Information note of the European Court of Auditors concerning Special Report No 4/2009 on the Commission’s management of Non-State Actors’ involvement in EC Development Cooperation

Non-state actors are increasingly important in development cooperation. The term non-state actors (NSAs) covers all aspects of society that do not form part of the private sector or the state. In the field of development cooperation, non-state actors include non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and also community-based organisations, farmers' associations, business or professional associations, environmental groups, universities, trade unions, chambers of commerce, and foundations as well as churches or faith groups. The term non-state actors is often used as a synonym of civil society organisations, and it is in that sense that it is used in the report.

EC policy, reflecting the international consensus, increasingly involves NSAs in the development cooperation and in the implementation of development programmes and projects which directly provide benefits for the poor. The EC policy also provides for supporting the capacity development mainly of Southern NSAs to enable them to play these roles. Development funds directly attributed to NSAs have gradually increased, reaching in 2007 approximately 10 % of the combined general budget and European Development Fund aid to developing countries.

The Court's audit addressed the Commission’s management of NSAs’ involvement in development cooperation, and asked whether the Commission:

adequately ensures that NSAs are involved effectively in the development cooperation process;
has efficient management systems to ensure that activities implemented by NSAs are relevant and likely to produce the intended results;
adequately ensures the provision of capacity development to NSAs.