In October, CONCORD launched the annual AidWatch report analysing both the quantity and quality of EU ODA. The report finds that while reported figures are at a record high, 22% of all recorded ODA did not meet the most basic criteria to qualify as such. 

As well as AidWatch, in October CONCORD published a study on EU development cooperation funding for CSOs, marked World Food Day on our social media channels, and our Director spoke at the event ‘Tackling Inequalities: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future’ at the European Parliament. 

Discover these highlights and more in the October edition of CONCORD’s newsletter!

We are living through events few could have predicted a couple of years ago. The consequences of another war in Europe are being felt across the world in the form of increasing energy and food prices; climate change is devastating ecosystems around the world; inequalities are soaring. The world is at a crossroads where international cooperation efforts can help countries withstand the impact of these shocks while building a more sustainable and equitable world, but only if it is done the right way. Decision-makers face a difficult, yet vital series of choices to make in this critical juncture.

AidWatch reports offer insights and recommendations for policymakers dealing with these challenges. They assess European ODA, a precious tool to support those left furthest behind, in terms of quantity and quality. AidWatch represents civil society views on ODA trends and urges European policymakers to honor their commitments for partner countries’ own development objectives.

The 2023 AidWatch report employs a revised methodology, dissecting the official ODA definition to gauge the EU’s contribution to overall objectives. This reassessment is vital to redefine the concept of ‘inflated aid’ and its relevance in the debate on aid quality.

Using the revised methodology, the report critically analyses the EU’s financial support to partner countries. It questions how much of this support can genuinely qualify as ODA. The report then evaluates how ODA supports countries’ economic development and welfare, thereby acting as a powerful tool to reduce inequalities between and within countries. Additionally, it provides a detailed country-by-country analysis for EU Member States and the United Kingdom.

In light of the ongoing mid-term evaluation of the NDICI-Global Europe and the mid-term review of its programming, which should be finalised in 2024, CONCORD undertook a study on EU development cooperation funding for CSOs at country and regional level to inform, stimulate and support its discussions with relevant EU institutions and EU Member States. It will also contribute to discussions about CSO funding mechanisms and potential adaptations, especially with regards to the geographic programming.

Its objectives:
· Assess EU funding going to and through CSOs;
· Critically examine how the EU’s political discourse matches NDICI-Global Europe funding decisions, and
· Explore potential adaptations of the support and funding modalities to reach all types of CSOs.

As stated in the New European Consensus on Development, and reaffirmed by the Council of the European Union, the EU and its Member States recognise the multiple roles that civil society organisations (CSOs) play “in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as their essential role in economic, social, political, environmental, development and humanitarian fields, complementing the role of the State in providing services, reaching out to vulnerable and marginalised people, eradicating poverty, building resilience, and contributing to ensuring that no one is left behind.”

As such, the EU has committed since 2012 to support CSOs in all external instruments and programmes and in all areas of cooperation,
including through a “flexible and tailor-made approach to funding” in order to reach all types of CSOs. This commitment to support CSOs was reiterated in the specific objectives of the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE).

This guide aims to provide civil society organisations with a comprehensive overview of the instruments and programmes used by the European Union (EU) in its international cooperation. It focuses on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe.

This introductory publication will be developed into a more detailed guide of CSO funding opportunities. The aim of this guide is to improve the accessibility of funding for CSOs through the Global Europe instrument.