European Development Fund - Joint development cooperation and the EU budget: out or in?

Podrobná analýza 05-11-2014

As a major international actor in development cooperation, the EU has in the European Development Fund (EDF) its largest geographic instrument in this policy area, with €30.5 billion allocated to the 11th EDF for 2014-20. In recent years, around 30% of total EU spending on external assistance, including spending on both development and other categories, has been channelled through the EDF. The Fund focuses on countries and territories which have special historical ties with some Member States: the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), which receive the bulk of funding, and the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the EU. This publication aims to provide a general overview of the key features of the EDF, with a particular focus on the budgetary specificities of the Fund and the long-standing debate on its possible inclusion in the EU budget.