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EC and EuropeAid
Co-operation Office
The
European Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries, committed
to working together for peace and prosperity. It is not a State intended
to replace existing states, but it is more than any other international
organisation. The EU is, in fact, unique. Its Member States have set up
common institutions to which they delegate some of their sovereignty so
that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically
at European level.
As part of
its efforts to reform the management of external aid the Commission formally
set up the
EuropeAid Co-operation Office on 1 January 2001.
EuropeAid
Co-operation Office's mission is to implement the external aid instruments
of the European Commission which are funded by the European Community
budget and the European Development Fund. It does not deal with pre-accession
aid programmes (Phare, Ispa and Sapard), humanitarian activities, macro-financial
assistance, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) or the Rapid
Reaction Facility.
The Office
is responsible for all phases of the project cycle (identification and
appraisal of projects and programmes, preparation of financing decisions,
implementation and monitoring, evaluation of projects and programmes)
which ensures the achievement of the objectives of the programmes established
by the Directorates-General for External Relations and Development and
approved by the Commission.
In a wider
context EuropeAid manages funds as part of the Commission's external assistance.
External assistance is central to the EU's role in the world. By pooling
their resources in the EC budget for this common purpose, EU Member States
have shown their commitment to a Union defined by the values of external
assistance. In turn, the Commission strives to reinforce the impact of
such assistance, by increasing the coherence between the EU's external
assistance and its other policies.
EuropeAid
ensures that Community aid is implemented effectively, whilst providing
high standards of quality and speed in the design and implementation of
projects. It is responsible for setting up mechanisms to promote sound
financial management, consistency and transparency in the contract award
procedures while continuing to simplify and rationalise external aid management
procedures.
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