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The European Union

The European Commission

The European Union is the largest "donor" of international development aid in the world, and so it needs a really effective set of policies and instruments to ensure that all of the aid is effectively deployed and used. This policy-making role is the task of the European Commission, in particular its Directorate General for Development (DG Dev).

The main EU policy lines are set out in the European Consensus on Development, which provides a "common EU vision" for development. It was signed in December 2005 by all of the EU member states, the European Parliament and the Commission.

The main objectives of the EU's development policies are the eradication of poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. There is a special focus on the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, which include many of the world's poorest countries. The Directorate-General for External Affairs, as its name suggests, has a wider remit on behalf of the EU in its international relations. It is specifically responsible for the European Neighbourhood Policy, which covers countries on the eastern border, as well as those on the eastern and southern banks of the Mediterranean, and the Caucasus.

EuropeAid is the Directorate General of the Commission responsible for the practical implementation of external aid programmes and projects across the world, in line with the EU's policy objectives. Amongst other tasks, it is responsible for the whole process of tendering or managing calls for proposals.

In addition to the ACP countries, it also manages aid and co-operation programmes with Asia, Latin America, Russia, and EU neighbouring countries.

ECHO is the European Commission's humanitarian aid department. it is also a separate body, since its immediate and short-term relief activities are distinct from the long-term objectives of development aid.

The European Commission's Delegations (now over 120) in other countries  play an increasingly important role within the EU's development aid processes, with a large responsibility for in-country programmes. They can be contacted for advice on the development priorities for their country.

The European Parliament

The European Parliament, the EU's elected legislature, plays an important role in creating the policy framework for the EU's development aid, and also in voting on the legal texts providing the resources to be allocated to that policy, in its different aspects.

The Parliament has a specialist Development Committee which takes the lead on these issues, but the Parliament as a whole has to vote on the final legislation.

There is also an ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly which brings together one representative from each of the 77 ACP countries' parliaments, and 77 from the European Parliament.

The Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) was set up to give local and regional government a voice within the European Union. Its main role is to advise the European Commission and Parliament on any legislative proposals which have an impact on local and regional government – and these include proposals on decentralised co-operation and local/regional development partnerships.

The CoR has a committee for external relations and decentralised co-operation which takes the lead on these issues.