Development and cooperation : Fighting poverty in a changing world

With €55.2 billion of official development assistance made available in 2012, the European institutions and 28 EU countries together provided for more than half of global official aid, making it the biggest donor worldwide. The European Commission, meanwhile, provided over €13.5 billion of external aid in 2012. The EU’s strong commitment to help developing countries catch up is both an expression of solidarity and a means of achieving a safer and more prosperous world. Joining forces at European level has proved effective in many ways: due to its unique position, the EU can take action where single countries cannot make as much difference. The EU has a global presence in 140 countries, wide-ranging expertise and a unique credibility and neutrality when it comes to human rights, electoral observation, governance and crisis resolution. The EU programmes stretch over several years, thus mobilising long-term and predictable aid. Both are essential factors in achieving sustainability in development. The EU plays a role in coordinating the actions of the different donors. Thanks to its supranational dimension, it can set ambitious joint objectives and map out comprehensive solutions to global development challenges. In the current economic climate, avoiding duplication makes more sense than ever. Finally, the EU has the critical weight to respond to global challenges. The EU’s development activities are coordinated with its efforts in other fields, such as humanitarian aid, environment, security and trade policy. This publication is part of a series that explains what the EU does in different policy areas, why the EU is involved and what the results are