Council conclusions on the 2015 Annual report on the EU’s development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2014

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  Over recent years, the EU has collectively provided more than half of the total ODA reported to the OECD/DAC. The Council underlines that the EU, as the single largest provider of financial support for developing countries, should set an example of transparency and accountability.
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  In this context, the Council welcomes the 2015 Annual report on the EU's development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2014[1] as well as the 2015 EU Accountability report on Financing for Development[2]. The report with its global geographic and extensive thematic coverage and its level of detail contributes towards better communicating the comprehensiveness of the EU's development external assistance policies and activities.
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  The Council appreciates the reporting on the implementation of the Agenda for Change, on the EU's response to the world developments in 2014, and on global challenges. Building on the legacy from the previous funding cycle 2007-2013, the Council welcomes the main changes that the EU has adopted for the period 2014-2020.
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  The Council favourably notes the significance given to reporting on the progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to drawing lessons for the transition to the universal Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) as enshrined in the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union is vital for achieving the objectives of the EU's development cooperation and the Union's contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, the Council particularly appreciates the continued efforts of the Commission and the Member States to implement the EU's Policy Coherence for Development commitments and recalls the 2015 biennial report on PCD[3].
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  The Council recalls the importance of joint programming to live up to our aid and development effectiveness commitments, as well as to increase EU political leverage and visibility. It encourages the Commission and the High Representative to play a leading role in moving the process forward and continue reporting on the progress and lessons learnt, including on the basis of regular Heads of Mission reports.
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  The Council encourages the Commission to continue reporting on support provided to civil society and local authorities as well as on the role of the private sector. The Council also invites the Commission to continue paying particular attention to human rights, good governance and gender, as well as to the integration of a conflict-sensitive perspective.
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  The Council calls on the Commission to give even greater emphasis on gender-related activities that contribute to the implementation of the Gender Action Plan. The Council reaffirms its call for a yearly mandatory and systematic reporting on the Gender Action Plan 2016-2020[4] by all EU actors and to include the results of the Commission's report transparently in all future annual reports.
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  The Council calls on the Commission to continue reporting on activities related to migration and development, including the mainstreaming of the migration dimension into development policies and programmes, also in the light of the current migratory and refugee crisis and its significant impact on the EU and all affected countries.
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  The Council commends the Commission for comprehensively reporting on the budget support portfolio and stresses the need to continue providing the same level of detailed information. It calls on the Commission also to report on the results and use of other aid modalities, particularly trust funds, delegated cooperation and blending.
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  In the context of the annual report, the Council calls on the Commission to continue reporting on EU development spending and progress against commitments in this area, providing transparency on EU actions. A particular focus should be maintained on the EU's progress towards a minimum of 20% of EU spending on climate-relevant actions as well as a minimum of 20% of EU aid on social inclusion and human development.
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  Recalling its conclusions on the EU International Cooperation and Development Results framework of May 2015[5], the Council stresses the need for the EU to communicate not only on the implementation of external policies but also on clear results and impact on the ground. In this regard, the Council reiterates its call on the Commission to improve its reporting based on results and it looks forward to the publication of the first report on the basis of the EU Development Cooperation and Results Framework.
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  In the new context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Council invites the Commission to continue to work with Member States both to shape the United Nations' follow-up and review and to take this into account in future EU reporting. In parallel, the Council calls on the Commission to continue to support the annual reporting of EU and Member States' ODA to the OECD and to continue to make publicly available information about the EU and Member States progress towards the collective and individual ODA targets in line with transparency commitments.
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  The Council looks forward to next year's annual report on the EU's development and external assistance policies and their implementation, which will include conclusions drawn from the European Year for Development 2015, and the specific report that will address the outcomes and impacts of this initiative.

[1] Doc. 14527/15 (COM(2015) 578 final).

[2] Doc. 10294/15 (SWD(2015) 128 final).

[3] Doc. 11410/15 (SWD(2015) 159 final).

[4] Doc. 13201/15: Council conclusions on the Gender Action Plan 2016-2020.

[5] Doc. 9145/15.