The European Union will provide €26.3 billion for a seven-year program to support partner regions worldwide to help them build infrastructure, combat climate change, promote social inclusion, human development, manage migration, address gender issues, and conserve biodiversity.
“We need to match our words with actions. The investments under the Global Europe program will ensure that the EU delivers on its political priorities and effectively addresses the needs of our partner countries and regions, ranging from sustainable peace, security, and stability to global challenges, such as tackling COVID-19 and the fight against climate change. The EU remains the world’s largest donor of development and humanitarian aid, and we will continue to stand up for a fairer and more prosperous future around the world,” said EU head of diplomacy Josep Borrell.
Commenting on the Multi-Year Indicative Programs (MIP) of Global Europe adopted by the European Commission (EC), he stressed that the EU remains the world’s largest donor of humanitarian and development assistance.
Of the three partner regions, the most crucial beneficiary of the seven-year programs will be Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Commission has adopted the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) of Global Europe, setting out priority areas for cooperation with partner countries and regions around the world for 2021-27. This also includes the financial allocation for 2021-2024 (country level) and for 2021-2027 (regional level) that will support this cooperation for a total of almost €26.3 billion. Adopting the country and regional MIPs will significantly contribute to climate actions, social inclusion and human development and migration and forced displacement and achieve gender and biodiversity targets.
Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said:
“The European Union has a long history of cooperation based on shared objectives and values. With the programming of our cooperation for 2021-2027, we commit for another seven years to fight inequalities and support inclusive, green, and sustainable development. Many of the agreed priorities will support the effective implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, leveraging key resources for sustainable and trusted connections that work for people and the planet while tackling the most pressing global challenges. I am particularly proud that programs related to education should be allocated €6 billion over 2021-2027, an increase from 7 to 13% of total expenditures of our external action outside our neighborhood. Children and youth should be given a real chance to reach their full potential and have a better future.”
A Team Europe that delivers
The priorities have been defined in consultation with the relevant partners’ authorities and a real Team Europe approach, together with EU Member States, the European financial institutions, EIB and EBRD, as well as the European Parliament. Consultations were also held with Civil Society Organisations, including women and youth organizations, local authorities, representatives from the private sector, the UN and other like-minded partners. The agreed priorities are in line with UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy.
Several projects in partner countries will be taken forward in the framework of Team Europe Initiatives that will receive substantial financial support, many of which will help deliver on the implementation of the Global Gateway. These initiatives will have to be jointly agreed, designed, implemented and monitored in a Team Europe approach.
Programming outcome – Facts and Figures
Programming documents for countries and regions adopted represent an amount of €26.336 billion:
| Region | Country allocations 2021-24 (€ million) | Regional allocations 2021-27 (€ million) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 9 076 | 10 242 |
| Asia and the Pacific | 2 320 | 2 344 |
| Americas and the Caribbean | 1 074 | 1 280 |
| TOTAL | 12 470 | 13 866 |
A mid-term review to be completed in 2024 will support the Commission’s decision on country allocations for 2025-27.
For Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the Americas and the Caribbean countries and regions, the MIPs will deliver on the overarching EU policy objectives:
- Green deal features in all MIPs
- Digital agenda features in over 80% of the MIPs
- Sustainable growth and decent jobs features in around 70%
- Migration is covered by more than half
- Governance, peace and security features in nearly 90%
- Social inclusion and human development covered in more than 90%; in particular education is addressed in 80% of MIPs
- Gender is well mainstreamed in all MIPs
All the country and regional programming documents will be complemented by four thematic programmes already adopted: Human Rights and Democracy (€1.5 billion) Civil Society Organisations (€1.5 billion); Peace, Stability and Conflict prevention (€871 million) and Global Challenges (€3.6 billion). Finally, the ERASMUS+ MIP was adopted earlier this year, and will benefit from the financing coming from the non-neighbourhood geographic envelopes with an amount of €1.79 billion.
Background
The Global Europe programming, officially launched in November 2020, addresses the overarching Commission priorities, promotes the post-COVID-19 green, digital, inclusive and sustainable recovery and fully respects the commitments contained in the new instrument, particularly on climate action, social inclusion and human development, migration and forced displacement, and gender equality.
The country and regional Multiannual Indicative Programmes are adopted by the Commission after consultation with the partner country/regional organisations, EU Member States and all relevant stakeholders. These documents establish the main priority areas for cooperation, specific objectives, expected results as well as the indicative allocations for the EU cooperation with partner countries and regions covered by Global Europe, i.e. the Neighbourhood, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas and the Caribbean. These Multiannual Indicative Programmes therefore constitute the long-term plans for the implementation of Global Europe in these countries and regions.
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