Elements for an EU strategy in Afghanistan 2014-16

The Council concluded on 20 January 2014 that the overarching strategic goal of the EU's future role in Afghanistan should be the development of Afghanistan’s institutions to provide the resilience needed to safeguard progress to date and provide a countrywide platform for a more effective and ultimately sustainable Afghan state.

The EU has a long-term commitment to Afghanistan and is in the process of confirming its financial commitment up to 2020. A number of Member States have already indicated their continued long-term support. Afghanistan is the country which is the largest recipient of aid from the EU.

This document provides a strategic framework to better coordinate EU and Member States’ civilian engagement in Afghanistan from mid-2014 to 2016, setting out the EU’s objectives for the years 2014-16 and outlining the interventions planned to achieve those objectives. The strategy needs to be sufficiently flexible to both influence and respond appropriately to the range of potential scenarios in Afghanistan.

The strategic goal and objectives have been developed in advance of clarity on the size and scale of any international military presence post-2014. Expectations as to the degree of progress and the delivery of international assistance in support of the Government of Afghanistan’s priorities in the event of a very limited international presence will necessarily have to be tempered.