Activites

• 2014/03/15 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2014/236
  • OJ L 077 15.03.2014, p. 0095
• 2014/03/11 Final act signed
• 2014/03/11 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2014/03/11 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• 2013/12/11 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0565/2013 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 613 votes to 34, with 24 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for external action. Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council. Respect for democratic principles: the main underlying principles of the various 2014-2020 Union external action programmes are to promote, develop and consolidate the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms on which it is founded, on the basis of, where appropriate, dialogue and cooperation with partner countries. The Union's action on the international scene should be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union Effects and impact of measures: the Union's external action under the instruments to which this Regulation applies should contribute to clear results (covering outputs, outcomes and impacts) in countries benefiting from external financial assistance of the Union. Whenever appropriate and possible, the results of the Union's external action and the efficiency of a particular instrument should be monitored and assessed on the basis of pre-defined, clear, transparent and, where appropriate, country-specific and measurable indicators, adapted to the specificities and objectives of each instrument. Certain criteria taken into account: the following criteria to be taken into account in respect of the implementation of actions have been added: accessibility for persons with disabilities ; progress achieved by the partner in respect of human rights and democratic principles; the vulnerability of the partners; experience gained in the implementation of previous programmes. Monitoring of progress: the Commission should examine the progress made in implementing the measures of financial assistance taken under the various regulations relating to EU external action. Visibility of the Union's financial support: measures have been introduced to enhance the visibility of European assistance by means of relevant actions. Civil society’s views to be taken on-board: during the implementation process, notably the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of measures taken under this regulation, it is important to consult stakeholders in the beneficiary countries (civil society and local authorities) to ensure they play a meaningful role in this process. Provisions should be made to allow certain tasks to be entrusted to non-profit organisations under conditions equivalent to those applying to the Commission. Optimising resources: the EU should seek the most efficient use of available resources in order to optimise the impact of its external action. This should be achieved through coherence and complementarity between Union's Instruments for external action, as well as the creation of synergies between the Union's external financial Instruments and other policies of the Union. This should further entail mutual reinforcement of the programmes devised under those Instruments, and, where appropriate, using financial instruments that have a leverage effect. Action programmes and nature of financing: financing decisions should include in an annex the description of each action, specifying: its objectives, main activities, expected results, methods of implementation, budget and indicative timetable, any associated support measures and performance monitoring arrangements and should be approved in accordance with the procedures provided for in Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. Special measures: technical provisions were added to lay down procedures in regard to: special measures, multiannual actions, cross-border cooperation actions in line with the changes made in the various relevant regulations. Other new provisions: new provisions have also been introduced on a technical level to: promote local capacity in the framework of procurement; strengthen the follow-up, the effectiveness and the eligibility criteria in regard to the granting of budget support to third countries; clarify the eligibility rules for the various programmes for partner countries; monitoring and evaluation of actions implemented at the local level; set the general framework for annual reporting of funds (mid term (2017) and final (2021)). It should be noted that the annual report should should draw lessons from the implementation of various regulations and potentially revise certain provisions relating to the experience. The report mentioned in Article 13 shall reflect the main lessons learned and the follow-up to the recommendations of the evaluations of the previous years. Implementing acts: provisions were added to lay down the procedure applicable for the adoption of support measures by the Commission. In particular, it was stipulated that the examination procedure should not be used for (other than for the exceptions in the various regulations) the adoption of: individual measures for which the Union’s financial assistance does not exceed EUR 5 million; special measures for which the Union’s financial assistance does not exceed EUR 10 million; technical amendments to action programmes, individual measures and special measures. The European Parliament should be informed of the measures in question. The proposed regulation, as amended, is accompanied by a series of joint, bilateral or unilateral declarations of the European institutions: a Commission declaration on reflows; a Commission declaration concerning the use of implementing acts for the setting of the specific provisions for the implementation of certain rules in certain EU external policy-related regulations; a European Parliament statement on the suspension of assistance granted under the financial instruments in particular in cases where a beneficiary country fails to observe basic principles such as democracy. It is stipulated that in this case, and given that any suspension of assistance under these instruments would modify the overall financial scheme agreed under the ordinary legislative procedure, the European Parliament would be entitled to fully exercise its prerogatives in accordance with the Treaty.

• 2013/12/10 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2013/12/06 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A7-0447/2013 summary

    The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the report by Elmar BROCK (EPP, DE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for external action. The Committee on International Trade, exercising their prerogatives as associated committees under Rule 50 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, was also consulted and gave an opinion on the report. The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, should amend the Commission proposal. The main amendments were as follows: Respect for democratic principles: the Union seeks to promote, develop and consolidate the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms on which it is founded, on the basis of, where appropriate, dialogue and cooperation with partner countries and regions. The Union shall integrate these principles in the implementation of the Instruments covered by this Regulation. The Union's action on the international scene should be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, namely democracy, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Action programmes and special measures: the Commission should adopt annual action programmes specifying for each action the objectives pursued, the expected results and main activities, methods of implementation, budget and indicative timetable, any associated support measures and performance monitoring arrangements. Technical provisions have also been added to decide on the procedures to be followed as regards the adoption of: special measures; multi-annual actions; cross-border cooperation actions in line with the changes introduced in the various regulations. When designing and implementing programmes and projects, account shall be taken of criteria regarding: accessibility for persons with disabilities progress achieved by the partner in respect of human rights and democratic principles; the vulnerability of the partners; experience gained in the implementation of previous programmes. Monitoring of progress: the Commission should examine the progress made in implementing the measures of financial assistance taken in external action. Visibility of the Union's financial support: measures have been introduced to enhance the visibility of European assistance. Taking account of stakeholders’ views: when working with stakeholders of beneficiary countries, specific account should be taken of their needs and context, when defining the modalities of financing, the type of contribution, the award modalities, etc. Optimising resources: the EU should seek the most efficient use of available resources in order to optimise the impact of its external action. This should be achieved through coherence and complementarity between Union's Instruments for external action, as well as the creation of synergies between the Union's external financial Instruments and other policies of the Union. Other new provisions: new provisions have also been introduced on a technical level: promote local capacity in the framework of procurement; clarify the eligibility rules for the various programmes for partner countries; monitoring and evaluation of actions implemented at the local level; set the general framework for annual reporting of funds (mid term (2017) and final (2021)). It should be noted that the annual report should draw lessons from the implementation of various regulations and potentially revise certain provisions relating to the experience. Implementing acts: provisions have been added to set the framework of the procedure applicable for the adoption of the Commission support measures. It is state that the examination procedure shall not apply to the adoption of support measures for which the Union's financial assistance does not exceed EUR 10 million. The European Parliament should be duly and promptly informed.

• 2013/12/05 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2012/06/14 Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
• 2012/01/19 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2011/12/07 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2011)0842 summary

    PURPOSE:  to establish common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for external action for 2014-2020. PHILOSOPHY AND ACTION PLAN FOR EXTERNAL AID 2014-2020: what happens outside the borders of the EU can and does directly affect the prosperity and security of EU citizens. It is therefore in the interest of the EU to be actively engaged in influencing the world around us, including through the use of financial instruments. The Lisbon Treaty marks, in this regard, a new departure in the EU’s relations with the rest of the world. The EU's engagement needs to be tailored to individual circumstances. Its partners range from development economies to the least developed countries in need of specific assistance from the EU. In general, the overall objective for external action for the period 2014-2020 may be summarised as follows: long-term commitment to establishing an area of stability, prosperity and democracy in its own neighbourhood; facilitating the EU's engagement with third countries on issues that are of global concern, such as climate change, environmental protection, irregular migration and regional instabilities, and allowing the EU to respond rapidly and effectively to natural and manmade disasters around the world. A major rationalisation of the instruments took place in 2003 and has begun to deliver more effective results. The Commission does not consider that another major alteration of the legislative architecture is necessary for the next MFF period, although some improvements are being proposed and the overall investment is being stepped up. The Commission proposes to allocate EUR 70 billion for the 2014-2020 period for external instruments broken down as follows: Financing instrument for development cooperation Partnership instrument for cooperation with third countries Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) European Neighbourhood Instrument Instrument for nuclear safety cooperation Instrument for Stability Financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide In parallel and for the first time, the Commission proposes a single horizontal regulation establishing common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for external action. This is the purpose of the present proposal. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. BACKGROUND: a priority for the Commission within the context of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is to simplify the regulatory environment and facilitate the availability of Union assistance to partner countries and regions, civil society organisations, SMEs, etc. to the extent that they contribute to the objectives of the Regulation. In the implementation of the new Instruments, simplified and flexible decision-making procedures would allow a swifter adoption of implementing measures and thus of delivery of EU assistance, in particular for countries in crisis, post-crisis and fragility. Furthermore, the revision of the Financial Regulation, which is particularly substantial with regard to the special provision on external actions, will facilitate the participation of civil society organisations and small businesses in funding programmes, for example by simplifying rules, reducing the costs of participation and accelerating award procedures. The Commission intends to implement this Regulation using the new flexible procedures provided for in the new Financial Regulation. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the Commission performed an internal review of different reports (evaluations, audits, studies, mid-term reviews). The review looked at what worked and what did not work, and drew lessons for the drafting of the financial instruments. The review showed that the current Instruments contributed to progress towards the MDGs in developing countries. The implementation modalities, such as budget support and the "sectorwide approach", have allowed deeper cooperation with partner countries and a more efficient division of labour through co-financing between donors. Nevertheless, the review identified a number of shortcomings. The current implementation process was assessed as too complex and does not allow swift adjustments if required. These shortcomings have been directly addressed in the present Regulation. LEGAL BASIS: Article 209(1) and 212 (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). CONTENT: the Commission proposes set of simplified rules and conditions for providing the Union's financial assistance to actions, including action programmes and other measures, under the following Instruments: the Development Cooperation Instrument (‘DCI’), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (‘EIDHR’), the European Neighbourhood Instrument (‘ENI’), the Instrument for Stability (‘IfS’), the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (‘INSC’), the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (‘IPA’) and the Partnership Instrument (‘PI’). The proposal sets out the objectives of the Regulation which are to provide a harmonised set of implementing rules for Relex Instruments, to protect the financial interests of the Union, and to promote simplification and flexibility in implementing these Instruments. Adoption of Action Programmes, Individual Measures and Special Measures: the proposal provides that financing decisions taken by the Commission are to be in the form of action programmes, based on the multiannual programming documents. Exceptionally, individual measures can be adopted outside the action-programme framework. In the event of unforeseen and duly justified cases, the Commission may adopt special measures not provided for in the multiannual programming documents. Support measures: the proposal defines the types of expenditure that represent support to the implementation of this Regulation and which may be covered by Union financing (e.g. preparation, follow up, monitoring, audit and evaluation activities, provision of information and communication efforts). These measures can be financed outside the scope of the programming documents. Provisions on the financing methods: The Union's financial assistance may be provided, inter alia, through the following types of financing envisaged by the Financial Regulation: grants; procurement contracts for services, supplies or works; budget support; contributions to trust funds set up by the Commission; financial instruments such as loans, guarantees, equity or quasi-equity, investments or participations, and risk-sharing instruments, possibly combined with grants; shareholdings or equity participations in international financial institutions, including regional development banks. The Union's financial assistance may also be provided, in accordance with the Financial Regulation, through contributions to international, regional or national funds, such as those established or managed by the European Investment Bank, international organisations, Member States or by partner countries and regions, for attracting joint financing from a number of donors, or to funds set up by one or more donors for the purpose of the joint implementation of projects. Implementing tasks: the Union's financial assistance shall be implemented by the Commission as provided for by the Financial Regulation, directly by Commission departments, Union delegations and by executive agencies, or indirectly by entrusting budget implementation tasks to the entities listed in the Financial Regulation, including under shared management with Member states. Technical measures: the proposal also provides for innovative instruments, such as loans, guarantees, equity and risk-sharing instruments, and describes possible arrangements with respect to taxes, duties and charges. It describes that the measures under this Regulations may be implemented directly by the Commission or indirectly by entrusting budget implementation tasks to any entity or person listed in the Financial Regulation. This provision also defines the type of co-financing (parallel or joint). It also lays down measures to protect the Union's financial interests, and in particular to enable it (notably the Commission, the Court of Auditors and OLAF) to carry out all the necessary checks on the measures implemented as well as conditions governing access to public procurement and grant awards for the purposes of implementing the Regulation. The proposed provisions are significantly simplified and indicate the objective to work towards untied aid delivery. Nevertheless, the articles introduce in detail the conditions for eligibility of third countries (reciprocity requirement, participation in the implemented programme, non-eligibility of certain countries, etc.) and exceptions thereto (unavailability of products or services provided, extreme urgency, triangular cooperation, etc.). Evaluation and implementation report: the Commission should regularly evaluate the results of the implemented policies and programmes, sectoral policies and the effectiveness of programming itself. All relevant stakeholders will be associated to the evaluation and the report will be shared with the Council and the European Parliament. No later than 31 December 2017, a report shall be established by the Commission on the achievement of the objectives of each of the Instruments by means of result and impact indicators measuring the efficiency of the use of resources and the European added value of the Instruments, in view of a decision on the renewal, modification or suspension of the types of actions implemented under the Instruments. The Commission shall examine the progress made in implementing the measures of financial assistance taken in external action and shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report every two years starting in 2016 on the implementation and results and, as far as possible, on the main outcomes and impacts of the Union's financial assistance. Specific tracking system based on the OECD methodology (‘Rio markers’) is proposed. By mid 2018, the Commission shall prepare and submit a report evaluating the implementation of this Regulation to the European Parliament and the Council, and, if appropriate, present a legislative proposal introducing the necessary modifications. Likewise, this report will assess the impact of the measures adopted on the basis of this Regulation. Comitology: the proposal describes the involvement of the relevant committees in the implementation of this Regulation. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no implications for the EU’s budget.

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/', 'title': 'EuropeAid Development and Cooperation'}, {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/', 'title': 'Enlargement'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2011)0842
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A7-0447/2013
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0565/2013
• : Regulation 2014/236
• : OJ L 077 15.03.2014, p. 0095

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)