Together, the EU institutions and Member States are the world\u2019s leading donors in development cooperation, which represents one of the four pillars of the Union\u2019s external action.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the EU finances and implements activities and initiatives across five dimensions of sustainable development:<\/p>\n
For more information on the European Union\u2019s actions and commitments, visit: Cooperazione allo sviluppo (europa.eu)<\/a><\/p>\n A dedicated financial instrument supports the funding of external action activities in development cooperation: the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)<\/strong>. With a budget of approximately \u20ac80 billion over seven years (2021\u20132027), the NDICI focuses its activities on four main areas:<\/p>\n 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)<\/strong>. This group defines the political priorities, objectives, and intervention modalities of the EU\u2019s development cooperation with third countries, in accordance with Articles 208\u2013212 of the TFEU.<\/p>\n Within the framework of development policy, the group contributes to the drafting of the Council\u2019s strategic guidelines on various topics, including:<\/p>\n The working party also oversees the preparation of the Foreign Affairs Council meetings in its \u201cDevelopment\u201d configuration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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\u2019s approach to external action.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n More info: WBT Team Europe | Capacity4dev (europa.eu)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s financial interests. This verification process is known as a \u201cpillar assessment.\u201d If successful, the \u201cpillar assessed\u201d entity may be selected by the Commission to implement development cooperation initiatives.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Italy also actively participates in the implementation of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), one of the components of the EU\u2019s Cohesion Policy aimed at promoting collaboration between territories of different Member States and between these and neighboring countries in the southern and eastern regions.<\/p>\n Through INTERREG programs<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n Italy plays a governance role in both INTERREG programs involving countries on the southern part of the Mediterranean: INTERREG NEXT MED<\/a> and INTERREG NEXT Italy\u2013Tunisia<\/a>. 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\u2019s key role in EU cooperation policy with the southern Mediterranean.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The European Union aids countries and populations, both within Europe and abroad, in the event of major disasters or humanitarian emergencies.<\/p>\n Together, EU countries are the world\u2019s largest donor of humanitarian aid, assisting millions of people globally each year. Humanitarian aid accounts for 1% of the EU\u2019s total annual budget, equivalent to approximately \u20ac4 per European citizen.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n\n
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TEAM EUROPE<\/strong><\/h6>\n
DELEGATED COOPERATION<\/strong><\/h6>\n
EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL COOPERATION<\/strong><\/h6>\n
HUMANITARIAN AID AND CIVIL PROTECTION<\/strong><\/h6>\n