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