Development

Development cooperation policy is one of the pillars of the European Union’s (EU) external action. EU development cooperation policy is based on the fundamental principles laid out in European treaties (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Title III)). Its primary objective is the reduction and, in the long term, eradication of poverty. It promotes sustainability in all its dimensions – social, environmental, economic and political. The EU addresses global challenges through international partnerships that uphold and promote European values and interests, and contribute to peace and prosperity in the world. The EU and its EU Member States are the leading providers of official development assistance worldwide.

• • Development – general rules
    • EU development policy
    • European development policy
      • The new European consensus on development
      • EU humanitarian action
      • Financial cooperation with non-EU countries on nuclear safety 2021-2027
      • Global Europe — the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument
    • International development dialogue
      • Role of the EU in the multilateral system of the UN
      • Partnership with the United Nations: development assistance and humanitarian aid
      • Scientific and technological cooperation between the EU and Mexico
    • Instruments & funding
      • European Development Fund (EDF)
      • Scientific and technological cooperation between the EU and Mexico
      • Global Europe — the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument
  • Sectors
    • Human rights and democratic governance
      • Illicit weapons and ammunition – global reporting mechanism
      • Towards more responsible arms transfers: the EU and the Arms Trade Treaty
      • Linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD)
      • Report on impact of EU funding to stop torture and the death penalty
    • Food & agriculture
      • The International Coffee Agreement 2007
    • Economic growth – Trade and customs
      • EU trade policy towards developing countries, including Aid for Trade
      • Trade in rough diamonds: implementing the Kimberley Process
      • Fair trade — trade-related sustainability assurance schemes
      • Preferential European Union import tariffs for developing countries
      • Involving the private sector in generating jobs and growth in developing countries
    • Human development
      • Corporate social responsibility in the EU
      • Export of generic medicines to developing countries: compulsory licences
      • Recommendations on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child
      • Certain key medicines for developing countries — avoiding trade diversion into the EU
      • Children as a focus of EU external action
      • Eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development
    • Environment & climate change
      • Convention on Biological Diversity
      • Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal
      • Tackling threats posed by chemicals (Stockholm Convention)
      • United Nations Convention to combat desertification in countries seriously affected by drought
      • Prevention of natural or man-made disasters in the European Union
      • Licensing system for imports of timber to the EU
      • International trade in hazardous chemicals (Rotterdam Convention)
      • Combating illegal logging
      • Combatting deforestation
      • Building up resilience in developing countries
      • Risk reduction - natural and man-made disasters
      • Emergency humanitarian support within the EU
      • Convention on Biological Diversity — Cartagena protocol on biosafety
    • Migration & asylum issues in origin countries
      • Migration and development
      • External EU action to address the refugee crisis
  • African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)
    • Agreements – Development
      • EU-Côte d'Ivoire Economic Partnership Agreement
      • Cotonou Agreement
      • Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the CARIFORUM states
      • Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Southern African Development Community countries
      • Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Central Africa Party
      • Partnership agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part (the Samoa Agreement)
      • Peace Facility for Africa
      • Political dialogue and cooperation agreement with Cuba
      • The International Coffee Agreement 2007
      • Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) with South Africa
      • Agreement between the European Community and the Pacific States
      • Agreement with Bangladesh on partnership and development
      • ACP countries — economic partnership agreements and export arrangements
  • Overseas countries and territories (OCT)
    • Association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union
  • Archived summaries
    • EU Strategy for Africa
    • Biodiversity Action Plan for Economic and Development Co-operation
    • Action Plan for more, better and faster aid
    • ACP-EU Energy Facility
    • Association of the overseas countries and territories with the EU
    • Association of the OCTs with the European Community
    • Assisting developing countries to benefit from trade
    • Assistance for traditional ACP suppliers of bananas - EUR-Lex
    • Accelerating progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
    • A regional policy partnership for the Horn of Africa
    • An EU-Caribbean partnership for growth, stability and development
    • A financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights in the world (2007 – 2013)
    • Agricultural commodities, dependence and poverty
    • Agreement on trade in wine
    • Agreement on trade in spirits
    • Africa and Europe: strengthening transport cooperation
    • Advancing African agriculture
    • Supporting developing countries in coping with the crisis
    • The European Union and the United Nations: The choice of multilateralism
    • The European Fund for Sustainable Development
    • The European Consensus on Development
    • Transport: guidelines
    • Translating the Monterrey Consensus into practice
    • The EU Role in Global Health
    • Strategy for sustainable development
    • Strategy for gender equality in development policy
    • Towards an EU Aid for Trade strategy
    • The EU contribution towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
    • Strategic Partnership with South Africa
    • Strategic framework for food security in developing countries
    • Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership
    • Scheme of preferences from 2006 to 2015 - Guidelines
    • The Africa-EU partnership at work
    • The reform of state-owned enterprises in developing countries
    • Tax governance in developing countries
    • Taking EU-Africa dialogue forward
    • Special partnership with Cape Verde
    • Update on the EC Programme for Action - Accelerated action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
    • Untying aid to developing countries
    • The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund
    • Water: water management in developing countries
    • Fighting rural poverty
    • Fair trade
    • Facility for rapid response to soaring food prices
    • Exceptional aid for highly-indebted ACP States
    • European Year for Development (2015)
    • European Water Facility for the ACP countries
    • European programme for Reconstruction and Development in South Africa EPRD 2000-06
    • Fisheries: fisheries and poverty reduction
    • Financing instrument for development cooperation - DCI (2007-2013)
    • Financial cooperation with non-EU countries on nuclear safety (2014–20)
    • Global partnership for sustainable development
    • Global climate change alliance
    • Global action to eradicate poverty and develop sustainably post-2015
    • Generalised System of Preferences 2006 - 2008
    • Future relations between the EU and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
    • From a strategy for Africa to an EU-Africa strategic partnership
    • Food Assistance Convention
    • Non-state Actors and Local Authorities
    • Programme for Action to combat lack of personnel in the health sector (2007-2013)
    • Policy coherence for development
    • More effective budget support for developing countries
    • Local authorities and development assistance
    • Partnership with Africa for the development of the cotton sector
    • Partnership agreements with Non-EU Member Countries
    • Mine Action Strategy 2005-2007
    • Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
    • Mid-term report on policy coherence for development
    • Overseas countries and territories (OCTs): towards a new partnership
    • Promoting sustainable transport
    • Programme for Action to Confront HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis (2007-2011)
    • Regional integration for development in ACP countries
    • Keeping Europe's promises on Financing for Development
    • Investing in people
    • Health: programme for accelerated action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (2001-2006)
    • Health: health and poverty reduction
    • Health: global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
    • Integrating sustainable development into Community cooperation policy
    • Instrument for Stability (2007 – 2013)
    • Guidelines for cooperation towards development in the area of water resources
    • International investments: towards a comprehensive European policy
    • International action to help indebted poor countries
    • Information and communication Technologies
    • Governance in the consensus on development
    • Governance and development
    • Land policy in developing countries
    • Combating hunger: strategy for food security
    • Community participation in the initiative to ease the debt burden of highly-indebted poor countries (HIPC)
    • Common framework for joint multiannual programming
    • Code of Conduct on Complementarity and the Division of Labour in Development Policy
    • Climate change in the context of development cooperation
    • European development and external assistance policy: 2009 Report
    • European development and external assistance policies: 2012 report
    • European Development and External Assistance Policies: 2008 Report
    • Euro-African Partnership for infrastructure
    • Budgetisation of the European Development Fund
    • Essential medicines for developing countries (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria)
    • Environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy
    • Cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism
    • Cooperation with Non-EU Member Countries on nuclear safety
    • Cooperation with Non-EU Member Countries in the areas of migration and asylum
    • Cooperation with indigenous peoples
    • Cooperation with ACP States involved in armed conflicts
    • Drinking water — essential quality standards (until 2023)
    • Cooperation and dialogue between the EU, Africa and China
    • Energy cooperation with the developing countries
    • Development of sustainable tourism
    • EU support for business sector development in third countries
    • EU development policy: an agenda for change
    • EU Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (2014-2020)
    • EU-Pacific strategy
    • Economic partnership between Eastern and Southern Africa States
    • Education and training in the context of poverty reduction
    • EU-Africa partnership
    • DCI - the EU’s financing instrument for development cooperation (2014-20)