1. European Development Fund (EDF)
Cooperation between
African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) countries; Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs) and Overseas Regions (OR)
Marc Debois (DEVCO - Planning ACP) &
Theo Saramandis (DEVCO - Taskforce OCT)
EuropeAid

2. ACP, OCTs and ORs 26 Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs)
OCT status created under the Treaty of Rome in 1957
EU citizenship but EU law does not apply (not EU territory) : no access to structural funds
Eligible to EDF-OCT funds + EIB loans + programmes & Instruments under EU General Budget
With special links to 4 EU MS: FR, NL, UK, DK
9 EU regions are Outermost Regions (OR)
EU territory/EU laws apply : eligible to structural funds + programmes, policies & Instruments under EU General Budget
Belonging to 3 EU MS: FR, ES, PT
79 African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) states – 6 regions
OTR include:
the Spanish Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands
the 4 French overseas departments (departments d’outre-mer, DOM Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique and Réunion; )
the 2 French overseas collectivity (collectivités d’outre-mer, COM): Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin;
the Portuguese autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.
Mayotte to become OTR in 2014
23/04/2017

3. Legal Bases & State of play negotiations
Cotonou agreement (ACP), Overseas Association Decision (OCTs), Structural Funds (OR)
ACP  Cotonou Agreement (runs until 2020) + TFEU (art. 208)
OCTs Part IV TFEU (article 199 to 203) OAD (expires in 2013, proposal currently negotiated within ACP WG)
OR  Art. 349 TFEU + Structural Funds Regulations (post 2013 package under negotiation)
MS Internal Agreement on EDF (ACP + OCTs)
Fixes the amount and the various financial envelopes, the contribution keys and the voting rights in the EDF Committee
Final negotiations with MS in 2013 after decision on MFF/EDF11
Ratification process by Member States (2 years)
nouveau traité sur le fonctionnement de l'Union européenne définit les paramètres de la coopération au développement comme suit (Article 208) :
La politique de l'Union dans le domaine de la coopération au développement est menée dans le cadre des principes et objectifs de l'action extérieure de l'Union. La politique de coopération au développement de l'Union et celles des États membres se complètent et se renforcent mutuellement. L'objectif principal de la politique de l'Union dans ce domaine est la réduction et, à terme, l'éradication de la pauvreté. L'Union tient compte des objectifs de la coopération au développement dans la mise en œuvre des politiques qui sont susceptibles d'affecter les pays en développement.
L'Union et les États membres respectent les engagements et tiennent compte des objectifs qu'ils ont agréés dans le cadre des Nations Unies et des autres organisations internationales compétents
23/04/2017

4. Legal Bases & State of play negotiations
Internal agreement 11th EDF – OCTs
34, 3 billion € for ACP (27, 7 bn for countries/regions)(COM proposal)
343.4 million € (COM proposal) shall be allocated to the OCTs
338.4 million to finance territorial and regional programmes
5 million in the form of an allocation to the EIB to finance interest subsidies and technical assistance
Implementing Regulations
Defines the general framework for programming and implementation of the 11th EDF as well as the monitoring, reporting and evaluation requirements
for EDF – ACP (hopefully adopted beginning of 2013)
for EDF – OCTs (hopefully adopted last quarter of 2013)
EDF Financial Regulation
To be adopted in 2013
23/04/2017

5. ACP Provisions on Regional Cooperation
Revised Cotonou agreement: art. 28 on the importance of regional cooperation among ACP States, OCTs and OR.
"Under the condition set out in Article 58, cooperation shall support inter-regional and intra ACP cooperation such as involving
(a) one or several ACP regional organisations, including at continental level;
(b) European Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) and outermost regions
(c) non-ACP developing countries"
ARTICLE 58
Eligibility for financing
1. The following entities or bodies shall be eligible for financial support provided under the
Agreement:
ACP States;
b) regional or inter-State bodies to which one or more ACP States belong, including the
African Union or other bodies with non-ACP State members, which are authorised by those
ACP States; and
c) joint bodies set up by the ACP States and the Community to pursue certain specific
objectives.
2. Subject to the agreement of the ACP State or ACP States concerned, the following shall
also be eligible for financial support:
a) national and/or regional public or semi-public agencies and departments of ACP States,
including Parliaments, and, in particular, their financial institutions and development banks;
b) companies, firms and other private organisations and private operators of ACP States;
c) enterprises of a Community Member State to enable them, in addition to their own
contribution, to undertake productive projects in the territory of an ACP State;
d) ACP or Community financial intermediaries providing, promoting and financing private or
public investments in ACP States; and
e) local decentralised authorities from ACP States and the Community; and
f) developing countries that are not part of the ACP Group where they participate in a joint
initiative or regional organisation with ACP States in conformity with Article 6 of Annex IV
to this Agreement.
3. Non-State actors from ACP States and the Community which have a local character shall
be eligible for financial support provided under this Agreement, according to the modalities
agreed in the national and regional indicative programmes.
23/04/2017

6. Scope of the regional cooperation (Cotonou Agreement, art. 6 Annex IV)
Regional cooperation shall cover operations benefiting and involving:
a) At least 2 ACP States + any non-ACP countries
b) A regional body with at least 2 ACP States + non-ACP countries
Regional cooperation can also involve OCTs and OR regions. The funding to enable participation of these territories shall be additional to funds allocated to the ACP States.
Conditions to participation to regional programmes :
the centre of gravity remains in an ACP country;
equivalent provisions exist in the framework of the Community's financial instruments;
the principle of proportionality is respected.
23/04/2017

7. 11th EDF-ACP draft Implementation Regulation
Participation by a third country or region
Commission may decide that are eligible for EDF funding:
non-ACP developing countries and regional integration bodies with ACP participation that promote regional cooperation and integration
OCTs eligible for Union assistance and the Union's OR where the project or programme concerned is of a regional or cross-border nature and complies with Article 6 of Annex IV to the Cotonou Agreement.
Provision for these funds have to be made in the strategy papers, Multiannual Indicative Programmes, Action Programmes
23/04/2017

8. Programming for ACP countries
Programming at national/regional/intra ACP level
Ownership of beneficiaries
Partnership: EU+ACP Joint decision for programming
Alignment (where possible) to partner countries poverty reduction strategy
Focus: 3 Priority sectors /areas
MS involvement in programming process
Consultation with other donors, development actors, civil society, local authorities
Programming instructions, strategies, programmes
Timing of programming: 2013
23/04/2017

9. OAD provisions on regional cooperation
OCTs: Proposal for an Overseas Association Decision (OAD) : Art. 87 Eligibility for regional financing which defines eligibility criteria but also provides that:
"Appropriate measures will allow for matching of funding of credits from the EDF and the Union budget to finance cooperation projects between the OCTs, the ACP Countries, the outermost regions as well as other countries, in particular simplified mechanisms for joint management of such projects"
23/04/2017

10. Regional cooperation (OAD proposal)
1. A regional allocation shall be used for operations benefiting and involving:
one or more OCTs and one or more outermost regions referred to in Article 349 of the Treaty;
one or more OCTs, one or more outermost regions and one or more ACP and/or non-ACP States;
one or more OCTs and regional bodies of which OCTs, ACP States or one or more of the outermost regions are members;
the OCTs and the Union as a whole.
2. The funding to enable participation of the ACP States, outermost regions and other countries shall be additional to funds allocated to the OCTs under this Decision.
Conditions to participation to regional programmes :
3. The participation of ACP States, outermost regions and other countries to programmes established pursuant to this Decision shall be envisaged only to the extent that:
(a) the centre of gravity of the projects and programmes funded under the multi annual financial framework of cooperation remains in an OCT;
(b) equivalent provisions exist in the framework of the EU's financial instruments;
(c) the principle of proportionality is respected.
23/04/2017

11. Programming for OCTs
aid shall be based on a programming document and should focus on one single sector
[105] million € to be allocated to support regional cooperation and integration through consultation via the instances of the EU-OCT partnership.
It shall seek coordination with other Union financial instruments, cooperation between the OCTs and the outermost regions.
23/04/2017

12. How to foster regional integration?
Consultation of OCTs/ACP on the draft ERDF Programmes prior to submission to European Commisison
Definition of role of OCTs/ACP in the context of the ERDF Programmes in terms of financial management, programming, monitoring, evaluation and control and participation in ERDF monitoring committees
Improved information sharing
Establishment of concertation mechanisms (OCTs/OR/ACP)
23/04/2017