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Publish Date : 13-Oct-2014

The European Commission announced this Friday new development funding of €1.4 billion to Afghanistan for the period 2014-2020. The funds will focus on vital sectors for growth and social stability, such as rural development and agriculture, health, and strengthening democracy in the country. The signature of the development programme (known as Multiannual Indicative Programme), between European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, and the National Economic Adviser to President Ghani, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, took place this Friday in Washington, in the margins of the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Commissioner Piebalgs said: "This agreement is evidence of the EU's continued long-term commitment to Afghanistan. Our support is based on lessons learnt through our cooperation with the country and draws on the priorities signalled out by the national authorities. In short, the money will go where it is most needed and could be most effective. We expect these funds to create the conditions necessary to improve Afghan citizens' livelihoods, by creating jobs, further strengthening Afghanistan’s institutions, and better enabling the population to have their say." He added "I welcome the formation of the Government of National Unity, which is an important step in securing the future of all Afghans. The EU looks forward to hearing the Government set out its reform programme at the London Conference next month. In line with other donors, the EU will set aside 20% of its funding to incentivise those reforms."

Afghanistan funding programme for the period 2014-2020 is the largest under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI). This exceptional level of support aims to respond to the huge challenges on the ground: Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world. About 80% of the population depends on agriculture and associated livelihoods. Seasonal and chronic unemployment are common and increasing. The EU aims to support to the country during its 'Transformation Decade' - as the EU pledged to do at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan in 2012. The majority of EU funding will be channelled using the major trust funds, particularly the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) administered by the World Bank, and the Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA) administered by United Nations Development Programme. EU Foreign Ministers adopted a new strategy for Afghanistan in June focused on developing Afghanistan's capacity to safeguard the progress made to date and laying the foundation for further progress.

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