(1)

Development cooperation policy has as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty as laid down in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Combating global poverty helps to build a more stable, peaceful, prosperous and equitable world, reflecting the interdependence of richer and poorer countries.

(2)

As stated in the European Parliament resolution of 23 October 2012 entitled ‘An Agenda for Change: the future of EU development policy’, development cooperation also consists of promoting human development and the fulfilment of human beings in all respects, including the cultural dimension.

(3)

The Union has been providing development cooperation assistance since 1957 and is now the largest donor of official development assistance in the world.

(4)

The Treaty of Lisbon has firmly anchored development policy within the Union's external action in support of the Union's interest in a stable and prosperous world. Development policy also helps to address other global challenges and contributes to the Europe 2020 Strategy, set out in the Commission Communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’.

(5)

The Union has been a leader in formulating and implementing the concept of policy coherence for development, which aims at strengthening synergies between non-aid policies and development objectives, in order to ensure that Union policies support developing countries' development needs, or at least do not contradict the aim of poverty eradication.

(6)

In 2000, the international community undertook to take concrete steps by 2015 to fight poverty, with the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were accepted by the Union and the Member States.

(7)

The joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on European Union Development Policy: ‘The European Consensus’ (3), which remains the most comprehensive basis for Union development cooperation, calls upon the Union to help strengthen the role of new Member States as new donors.

(8)

The world has undergone enormous change over recent years, including major shifts in the global economic and political balance. New actors, including private and other non-governmental players, have emerged in the global arena. While developed and emerging economies account for most of global gross domestic product, the latter have now become the key drivers of global growth and already have a significant impact on the world economy.

(9)

Continued support for development cooperation is vital in a rapidly changing world. Around 1,3 billion people still live in extreme income poverty and the human development needs of many more are still not being met. Inequalities within countries have increased in most parts of the world. The natural environment is under increasing pressure and the developing countries are hit particularly hard by the effects of climate change. Those challenges are universal and inter-related and need to be addressed by all countries acting together.

(10)

Discussions on the post-2015 framework have started: building on the Commission communication of 13 October 2011 entitled ‘Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’ and the Council Conclusions of 14 May 2012 on the Agenda for Change, which have already resulted in a major reorientation of Union development policies, the Commission has set out its views in its communication of 27 February 2013 entitled ‘A decent life for all, ending poverty and giving the world a sustainable future’ and in its conclusions of 25 June 2013 the Council adopted ‘The Overarching Post-2015 Agenda’, with the aim of addressing the shortcomings of the current development framework and setting out a common approach to bringing together poverty eradication and sustainability concerns in an overarching international framework.

(11)

The year 2015 should be emblematic and pivotal, being the last year for achieving the collectively agreed MDGs and thus offering a unique opportunity to take stock of the international commitments. The year 2015 will also be the year in which major international decisions are to be taken on the development framework that is to replace the MDG framework over the coming decades.

(12)

The year 2015 is the appropriate year during which to present the results of Union development policy following implementation of the principles set out in the Commission communication on an Agenda for Change.

(13)

The year 2015 will also be the year during which important international events take place in Member States, such as the Universal Expo ‘Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life’ in Milan, which will provide a special opportunity to discuss global development policies and to carry out extensive public outreach activities on sustainable development and related issues.

(14)

In its resolution on an Agenda for Change, the European Parliament invited the Commission to make 2015 the European Year for Development, expressing its hope that this would raise the profile of development cooperation.

(15)

The year 2015 should therefore be designated a European Year for Development (‘the European Year’) in order to provide a timely opportunity to raise general public awareness of the current orientation of Union development policy. Information is needed on how an outward-looking Union can help to ensure global sustainability. This includes raising awareness of global interdependence and illustrating that development is more than just aid.

(16)

The key to the successful impact of Union action for development is the extent to which it enjoys broad popular and political support and provides evidence of effective and efficient use of public funds for achieving development results. The European Year should therefore act as a catalyst for raising awareness, including through public political debate and development education, building momentum and exchanging best practices between Member States, local and regional authorities, civil society, the private sector, social partners and international entities and organisations involved in development issues. It should help to focus political attention and mobilise everyone concerned in order to drive forward and promote further action and initiatives at Union and Member State level, in association with the beneficiaries of development assistance and their representatives.

(17)

The European Year should raise awareness of all forms of gender discrimination faced by women and girls in various regions, particularly in terms of access to education, jobs and health systems, as well as of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, genital mutilation and other malpractices.

(18)

The Special Eurobarometer 392 entitled ‘Solidarity that spans the globe: Europeans and development aid’, published in October 2012, showed that 85 % of Union citizens were in favour of helping people in partner countries. As stated in that report, in spite of the current economic climate, more than six out of ten citizens think that aid for people in partner countries should be increased. At the same time, that report showed clearly that there is a lack of knowledge on Union development cooperation, which calls for better communication.

(19)

Efficient coordination between all partners contributing at Union, national, regional and local levels is a fundamental prerequisite for an effective European Year. Local and regional partners have, in this case, a particular role to play in promoting Union development policy.

(20)

Differing national socioeconomic and cultural contexts and sensitivities call for some of the activities of the European Year to be decentralised to national level, in accordance with Article 58 of the Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and the Council (4). However, the setting of policy priorities at national level should be coordinated with the Commission with a view to guaranteeing consistency with the strategic objectives of the European Year. Close coordination between the Commission's and Member States' activities is of prime importance in order to create synergies and make the European Year a success.

(21)

In addition to Member States, participation in the activities to be financed within the European Year should be open to the candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and in Association Council decisions. Coordination with national measures, in particular with national Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) programmes, should be encouraged. The level and form of involvement in the European Year should remain at each Member State's discretion.

(22)

Consistency and complementarity with other Union legislation and actions should be ensured, in particular with the Development Cooperation Instrument established by Regulation (EU) No 233/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) including the DEAR programme, the European Development Fund, the European Neighbourhood Instrument established by Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) and other Union instruments for financing external action, where relevant to development policy.

(23)

The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle, including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, unduly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, administrative and financial penalties in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.

(24)

In order to optimise the effectiveness and efficiency of the activities envisaged for the European Year, it is important that a set of preparatory actions be carried out in 2014.

(25)

The Commission has already taken various measures to promote development policies and inform Union citizens about its development cooperation. Those existing measures should be used as much as possible for the European Year.

(26)

The primary responsibility for raising citizens' awareness of development issues rests with Member States. Action at Union level complements and supplements actions taken at national, regional and local levels, as highlighted in the political declaration signed on 22 October 2008 by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission entitled ‘Communicating Europe in Partnership’.

(27)

Since the objectives of this Decision cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, due to the need for multilateral partnerships, transnational exchange of information and Union-wide awareness-raising and dissemination of good practices, but can rather, by reason of the scale of the European Year, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives,

(a)

to inform Union citizens about the Union's and the Member States' development cooperation, highlighting the results that the Union, acting together with the Member States, has achieved as a global actor and that it will continue to do so in line with the latest discussions on the overarching post-2015 framework;

(b)

to foster direct involvement, critical thinking and active interest of Union citizens and stakeholders in development cooperation including in policy formulation and implementation; and

(c)

to raise awareness of the benefits of the Union's development cooperation not only for beneficiaries of the Union's development assistance but also for Union citizens and to achieve a broader understanding of policy coherence for development, as well as to foster among citizens in Europe and developing countries a sense of joint responsibility, solidarity and opportunity in a changing and increasingly interdependent world.