty, ensuring healthy lifestyles, and tackling climate change is thus key to achieving SDG 2. The degree of complexity of SDG 2, require investments in research and innovation and in technical services. For example, the Green Deal Knowledge Hub – Farm-to-Fork, developed in 2023 with a total multiannual allocation of EUR 32.5 million, allows the Commission and EU Delegations to access technical services that by looking into national food systems, nutrition services, specific value chains, policies, and legislation help identify and put in place solutions to increase food security and nutrition and help the transformation of food systems as a way of contributing to a more equal, fair, and sustainable society. In 2021, at the Nutrition for Growth event in Tokyo, the EU pledged EUR 2.5 billion to support nutrition for 2021-2024. Since then, the Commission has been promoting integration of nutrition objectives in sectorial programmes and tracking nutrition-related investments in view of the next N4G in France in 2025 where the report on progress made will be presented. Nutrition objectives have been included in relevant actions in health, education, WASH, agriculture and social protection also thanks to the policy and methodological support that the Commission provided to EU Delegations through, for example, the Nutrition Quick Tips in Capacity4Dev and the Nutrition Webinars in the INTPA Academy. |
SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages | The Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) collaborates with African partners to enhance local pharmaceutical systems and manufacturing capacity. This initiative adopts a comprehensive approach across supply, demand, and enabling environment, with six key work streams focusing on industrial development, market shaping, regulatory strengthening, technology transfer, access to finance, and research and development. Its goal is to facilitate access to quality, safe, effective, and affordable health products, aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal target 3.8. With over 1.3 billion euros mobilized, MAV+ operates through 89 projects and 23 implementing partners, ensuring coordination among stakeholders. It supports specific countries like Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, and Nigeria in improving their pharmaceutical ecosystems and production capabilities. MAV+ aims for continent-wide benefits, leaving no one behind and fostering collaboration with the African Union and its health agencies. At the regional level, MAV+ contributes to consolidating initiatives such as the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing and the African Medicines Agency. It addresses financing gaps through partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms. Additionally, MAV+ supports regulatory strengthening, research and development, and market access to bolster Africa's self-reliance in pharmaceuticals, ultimately contributing to global health security and sustainable development. |
SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all | EU investments 2021-2023 through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) have contributed to giving 2,594,647 girls and boys access to a primary education and 1,191,588 children to secondary education. GPE is the largest global fund solely dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries, and a unique, multi-stakeholder partnership. GPE supports partner countries to develop their own pathway to transform their education system by identifying key challenges, implementing priority reforms and aligning all stakeholders to achieve results. The vision is to ensure that every girl and boy in all partner countries can get 12 years of quality education plus one year of preschool. The partnership includes currently around 68 partners countries, while most financial support goes to the lowest income and crisis-affected countries, making sure no child is left behind. This is directly contributing to SDG4 targets. |
SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls | All projects and programs marked as G1 (gender equality is a significant objective) or G2 (gender equality is the main objective) as per the gender equality policy marker of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee contribute to SDG5. According to the NDICI – Global Europe regulation, at least 85% of new actions implemented should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective, as defined by the gender equality policy marker. At least 5% of these actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective. On 25 November 2020, the gender action plan III (2021-2025), a joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was adopted with the same objective of 85% towards the total number of adopted actions, following the Development Assistance Committee’s methodology. In 2023, the Gender Action Plan III was extended to 2027, but the target date for institutional and strategic targets such as the 85% target remains 2025. . In 2022, over 555 committed projects and programmes, 427 were marked G1 or G2. In the Eastern Partnership, the EUR 9.7 million ‘EU4Gender Equality’ programme 2020-2023 continues to aim to strengthen equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the Eastern Neighbourhood by challenging gender stereotypes, work on violence prevention and championing men’s participation in care work. The programme also includes a Reform Helpdesk that supports governments’ reform work towards equal opportunities for women and men and contributes to SDG 5 |
SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all | In 2022-23, four Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova) received EU support to initiate wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance. This is a low-cost, early warning approach for detecting community transmission of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Ukraine has also started using this type of surveillance. The next step is strengthening the institutional basis for its use across the entire region. This work is part of a wider regional programme contributing to SDG-6, as well as on SDG3. To work on all dimensions of the SDG 6, and notably SDG 6. 5 target to implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate, in 2023 the EU launched the Team Europe Initiative on Transboundary Water Management for sustainable development and regional integration in Africa. The 2 first programmes were developed and begun implementation: i) the EUR 11 million Blue Africa Programme with the African Union Commission and the African Minister Council on Water aims at improving water governance in the continent and mobilising finance for the sector; ii) the EUR 31 million TAKIWAMA programme for integrated water resources management and circular economy in the basins of lake Kivu and Tanganyika, in a Team Europe approach notably with Belgium and Germany. This later action will notably consolidate the implementation of a complete monitoring of the quality of waters in this strategic basin while working on the diminution of pollution sources through waste and water treatment and management. |
SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all | In line with the Global Gateway, the EU supported partner countries in their just and green energy transition by promoting renewable energy including renewable hydrogen, transmission lines, electricity market reforms, energy efficiency and energy access. Important focus was given on the implementation of the Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative (AEGEI), a regional Team Europe Initiative: at COP 28, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announced a pledge of more than EUR 20 billion from Team Europe partners of this initiative. Among other priorities pursued and programmes implemented, focus was given on the further development and implementation of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) (South Africa, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Senegal). Many examples could be given on different programmes and initiatives, worldwide. For instance, the Regional Energy Transition Outlooks programme in Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, was implemented in 2023 to provide regional mapping to implement an energy transition towards long-term renewable energy integration. At the Global Gateway Forum in October 2023, the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Bangladesh signed agreements worth EUR 395 mln for renewable energy projects to contribute to a sustainable green transition of Bangladesh’s power sector and to the achievement of the country’s climate mitigation targets. Projects will contribute to boost renewable energy capacity and access to energy throughout Bangladesh. In many countries, the insufficient transmission and distribution grid is a limitation to the green transition. Therefore the European Union has included new power interconnection projects on the Global Gateway list of 2023 to accelerate the regional integration and contributing to future trade of clean electricity for mutual interest of the EU and its neighbouring partner countries (Egypt, Tunisia). |
SDG8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all | In line with the Global Gateway and the need to focus on specific sectors to maximise our impact, the EU endeavours to keep on encouraging economic growth. This is notably the case through the support it brings in the development on specific value chains, notably at regional level where the EU committed EUR 2 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the EU supports the development of surrounding communities and the building up of local industries and jobs. Through the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) the EU is committed to improve the business environment, in particular for artisanal and small-scale miners through formalisation and certification activities and increased access to international markets. The EPRM also includes activities to eradicate child labour. Together with other projects, the EU keeps focusing on achieving the Target 8.7 that aims at ending child labour in all its forms. That is why the EU launched in May 2023 a new flagship initiative on ending child labour in coffee and cobalt value chains with the total contribution of EUR 10 million. The project operates at global and national levels in Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, Uganda and Vietnam. The coffee stakeholders identification was finalised in Uganda, while in Honduras it is well advanced. Key activities will follow in 2024 while the final outcomes are expected in 2026. The EU continues contributing towards the development of sustainable and equitable economic growth models in the Eastern Partnership countries. The EU4Business initiative reported that EUR 2.532 billion in extra income was generated for small and medium-sized enterprises, which received EU support in 2022. Around 78,000 companies in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine received assistance and managed to create over 83,410 new jobs. |
SDG9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation | The extension of the BELLA initiative is part of the Pillar 2 of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance. It aims at improving secure connectivity between Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) research and education networks with the European Union (EU). Building upon the success of the previous phase, which included the construction of a new submarine cable connecting Europe directly to Latin America (BELLA-S) and a South American terrestrial fiber-optic backbone (BELLA-T), the subsequent BELLA II phase seeks to strengthen and extend this network to, at least, five new countries. The primary objectives are to strengthen the LAC digital ecosystem, facilitate connectivity for countries like Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and extending the cable to the Caribbean. This initiative not only signifies a groundbreaking regional digital partnership but also underscores a commitment to a human-centric vision of the digital transformation, emphasizing universal human rights, the rule of law, transparency, and cybersecurity. The enterprise also strives to enhance the adoption of digital technologies for research and education, fostering collaborative relationships with European counterparts. Anticipated outcomes include connecting new countries to the BELLA cable, developing impactful projects leveraging BELLA's digital ecosystem, and generating high-level agreements through open dialogues with at least nine LAC countries. The Action lasts from 2021 to 2024. Through the EU4Digital facility, the EU supported the digitalization of economies in eastern Europe and in the Caucasus through the roll-out of secure and affordable broadband connectivity in rural areas, connecting more than 300 Eastern Partnership Research and Education Institutions with their EU counterparts, benefiting 730,000 students, teachers and scientists; the development of an e-commerce accelerator benefiting 40 EaP SMEs as well as an online digital skills academy for thousands of SMEs’ staff to obtain training on how to promote, register, sell and ship their products to the EU. |
SDG10 Reduce inequalities within and among countries | The action ‘Support to formalisation of the economy including social protection and support to public finance management’ in Angola aims at addressing inequalities, by reducing the informality of the Angolan economy, providing social protection and promoting decent jobs, focusing on the most vulnerable. With an estimated budget of EUR 62.6 million for a 5-year period, the Action seeks to expand access to social protection, digital financial services and business-related trainings for informal vulnerable workers and businesses, in particular women, to foster their formalisation. The EU will provide financial transfers is providing budget support and technical assistance as well as conduct inclusive and gender-responsive policy dialogue towards defining a government plan to ensure continuous progress in accelerating the formalisation process, along with social benefits (access to social protection) and digital financial inclusion, and effective social dialogue. Through this Action, the EU will also support Public Finance Management reforms, an effective tool to address inequalities. Building on an 11th EDF-supported pilot, the programme started implementation in 2023, with progress at a political and strategic level, namely with intensive work on strategic and sectoral-guiding documents. In addition, permanent offices, where all formalisation services are accessible, were opened in some Angolan markets and there are plans to open more. Also, capacity-building initiatives took place in the markets where adequate infrastructure allowed. Contributing to SDG 10, the EU adopted a new initiative of EUR 30 M in 2023 to help Jordan set up a comprehensive and sustainable social protection system, to assist vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees cope with the deterioration of their economic condition following the impact of numerous crisis hitting the country. |
SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable | The EU supported the development of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy across the world., in particular through its global secretariat but also through 13 regional windows including in the EU. . The GCoM is the largest global alliance for cities united in climate action, spread across 6 continents and in more than 132 countries. According to the Aggregation report 2023, GCoM comprises 13 239 cities which, by becoming signatories of the initiative, voluntarily committed to reduce their CO2 emissions by at least 30% in 2030. Support consists of enhancing the international visibility and the communications related to the GCoM initiative in coordination with the Regional Covenants, improving the global coherence and supporting the work of the Regional Covenants, as well as providing ad-hoc or on-demand support to specific regions and countries, particularly those not currently covered by EU-financed Regional Covenants. A regional level, the support aimed to accompany cities in the development of SECAPs and in developing bankable investment projects contributing to the sustainable urbanisation of cities, contributing to the Paris Agreement objectives and the resilience of cities towards climate change. |
SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns | The EU4Environment programme is making a significant impact on sustainable consumption and production in the Eastern Neighbourhood. It has increased awareness and adoption of circular economy principles and practices among both public and private actors. As a result of the programme, legislation has been brought in line with the EU acquis in areas such as green procurement (in Georgia and Moldova), waste management (in Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova), and extended producer responsibility (in Ukraine). Moldova has been able to introduce its own eco-label and incorporate sustainability criteria into public procurement tenders. Pilot projects for mapping industrial waste have also been implemented in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine. Enterprises in the region have received expert guidance to enhance resource and energy efficiency and embrace eco-innovative business strategies in key sectors. For example, the EU4Environment programme has conducted assessments of Ukrainian companies using the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) methodology. To date, nine companies have implemented approximately one-fifth of the identified RECP measures, resulting in expected annual savings of around EUR 200,000. |
SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts | Year 2023 was characterised by tangible progresses in the roll-out of the TEI on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa, with the EU and 7 Member States having joined the initiative, and contributions made to Global Climate Funds as well as to the Global Shield against Climate Risks and the African Risk Capacity. The initiative provides a way forward to mobilise additional finance and find new modalities between European and African institutions to promote resilience and adaptation. It responds to disaster risks by focusing on a comprehensive four-pillar framework. This TEI will support African partners by improving the understanding of risks, strengthening policy and governance, and leveraging public and private resources to that end. It also promote Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI) mechanisms to protect vulnerable populations against residual risks. |
SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development | In 2023, the EU allocated EUR 271 million towards ocean protection and supporting development of the blue economy in partner countries , in particular sustainable aquatic food value chains. This aims to enhance the availability and accessibility of nutritious aquatic foods, while safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring the sustainable utilization of oceans, seas, and marine resources. For example: - 20 million at global level to support the development of resilient and sustainable aquatic food product value chains. - a 7 EUR million to improve the protection and restoration of biodiversity and the environment, while enhancing the resilience to climate change in the Mediterranean region. - a EUR 59 million program on ocean governance in West Africa, targeting sustainable fisheries, IUU fishing, sustainable blue economy, and management and monitoring in MPAs - at the bilateral level, several programs in African countries focusing on fostering sustainable blue economies, including strengthening the sustainability of aquatic food value chains. Tanzania (EUR 110 million): Focus on environmental protection, climate-resilient coastal ecosystem management, and the development of sustainable aquatic food value chains. Mauritania (EUR 10 million): Emphasis on sustainable, inclusive, and climate-smart blue economy development, with a particular focus on fisheries and marine environment protection. Mozambique (EUR 35 million): Support for increased investments in the sustainable blue economy, development of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chains, and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems. Angola (EUR 30 million): Prioritizing the sustainable management of marine biological resources, economic inclusiveness in aquatic foods value chains, and enhanced marketability of aquatic food products. |
SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss | As part of a large global and regional effort to halt and reverse land degradation, from 2017 to 2023 ‘Regreening Africa’ has been improving smallholder livelihoods, food security, and resilience to climate change in eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by restoring ecosystem services. In its first phase, the programme has helped to reverse almost one million hectares of land degradation, benefitting 500,000 households in the process and catalysing an even larger scaling effort to restore tens of millions of hectares of degraded land across Africa. ‘Regreening Africa’ works to support people in their efforts to restore their landscapes to secure sustainable benefits while boosting the impact of invested resources. At the local scale, the project works with smallholder farmers through lead farmers, farmer groups, community-based organizations, extension staff, and local government to provide technical support. On a sub-national and national scale, the programme works with a range of stakeholders to share lessons and technical support as well as to create an enabling policy and institutional environment. |
SDG16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels | Within the framework of the EuroMed justice programme (2020-2023), Southern Neighbourhood countries contributed to the preparation of action plans on judicial cooperation for countering trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants, and on confiscation of crime proceeds and asset recovery. The overall objective is to contribute to protecting the EU neighbouring countries’ citizens against criminal activities, respecting the rule of law and fundamental human rights. The programme builds sustainable cross-regional mechanisms of cooperation, strengthens regional judicial training platforms, develops practical tools. Partner countries are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. The programme ‘Strengthening local governance and resilience in South Sudan’ (launched in 2022) has been contributing to enhanced effectiveness of subnational governance structures on inter-and-intra communal peace dialogues and in addressing discriminatory gender/social norms as well as enhanced effectiveness of local communities to address and improve food security and develop job opportunities for youth and women specifically. It has also contributed to improved efficiency and accessibility of basic services provided by subnational governance structures, in particularly addressing the needs of women and youth. The observation of 16 electoral processes contributed to the promotion of peaceful societies, access to justice and building of strong institutions, while providing accountability and transparency in the electoral processes of partner countries. |
SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development | In line with the SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) the EU maintained its support to policy coherence and coordination as well as dialogue with regional organisations, notably the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as the main institutional interlocutor, but also with other actors, such as the Anna Lindh Foundation and the League of Arab States. The EU support to the UfM Secretariat contributes to enhancing multi-stakeholder partnerships which mobilise and share expertise aiming to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, among others) in the Euro-Med countries. In 2022, the UfM held several events and four Ministerial meetings (on Water, Research and Innovation, Employment, and Gender), thus confirming its convening power. The support to the Anna Lindh Foundation contributes to the promotion of more inclusive and pluralistic societies through its support to civil society and its focus on cultural diversity. |