Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe - Performance

Programme in a nutshell

Concrete examples of achievements (*)

^{(*) 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

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.

Budget

Budget programming (million EUR):

^{(*) Excluding macrofinancial assistance loans provisioning.}

^{(**) Only Article 15(3) of the financial regulation.}

  Financial programming:
  - EUR 820.2 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 by EUR 325 million through the conciliation reinforcements (EUR 10 million in 2021, EUR 35 million in 2022 and EUR 280 million in 2023), while EUR 10 million was transferred to DG European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) in 2021 for humanitarian action in Nagorno-Karabakh. EUR 1.1 billion of macrofinancial assistance loans provisioning in the Common Provisioning Fund is excluded from the financial programming.

Budget performance – implementation

Multiannual cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2022 (million EUR):

Annual voted budget implementation (million EUR) ⁽¹⁾:

^{(1) Voted appropriations (C1) only.}

Contribution to horizontal priorities

Green budgeting

Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):

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, the 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 in the order of 18%. However, it must be considered that the target is intended to be achieved over the course of the entire 2021-2027 period. With 2021 being the first year of the multiannual financial framework, contributions to targets tend to be in line with the historical performance, as in many cases, initiatives identified at the very end of the previous multiannual financial framework are then adopted in the new one to ensure the continuation of ongoing initiatives. In order to ensure the delivery of the climate target, a number of initiatives are currently being put in place, including the following.

1. Significant outreach to EU delegations to strengthen climate and biodiversity mainstreaming in the formulation of new EU-funded actions.
2. Operationalisation of the Green Knowledge Hub comprising several technical assistance facilities in support of climate and biodiversity actions. In the course of 2021 and 2022, as part of the implementation of the global gateway, a number of important initiatives were set up. These included the Team Europe initiative on adaptation and resilience in sub-Saharan Africa, the EU’s contribution to the Adaptation Fund, the Green and Blue Alliance for the Pacific, the science technology and innovation regional programme in sub-Saharan Africa focusing on early warning systems and the Euroclima programme in the Americas and the Caribbean. The adoption of the NaturAfrica flagship programme, covering key biodiversity landscapes, is a major initiative for the biodiversity objectives.

Regarding biodiversity more specifically, the figures for 2021 and preliminary estimates for 2022 are consistent with the pathway provided in the 2023 NDICI – Global Europe programme statement. In 2021, NDICI – Global Europe contributed 4.9% to biodiversity. Preliminary estimates for 2022 are around 6.7%, showing a positive trajectory (2021 was in many ways a transition year). Spending under NDICI – Global Europe is already very close to the 7.5% target for 2024 defined for the whole multiannual financial framework (which does not define any annual targets). Of course, these efforts have to be sustained in the coming years with a view to meeting the Commission’s political ambitions for biodiversity. 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 has been put in place. More than EUR 1 billion will be allocated to biodiversity projects in Africa between 2021 and 2024 under the NaturAfrica initiative alone.

Gender

Contribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):

<sup>(*) Based on the applied gender contribution methodology, the following scores are attributed at the most granular level of intervention possible:
- 2: interventions the principal objective of which is to improve gender equality;
- 1: interventions that have gender equality as an important and deliberate objective but not as the main reason for the intervention;
- 0: non-targeted interventions (interventions that are expected to have no significant bearing on gender equality);
- 0*: score to be assigned to interventions with a likely but not yet clear positive impact on gender equality.</sup>

NB: Numbers provided for 2022 are provisional and subject to quality review.

• According to the NDICI – Global Europe regulation, at least 85% of new initiatives implemented should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective, as defined by the gender equality policy marker of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 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 initiatives, following the Development Assistance Committee’s methodology.
• The Commission’s gender expenditure tracking methodology for the EU budget is in line with the Development Assistance Committee’s gender equality policy marker methodology. Score 2 equals G2 and implies that gender equality is principal objective; score 1 equals G1 and implies that gender equality is a significant objective; score 0 equals G0 and means that gender equality is not targeted.
• For 2021, under NDICI – Global Europe, 23 actions were marked as score 2, 236 actions were marked as score 1 and 67 were marked score 0, which gives a percentage of 79.5% of actions marked as score 1 or 2, of which 8.8% were marked as score 2. Data for 2022 had not yet been stabilised when this report was drafted.

1. Making the NDICI – Global Europe regulation deliver for implementation of the Gender Action Plan III

• In 2021, the first year of implementation of the gender action plan III, the Commission, the European External Action Service, EU Delegations and Member States laid the foundations for its full implementation. Country-level implementation plans are in place in 129 countries, fostering a more strategic approach and based on meaningful consultation with partners, including with civil-society and women’s-rights organisations.
• The implementation of the country-level implementation plans offers a political and operational roadmap for reaching NDICI – Global Europe gender targets and objectives, notably the meaningful gender mainstreaming of all new initiatives, including under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, and the preparation and commitment of sizeable new score 2 initiatives.
• 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. Steps have been taken towards the meaningful integration of a gender perspective in blending and guarantees. Some EU delegations have also supported partner countries’ efforts on gender-responsive budgeting.

2. Implementation of the Gender Action Plan III by thematic area of engagement

• Ensuring freedom from all forms of gender-based violence is a priority for country-level engagement. The analysis of the country-level implementation plans shows that most EU Delegations will support the fight against gender-based violence, through political dialogue and new actions. 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. A EUR 40 million score 2 project, adopted in 2022, will continue to support the Spotlight secretariat and women’s organisations fighting against gender-based violence. In Nepal, the EUR 22.2 million score 2 project ‘Empowered women, prosperous Nepal’, the budget for which was committed in 2021, focuses on combating gender-based violence on three levels: (i) working on behaviours and norm change; (ii) increasing access to services for women and vulnerable groups; (iii) supporting public and civil-society institutions in delivering their gender-transformative agendas. Similar programmes are in place in the Pacific region (EUR 8 million) and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUR 20 million).
• 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. 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.
• For the promotion of economic and social rights, the budget for the EUR 70 million ‘Gender transformative action in Tanzania: Breaking the glass ceiling’ score 2 project was committed in 2021, with one of its specific objectives aiming to promote women’s economic empowerment, including to grasp green and digital opportunities. This project includes blended operations with the European Investment Bank, allowing for the mobilisation of private capital to promote women entrepreneurs’ access to dedicated financial products. In 2022, the regional south annual action plan was adopted, including a EUR 5 million score 2 project that aims to provide practical support to women as economic actors and agents of economic change in the Southern Neighbourhood, piloting a targeted approach focusing on the nexus between financial inclusion, access to finance and digitalisation. In Morocco, the EUR 130 million score 1 ‘Karama’ budget support programme for social protection, financing for which was committed in 2021, mainstreams gender equality in all its activities and, for social allocations, targets specifically those women-headed households that are most at need. In Uganda, support for adolescent girls’ education is one component of a EUR 60 million score 2 project for which the budget was committed in 2022.
• With regard to promoting equal participation and leadership, a score 1 project for which the budget was committed in 2022 aims to, among other things, foster women’s political participation at the global level, address social norms and support the agency of women’s networks. In Morocco, the EUR 50 million budget support programme for administrative reform includes an important component supporting gender-responsive budgeting and helping women access managerial positions in public administration.
• The EU action plan on women, peace and security was integrated as one of the thematic areas of engagement of the gender action plan III. It was implemented in 2021 and 2022 with initiatives such as:
  • capacity-building and mentoring on women’s leadership, in particular for women negotiators and mediators, to enhance the effectiveness and quality of women’s participation in peace processes, considering the target of at least 33% of participants being women;
  • institutionalising consultative mechanisms on conflict-related issues with grassroots women activists and civil-society organisations;
  • developing inclusive policies/activities with full and equitable participation, including by men and boys;
  • strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the criminal justice system through transitional and restorative justice and security-sector reform, and prosecuting crimes of sexual and gender-based violence;
  • providing medical, psychosocial, legal and safety support to all victims/survivors of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence.
• The Gender Action Plan III brings a focus on gender mainstreaming in new areas, addressing and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation. The EUR 69 million ‘Transformational climate smart and inclusive agriculture’ budget support programme in Rwanda (score 1), adopted in 2021, supports the consolidation of inclusive, gender-sensitive and sustainable high-value product chains, enhances the resilience of rural households to climate change and helps consolidate climate change and biodiversity co-benefits, following a gender-sensitive approach.
• Score 0 programmes generally related to support measures, administrative costs or initiatives such as the deployment of digital health tools.

Digital

Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):

NB: Numbers provided for 2022 are provisional and subject to quality review.

• 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 on improving digital skills, in particular 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. Digital for Development Hub regional branches 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). Relations with key multilateral organisations (such as the International Telecommunication Union) were strengthened, and exchanges with other important stakeholders (such as Smart Africa) 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.
• 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, including the launch of Copernicus data centres in Panama and Chile, 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 states, to enable a more efficient response to cyber threats, in addition to cybersecurity being mainstreamed across digital flagship projects.
• EU policies were further strengthened in 2022 by developing internal digital policies and strategies in certain areas (such as work on the connectivity masterplan, the guidelines on education and skills and internal work with regard to 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 Commission is also stepping up its efforts to mainstream the digital domain across various thematic sectors, for instance by supporting the Africa Union in developing strategies on digital health, digital education (finalised in 2022) and digital agriculture (to be finalised in spring 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.
• Finally, a positive trend is expected with the establishment of digital economy packages for a specific list of countries, taking into account the regional influence of a partner country and the intensity and variety of EU digital interventions. In 2023, high-level political announcements will be made both in the selected countries and at the regional level, such as on the EU–Latin America and the Caribbean Digital Alliance. This will further boost the political visibility of the EU’s digital initiatives and the capacity to link investments, including through European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus guarantees and blending, and through governance considerations.

Budget performance – outcomes

• In 2022, the implementation of actions contracted so far under the NDICI is only in the inception phase, therefore it is too early to show any results on at aggregate level. This was anticipated in the milestones of relevant key performance indicators. For example, 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 a couple of larger actions planned under NDICI that support this, for instance the ‘Rural drinking water supply and sanitation project’ in Tajikistan (with a total EU budget contribution of EUR 14 million). Several multiannual indicative programmes and expected actions show a similar trend.
  At the same time, the implementation of the predecessor programmes can still showcase aggregated results and indicate the direction in which the NDICI results should go.
  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 2021 (the latest-known score) this percentage was 78%, or 236 out of 302 actions. This is leading to positive developments. For example, 18% of new actions that support public finance management reforms currently include a gender-budgeting component, while the aim is to reach 20% by 2025. In Guatemala, the Green Deal Team Europe initiative promotes equal access to and control over natural resources, alongside equal participation in decision-making on environmental and climate-change policies. It also addresses barriers to women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, the lack of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and women’s disproportionate burden of unpaid care work.
  A recent strategic evaluation of EU support for the rule of law and anti-corruption measures in partner countries ⁽¹⁾ found that the EU has been able to programme relevant rule-of-law interventions and add value in the justice sector, and also in relation to other EU values (e.g. human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination). The EU aligned with national priorities when they were in place or, when they were not, was able to opportunistically identify feasible entry points. EU support for the rule of law scored high in applying inclusive approaches; choosing an appropriate mix of aid types, providing critical support to civil-society organisations, ensuring flexibility during implementation and adapting to evolving situations.
  As with the previous 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’ is also yet to start showing results. However, in line with the NDICI – Global Europe indicative 10% spending target on migration and forced displacement, allocations earmarked for migration feature prominently in country and regional multiannual indicative programmes, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Asian/Pacific regions, where they are most relevant. In 2021, NDICI – Global Europe migration-related initiatives with a budget of around EUR 1.5 billion were adopted by the Commission, representing 14.0% of the overall 2021 NDICI spending.
  A majority of these initiatives were contracted and started their implementation only late in 2022, explaining why only very limited results could be reported against this results framework indicator for the year. Given the large number of projects for which implementation is now gradually picking up speed, the targets for this indicator will probably be met in the next reporting period. During the 2018-2021 period, some 20 430 000 migrants, forcibly displaced people or individuals from host communities were protected or assisted with EU support, while 146 migration management or forced displacement strategies or policies were developed, revised or under implementation with EU support
  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. With regard to 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 2022 were in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, with six crisis-response packages developed in record time. Ongoing and new crises were addressed in a variety of countries, including Afghanistan, Armenia/Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ecuador, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria and Yemen. The number of beneficiaries of these initiatives is also expected for the next reporting period as part of the overall key performance indicator figure.
  NDICI – Global Europe contributed to the EU’s mobilisation of over EUR 2.3 billion to support Southern Neighbourhood partners in tackling the COVID-19 health crisis and in their socioeconomic recovery.
  One of the hallmarks of the instrument was in the field of migration and security, especially after the severe consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where millions of people were forced to flee. Moldova, as a neighbouring country became one of the main host countries, putting national structures under significant pressure. Under the regional action programme for 2022, the EU supported the extension of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine. Moreover, regional funds were repurposed to support emergency needs totalling EUR 29 million in Ukraine and EUR 7 million in Moldova, including support for Ukrainian refugees.
  During 2022, the EU continued to support Moldova in dealing with the acute energy crisis, which was exacerbated by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The budget support provided in December 2021 was boosted by a further EUR 75 million disbursed in August 2022, particularly to support vulnerable groups. In November, the EU pledged an additional energy support package for the country of EUR 250 million, to be disbursed from January 2023. With EU assistance, Moldova made its first purchases of gas and electricity from the EU. On 16 March 2022, the Moldovan electricity grid was successfully synchronised with the continental European Network of Transmission System Operators. At the end of 2022, Moldova imported its first natural gas in reverse flow. A Residential Energy Efficiency Fund was set up to help households reduce their energy bills through energy-efficiency measures. The EU worked with the Energy Community Secretariat to put in place an energy rescue scheme for Moldova that will allow donors to support energy purchases by Moldova. In addition, EU4energy funded the opening of an Energy Community Secretariat office in Chisinau.
  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.
  2022 was the most difficult year for Ukraine since its independence, and a very peculiar one for EU–Ukraine relations. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has brought massive destruction to the country and has resulted in the deaths of many Ukrainians. This, in combination with the granting of EU candidate status, resulted in a major change in the nature of EU–Ukraine cooperation. Consequently, the EU mobilised more than EUR 1 billion in bilateral assistance under the NDICI – Global Europe instrument to support the urgent needs of the country (see also the European Neighbourhood Instrument performance section).
  NDICI – Global Europe also contributes to improving cross-border cooperation. The 2021-2027 Interreg NEXT programmes were adopted in 2022, and the first data on values achieved by the related operations are expected in 2024.
  
  ^{(1) https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/439e3afb-7777-11ed-9887-01aa75ed71a1/language-en?_publicationDetails_PublicationDetailsPortlet_source=277027608.}

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 2022 (million EUR):

Performance assessment

• 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 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, fought 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 have 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 8.7%, and has remained steady since then. The most recent value (in 2021) is 8.6%. Similarly, the mortality rate of under-5s and the prevalence of stunting also decreased every single year between 2014 and 2021.
• 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, the majority of international indicators point to a sustained global decline in democracy and the rule of law over the last decade. The EU has analysed its causes and identified means to address it, including an evaluation of EU support to Rule of Law and anti-corruption. Particular focus has recently been on the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on global democracy and human rights. Funding through thematic, regional and country programmes has been shaped by this analysis. Most programmes identify democratic governance as a key area of support and thematic programmes address some of the most problematic issues, e.g. through support to parliaments, political parties and independent media. The scale of the challenge is huge, but the EU has upgraded and refocused its support accordingly.
• One of the only areas of rule of law which sees steady progress is the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments. However, even this progress is slower that estimated. This is why the Commission has instituted and financed via the Global Europe a number of projects to promote democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights significantly above the initial target of 100 projects per year on average over the 2014-2021 period.

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 2022 (million EUR):

Performance assessment

• The European Neighbourhood Instrument has proved to be a responsive instrument addressing the priorities established under the European neighbourhood policy framework and reacting to partner countries’ needs and challenges in the region. A notable example of its responsiveness and effectiveness was the mobilisation of EUR 2.3 billion to support Southern Neighbourhood partners in tackling the coronavirus health crisis and the socioeconomic recovery.
• The European Neighbourhood Instrument has demonstrated a flexibility and reinforced EU’s position to respond to crises and emerging challenges. A part of the ongoing assistance covered by the instrument was repurposed to tailor- made interventions that could support Ukraine in maintaining its independence, alleviate some of the direct negative impact of the war, and make the country stronger to respond to the military aggression. On top of that, unallocated funds were mobilised quickly to sign new contracts to respond to urgent needs, especially at the grass root level. This allowed EU assistance to reach the beneficiaries before humanitarian partners could mobilise their aid programmes. Close to EUR 200 million of ongoing projects were repurposed, which turned out to be a success and was very well received by project counterparts and government officials.
• Thanks to these actions, 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, the granting of candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine and offering of a European perspective to 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 a number of achievements in these areas. These achievements were noted in the COM opinions, as endorsed by EU Member States who ultimately confirmed their European perspective and even granted candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine.
• However, it should be noted that based on the data, a slight backslide in the government effectiveness and rule of law is stabilising even from the 2021 in the neighbourhood area. This stems from the complex and unforeseeable geopolitical dynamics in the region, the instability that is internal to some of the countries and to the crisis situations which, in some cases, include ongoing or frozen conflicts.
• On the other hand, progress has been achieved in areas such as control of corruption. The figures on the control of corruption show positive trend.
• Granting of candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine, and offering of a European perspective to Georgia have paved the way to the need to recalibrate the Eastern Partnership. This is the underlying cause for the underperformance of the indicator ‘Number of ministerial, platform and panel meetings under the Eastern Partnership’, where ongoing and planned activities were disrupted. Another objective of the European Neighbourhood Instrument is to create conditions for the better organisation of legal migration and the well-managed mobility of people. The programme contributes greatly to achieving this objective through diverse channels. Since 2015 in the southern neighbourhood, most of the work on migration and forced displacement has been financed by approximately EUR 2 billion of European Neighbourhood Instrument funds through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (North of Africa window) and the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis.
• Some 9.5 million beneficiaries were supported in 2014-2022 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.
• 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). This change of approach explains the ‘underperformance’ of the indicator ‘Number of mobility partnerships’.
• The EU continued to support prosperity and resilience in its Neighbourhood, aiming to unleash the economic potential. Since the launch of the economic and investment plan, the EU has already mobilised EUR 3 billion worth of investments in the Eastern Partnership region, of which nearly EUR 900 million was in support of the private sector, through concessional credit lines or business development services.
• The instrument supports the implementation of trade agreements with our partners, notably via the EU4Business initiative. In effect, economic operators in Georgia, Moldova, Palestine ⁽¹⁾, Tunisia and Ukraine obtained 158 conformity-scheme-related certifications, accreditations, approvals or recognitions for their products, services and systems. Another example is the certification and accreditation which are a key to facilitate trade between neighbourhood countries and the EU. In the eastern neighbourhood, this type of support has allowed an increase in the number of companies from the concerned countries exporting to the EU. Between 2014 and 2021, the number of companies exporting to the EU increased by 65% in Georgia, 70% in Moldova and 42% in Ukraine
• The European Neighbourhood Instrument 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.
• Finally, the European Neighbourhood Instrument’s support for cross-border cooperation, its sixth objective, amounted to EUR 482 million for the 2014-2020 period as a whole. The two programmes in the Southern Neighbourhood have progressed steadily. However, cooperation programmes with Moldova and Ukraine, and with Belarus and Russia, were significantly disrupted by Russia’s war of aggression. The Commission suspended all financing agreements with Russia and Belarus and no implementation in those countries and no cooperation with their authorities has been possible since March 2022. A regulation creating targeted provisions for the implementation of all cooperation programmes facing disruption was adopted on 9 November 2022 (Regulation (EU) 2022/2192). In this context, the performance framework will be affected and the final impact will become clearer at closure in 2025.

^{(1)  This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.}

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:

1. 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;
2. 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):

Performance assessment

• The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights 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 European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights 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 also 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.
• 127 new projects were concluded in 2021, most of them starting activities late 2021 or beginning 2022 that added to the ones already ongoing.
• In addition, the implementation of Flagship initiatives continued in 2022, namely:
  • the Human Rights Defenders mechanism, to provide emergency assistance to human rights defenders worldwide and 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 support to key stakeholders such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Inter-American Court and the Inter-American Commission of human rights, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights institutions, the Global Campus of human rights and the International Criminal Court.
• the support provided to raise the voice of indigenous people through the Navigator.

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 2022 (million EUR):

Performance assessment

• Since 2014, actions under the Partnership Instrument delivered 13 937 events attracting 6 533 291 participants producing 42 034 analytical and research-based products and 320 385 communication products. Actions have had most influence on processes related to state-level and sub-state level (bilateral, regional, multilateral) engagement and policy dialogues (244) as well as processes related to non-state level partnership/agreements (241). In addition, the number of processes related to partner countries’ approaches to challenges of global concern and trade-related indicators represent both a substantial share of the processes influenced by Partnership Instrument actions. In terms of impact, actions have most clearly contributed to developing/embracing/implementing collective approaches and/or practices related to challenges of global and/or mutual concern (57). In addition, the instrument improved EU bilateral, regional, interregional, and multilateral cooperation partnership strategies (31), partner countries’ alignment of regulations and standards relating to trade, investment, and business with EU/international standards (23) ⁽¹⁾.
• 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 2022, an evaluation on the Global Public and Cultural Diplomacy was conducted to analyse the key features of public and cultural diplomacy achievements and lessons learnt from 2015 till 2022. Eighteen actions were evaluated with Global scope in Americas and Asia. The main lessons learned were as follows:
  • the importance of EU political steering for public and cultural diplomacy ;
  • Public Diplomacy effectiveness depends on clear connections with policy objectives;
  • the Partnership Instrument was praised by the European Commission’s directorates-general and the European External Action Service for strong involvement from the very first step of the design of the actions;
  • cultural diplomacy is well suited in countries that do not share EU values.
• The evaluation of the actions on responsible business conduct (RBC), women’s economic empowerment and social and solidarity economy, clearly emphasised their role in the external projection of EU core values. Important contributions were made in several areas: national policies/measures were taken by governments to integrate RBC standards, more gender-sensitive regulation on women’s economic empowerment, multi-stakeholder platforms where public/private collaboration address specific supply chain bottlenecks, regional network of local point on national action plans. According to the external evaluation of the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument for the 2015-2020 period, compared to other strands of the instrument, the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange – Partnership Instrument strand proved to be successful in paving the way for further policy and political dialogues, strengthening EU’s role or position in a specific context or sector, supporting the visibility of the EU as key global player, supporting the implementation of EU bilateral agreements, and strengthening EU normative power.
• In 2022, the Partnership Instrument maintained around 200 of ongoing actions covering the following areas: sustainable development and the environment; climate, energy action and urbanisation; digitalisation; trade agreements and market access; raising the profile of the EU through public and cultural diplomacy; health; and promoting and upholding EU value.
• In conclusion, the identified strengths of the Partnership Instrument are the relation with the directorates-general, the external dimension of EU policies, Public and Cultural diplomacy.
• Recommendations and conclusions of the global final evaluation of the old multiannual financial framework instruments including the Partnership Instrument are expected by end of 2023. This will allow for an external assessment of the performance of the Instrument as a whole.

^{(1)  Based on the Partnership Instrument project implementation monitoring system, which uses common core indicators.}

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):

Performance assessment

• 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, 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).
• Similarly, an evaluation of the performance of actions implemented under the capacity building for security and development initiative undertaken in 2020 confirmed how they generally responded to the national priorities of partner countries and the needs of the beneficiaries, while demonstrating a high level of coherence and complementarity with other Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace interventions, at country level. Conflict-sensitive elements are generally well integrated into actions and formal risk assessments have been developed.
• 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.
• Recommendations and conclusions of the global final evaluation of the old multiannual financial framework instruments including the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace are expected by end of 2023. This will allow for an external assessment of the performance of the Instrument as a whole.

Contribution to the sustainable development goals