The European Community and its Member States together make up the world's largest donor of international aid. In 2005, they accounted for 52.32% of global Official Development Assistance (ODA), amounting to €44.8 billion (USD 55.7). This collective European Union (EU) aid effort, expressed as a proportion of the combined EU national income, reached 0.44% in 2005. 
Taken alone, the European Community ranks as the world's fifth largest aid donor accounting for 9% of global ODA. This equals net disbursements of € 7.5 billion (USD 9.4 billion) in 2005.

• trade and regional integration
• the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources
• infrastructure, communications and transport
• water and energy
• rural development, territorial planning, agriculture and food security
• governance, democracy, Human Rights and support for economic and institutional reforms
• conflict prevention and fragile states
• human development
• social cohesion and employment.

In all its activities the Community will apply a strengthened approach to mainstreaming the following crosscutting issues:

• democracy, good governance, Human Rights, the rights of children and indigenous peoples
• gender equality
• environmental sustainability
• the fight against HIV/AIDS.

 

 

NGOs can apply for financial support under the following funding programmes:

European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI): The geographic part of the ENPI provides Community assistance to Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Russian Federation, Syria, Tunisia, and Ukraine. The cross-border co-operation (CBC) component of the ENPI aims at reinforcing cooperation with territories bordering the European Union.

Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS): The TACIS Programme provides grant-financed technical assistance to 12 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA): IPA aims at providing targeted assistance to countries, which are candidates and potential candidates for membership to the EU.

Development Co-operation Instrument (DCI): The DCI comprehends geographic programmes targeting the countries and regions of Latin America, Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. Further, the DCI includes thematic programmes covering all countries eligible for the geographic programmes of the DCI, EDF and ENPI.

European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR): The EIDHR is a financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide.

Instrument for Stability: The Instrument for Stability targets countries in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis.

Humanitarian Aid Instrument: The humanitarian aid instrument comprises assistance, relief and protection operations in developing countries victims of natural disasters, man-made crises, such as wars and outbreaks of fighting.

European Development Fund (EDF): The EDF is a financial resource from the European Community for development co-operation with 76 ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries.