The EU27 ambassadors to the EU approved on Wednesday 17 March the text finalising the political agreement reached in December 2020 by the European Parliament and EU Council on the single financial Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) in the EU’s 2021-2027 budget.
Several technical meetings had been necessary in January and February to translate into legislation the outcome of interinstitutional negotiations on this instrument, which aims to streamline EU aid to partner countries and achieve the EU’s foreign policy objectives by supporting multilateralism (see EUROPE 12626/19).
The NDICI will benefit from €79.462 billion in current prices for 2021-2027. The geographical envelope (€60.388 billion) will cover partnerships with the European Neighbourhood (at least €19.323 billion), Sub-Saharan Africa (at least €29.181 billion), Asia and the Pacific (€8.489 billion), the Americas and the Caribbean (€3.395 billion).
Indicative amounts have been defined for the Pacific (at least €500 million) and Caribbean (at least €800 million) regions.
The thematic envelope of the NDICI (€6.358 billion) will finance actions related to the global Sustainable Development Goals. Thematic programmes will therefore focus on human rights and democracy (€1.362 billion), civil society (€1.362 billion), stability, peace and conflict prevention (€908 million) and global challenges such as health, education and training, women and children, labour, social protection, culture, migration and climate change (€2.726 billion).
“This new key financing instrument is the tangible proof that the EU wants to be a global player. The Covid-19 pandemic redoubles our responsibility. With NDICI, we will be able to make a difference in supporting partner countries and promoting sustainable development worldwide”, commented Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva.
The text is accompanied by a draft declaration by the European Commission committing it to a high-level geopolitical dialogue with the European Parliament on the implementation of the NDICI Regulation and to take full account of Parliament’s positions.
This dialogue, which will take place at least twice a year at the highest level and will be permanent at official level, will cover general approaches—including programming—and specific issues such as the use of the reserve for emerging priorities or challenges (€9.534 billion) or possible changes in the allocation of funds dedicated to migration or the suspension of assistance to a partner country.
Parliament’s Committees on Foreign Affairs and Development will vote on the final compromise on Thursday 18 March. The adoption of the regulation is expected in June.
The NDICI Regulation will then apply retroactively to 1 January 2021. The programming of funds has already started at the European Commission, based on the indicative amounts agreed by the budgetary authority. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)