Annual report on the implementation of the European Union’s instruments for financing external actions in 2016

Background and further information:

In 2016, the European Union started engaging in discussions about the Future of Europe, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed at the UN General Assembly in 2015, and it also laid out a Global Strategy for the EU's Foreign and Security Policy (Global Strategy).

During 2016, the EU and its Member States remained the world's largest provider of development funding, contributing more than half of official development assistance (ODA) globally. The European Commission alone disbursed over €10.3 billion in ODA on behalf of the EU with the aim of reducing poverty in the world, ensuring sustainable economic, social and environmental development, and promoting democracy, the rule of law, good governance and the respect of human rights.

In response to the many human-made and natural disasters that took place in 2016, the EU's humanitarian aid budget in 2016 was the highest ever, at €2.3 billion (including EDF reinforcements) providing relief assistance including food, shelter, protection, healthcare and clean water to more than 120 million people in over 80 countries.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018)64: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2018:064:FIN

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