Together, the EU institutions and Member States are the world’s leading donors in development cooperation, which represents one of the four pillars of the Union’s external action.
EU Development Cooperation is legally grounded in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU, Title III). Its main goal is the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty. It targets countries most in need and invests its resources in social protection, healthcare, education, employment, industrial development, sustainable agriculture, and energy. EU development policy has evolved over time: initially limited to overseas countries and territories associated with the EU, it now extends to 150 partner countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific.
In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the EU finances and implements activities and initiatives across five dimensions of sustainable development:
- People: ending poverty and hunger in all forms and ensuring dignity and equality
- Planet: protecting future generations from environmental destruction and resource depletion
- Prosperity: ensuring prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony with nature
- Peace: fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies
- Partnership: implementing development cooperation through global partnerships
For more information on the European Union’s actions and commitments, visit: Cooperazione allo sviluppo (europa.eu)
A dedicated financial instrument supports the funding of external action activities in development cooperation: the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). With a budget of approximately €80 billion over seven years (2021–2027), the NDICI focuses its activities on four main areas:
- Geographical areas: including neighboring countries (at the EU’s borders), Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean
- Thematic areas: financing responses to global and/or political issues (human rights, democracy, peace and stability, and civil society organizations)
- Rapid response: for crisis management and conflict prevention
- Emerging priorities and challenges: with a reserve of unallocated resources to respond to unforeseen events
To contribute to the development of EU policies in this field, Italy participates in the Working Party on Development Cooperation and International Partnerships (CODEV-PI). This group defines the political priorities, objectives, and intervention modalities of the EU’s development cooperation with third countries, in accordance with Articles 208–212 of the TFEU.
Within the framework of development policy, the group contributes to the drafting of the Council’s strategic guidelines on various topics, including:
- Promoting sustainable economic, social, and environmental development aimed at poverty eradication
- Coordinating development policies among Member States, including possible joint initiatives
- Ensuring compliance with and implementation of commitments made by the EU and its Member States at the international level
- Defining the necessary measures for implementing the EU’s development cooperation policy
The working party also oversees the preparation of the Foreign Affairs Council meetings in its “Development” configuration.
TEAM EUROPE
To respond more effectively to the challenges faced by the European Union and its Member States in supporting partner countries and improving cooperation during the early months of the pandemic, the European Commission launched the Team Europe approach in 2021. The success of this initiative, capable of bringing together the resources and expertise of European institutions and individual Member States in a true team spirit—marked a significant shift in the Union’s approach to external action.
Today, the European Commission and Member States operate in an increasingly coordinated manner to maximize the impact of their respective development cooperation strategies. This new working method is embodied in the Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs), designed as coordination platforms for implementing large-scale programs in partner countries.
Within the TEIs, each actor, the Commission and the Member States, contributes to a component of the initiative, participating in a joint project that no one could carry out alone. These initiatives, implemented both nationally in individual partner countries and regionally or continentally, significantly enhance the impact and visibility of European aid, surpassing the results achievable through individual national actions.
More info: WBT Team Europe | Capacity4dev (europa.eu)
DELEGATED COOPERATION
According to the founding Treaties of the European Union, in implementing development cooperation policies, the Commission may make use of the institutions and agencies of Member States through the mechanism known as delegated cooperation.
These national institutions or agencies are duly certified by the Commission in terms of accounting and administration, as required by Article 157 of the Financial Regulation (EU) No. 947/2021. This requires the Commission to verify that entities entrusted with project management possess internal systems, standards, and procedures that ensure adequate protection of the EU’s financial interests. This verification process is known as a “pillar assessment.” If successful, the “pillar assessed” entity may be selected by the Commission to implement development cooperation initiatives.
Delegated Cooperation represents a valuable opportunity to promote the Italian system: participating in the implementation of European initiatives allows Italy to showcase its distinctive expertise and experience, while also encouraging the involvement of Italian actors in development cooperation programs.
Currently, Italy has several pillars assessed entities operating across various geographic and thematic areas. The main one is the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), alongside other bodies such as Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, SACE, the Defense General Staff and Carabinieri Corps, the Ministry of the Interior, the Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA), and EUTALIA.
EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION
Italy also actively participates in the implementation of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), one of the components of the EU’s Cohesion Policy aimed at promoting collaboration between territories of different Member States and between these and neighboring countries in the southern and eastern regions.
Through INTERREG programs, ETC supports joint actions, experience exchanges, and network building among national, regional, and local actors to foster harmonious economic, social, and territorial development across the European Union.
Italy plays a governance role in both INTERREG programs involving countries on the southern part of the Mediterranean: INTERREG NEXT MED and INTERREG NEXT Italy–Tunisia. These programs are crucial in fostering collaborative relations between the northern and southern area of the Mediterranean. Their managing authorities are based respectively in the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Sicilian Region, further highlighting Italy’s key role in EU cooperation policy with the southern Mediterranean.
HUMANITARIAN AID AND CIVIL PROTECTION
The European Union aids countries and populations, both within Europe and abroad, in the event of major disasters or humanitarian emergencies.
Together, EU countries are the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, assisting millions of people globally each year. Humanitarian aid accounts for 1% of the EU’s total annual budget, equivalent to approximately €4 per European citizen.
EU action is guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Aid is delivered through more than 200 international and local partner organizations and agencies, supported by thousands of European volunteers.
All EU citizens or long-term residents in a Member State can participate in the European humanitarian aid volunteer program.
Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the Union—alongside several European countries including Italy—plays a key role in coordinating crisis responses both in Europe and worldwide. Real and potential emergencies are constantly monitored, and participating countries cooperate on risk assessment, preparedness, and disaster prevention planning.
Emergency relief may include food, shelter, equipment, specially equipped teams, or assessment and coordination activities carried out by experts deployed on the ground. Rescue teams, experts, and equipment from participating countries are kept on standby so the EU can respond rapidly anywhere in the world.
More info: Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (europa.eu)