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