This report presents the EU’s spending on international development, humanitarian aid, foreign policy and enlargement in 2018, and shows how, as the world’s largest trading bloc and aid and assistance donor, the EU improved millions of lives in more than 120 countries. The EU invested EUR 74.4 billion in official development assistance in 2018, with EUR 13.2 billion managed by the European Commission. That is more than the rest of the world combined, amounting to over half of this assistance globally.
Against a background of protracted conflicts around the globe, strategic disputes between world powers, climate change and digital transformation in our societies, the EU pursued multilateral solutions to shared challenges. Throughout 2018, the EU deployed every policy instrument and tool in its power, including diplomatic, security, trade, development and humanitarian aid measures, to bring about a more peaceful, sustainable and prosperous future. Peace and security, human rights, gender equality and support for women are central to all EU policies.
The Annual Report 2019, covering actions in 2018, shows how the European Union maintained its commitment to promoting sustainable development and security worldwide and explored new ways to make external action more effective than before. The report also demonstrates how the EU and its partners worked together to implement the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Staff Working Document provides comprehensive information on how the EU delivered on commitments and implemented its geographic and thematic programmes (Part I), and data on results and financial annexes (Part II).
More information:
https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/system/files/devco-annual-report-2019-en-web.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/system/files/devco-swd-web.pdf