Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an instrument contributing to stability and peace - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 77/1

This Regulation constitutes one of the instruments providing direct support for the Union's external policies and succeeds Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), which expired on 31 December 2013.

Preserving peace, preventing conflicts, strengthening international security and assisting populations, countries and regions confronting natural or man-made disasters are among the prime objectives of the Union's external action as set out in, inter alia, Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Crises and conflicts affecting countries and regions, and other factors such as terrorism, organised crime, gender-based violence, climate change, cyber security challenges and security threats emanating from natural disasters pose a risk to stability and security. In order to address those issues in an effective and timely manner, specific financial resources and financing instruments are required that can work in a manner complementary to humanitarian aid and long-term cooperation instruments.

In its conclusions of 15 and 16 June 2001, the European Council endorsed the Union Programme for the Prevention of Violent Conflicts, underlining the Union's political commitment to pursue conflict prevention as one of the main objectives of the Union's external relations, and acknowledging that development cooperation instruments can contribute to the attainment of that goal. The Council conclusions of 20 June 2011 on conflict prevention restated the validity of that Programme as a valid policy basis for further Union action in the field of conflict prevention. In its conclusions of 17 November 2009, the Council endorsed the ‘Concept on Strengthening EU Mediation and Dialogue Capacities’.

The Council conclusions of 19 November 2007 on a EU response to situations of fragility and the conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, also dated 19 November 2007, on security and development, emphasised that the nexus between development and security should inform Union strategies and policies in order to contribute to policy coherence for development in accordance with Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and to the coherence of Union external action in general. More specifically, the Council concluded that future work on security and development should include the security and development implications of climate change, environmental and natural resource management issues and migration.

The European Council approved the European Security Strategy on 12 December 2003 and the shared analysis of its Implementation Report on 11 December 2008. In its communication entitled ‘EU Internal Security Strategy in Action: Five steps towards a more secure Europe’, the Commission also noted the importance of cooperation with third countries and regional organisations, in particular for the purposes of combating multiple threats such as trafficking in human beings, drug trafficking and terrorism.

In its communication entitled ‘Towards an EU response to situations of fragility — engaging in difficult environments for sustainable development, stability and peace’, the Commission recognised the essential contribution made by the Union to the promotion of peace and stability by addressing expressions of violence and root causes of insecurity and violent conflict. This Regulation should contribute to the attainment of those goals.

On 8 December 2008, the Council approved a comprehensive approach to the implementation by the Union of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008) on women, peace and security, recognising the close links between the issues of peace, security, development and gender equality. The Union has consistently called for full implementation of the women, peace and security agenda as set out in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly the need to combat violence against women in conflict situations and to promote the participation of women in peacebuilding.

The EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, adopted by the Council on 25 June 2012, calls for the development of operational guidance to ensure that human rights are taken into consideration in the design and implementation of counter-terrorism assistance measures, and underlines that the eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and respect for due process (including the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial and rights of defence) are a Union priority in the implementation of human rights.

Democracy and human rights have been placed at the forefront of the Union's relations with third countries and should thus be considered as principles under this Regulation.

The European Council Declaration of 25 March 2004 on Combating Terrorism called for counter-terrorism objectives to be integrated into external assistance programmes. The European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the Council on 30 November 2005, called for increased counter-terrorism cooperation with third countries and the United Nations. The Council conclusions of 23 May 2011 on enhancing the links between internal and external aspects of counter-terrorism called for the capacity of the competent authorities involved in the fight against terrorism in third countries to be strengthened in the strategic programming of the Instrument for Stability established by Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006.

Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 was adopted with the objective of enabling the Union to provide a consistent and integrated response to situations of crisis and emerging crisis, to address specific global and trans-regional security threats and to enhance crisis preparedness. This Regulation aims to introduce a revised instrument, building on the experience of Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006, in order to increase the efficiency and coherence of the Union's actions in the areas of crisis response, conflict prevention, peace-building and crisis preparedness in addressing security threats and challenges.

Measures adopted pursuant to this Regulation should pursue the objectives of Article 21 TEU and Articles 208 and 212 TFEU. They may be complementary to, and should be consistent with, measures adopted by the Union in pursuit of Common Foreign and Security Policy objectives within the framework of Title V TEU and measures adopted within the framework of Part Five TFEU. The Council and the Commission should cooperate to ensure such consistency, each in accordance with its respective powers.

This Regulation should be consistent with the provisions concerning the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (‘EEAS’) as established by Council Decision 2010/427/EU (3). The 2010 Declaration by the High Representative on political accountability confirmed the principles of dialogue with, consultation of, and the provision of information and reporting to the European Parliament.

The Commission and the EEAS, as appropriate, should hold regular and frequent exchanges of views and information with the European Parliament. In addition, according to the relevant inter-institutional agreements on the matter, the European Parliament is to be given access to documents in order for the right of scrutiny under Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) to be exercised in an informed manner.

Common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5).

In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission with regard to programming and implementation measures. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

Given the nature of such implementing acts, in particular their policy orientation nature and budgetary implications, the examination procedure should in principle be used for their adoption, except in the case of measures of a small financial scale.

The Commission should adopt immediately applicable implementing acts where, in duly justified cases relating to the need for a swift response from the Union, imperative grounds of urgency so require.

The Union should seek the most efficient use of available resources in order to optimise the impact of its external action. That should be achieved through coherence and complementarity between the Union's instruments for external action, as well as the creation of synergies between this instrument, other Union instruments for financing external action and other policies of the Union. This should further entail mutual reinforcement of the programmes devised under the instruments for financing external action.

Since the objectives of this Regulation cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the scale and effects of the action, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for its period of application which is to constitute the prime reference amount, within the meaning of point 17 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (6), for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure.

It is appropriate to align the period of application of this Regulation with that of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 (7). Therefore, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020,

in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis, to contribute swiftly to stability by providing an effective response designed to help preserve, establish or re-establish the conditions essential to the proper implementation of the Union's external policies and actions in accordance with Article 21 TEU;

to contribute to the prevention of conflicts and to ensuring capacity and preparedness to address pre- and post-crisis situations and build peace; and

to address specific global and trans-regional threats to peace, international security and stability.

promotion of democracy and good governance;

human rights and humanitarian law, including children's rights and the rights of indigenous peoples;

non-discrimination;

gender equality and the empowerment of women;

conflict prevention; and

climate change.

a situation of urgency, crisis or emerging crisis;

a situation posing a threat to democracy, law and order, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, or the security and safety of individuals, in particular those exposed to gender-based violence in situations of instability; or

a situation threatening to escalate into armed conflict or to severely destabilise the third country or countries concerned.

support, through the provision of technical and logistical assistance, for the efforts undertaken by international and regional organisations and by State and civil society actors in promoting confidence-building, mediation, dialogue and reconciliation;

support for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security, in particular in fragile, conflict and post-conflict countries;

support for the establishment and functioning of interim administrations mandated in accordance with international law;

support for the development of democratic, pluralistic State institutions, including measures to enhance the role of women in such institutions, effective civilian administration and civilian oversight over the security system, as well as measures to strengthen the capacity of law-enforcement and judicial authorities involved in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and all forms of illicit trafficking;

support for international criminal tribunals and ad hoc national tribunals, truth and reconciliation commissions, and mechanisms for the legal settlement of human rights claims and the assertion and adjudication of property rights, established in accordance with international standards in the fields of human rights and the rule of law;

support for measures necessary to start the rehabilitation and reconstruction of key infrastructure, housing, public buildings and economic assets, and essential productive capacity, as well as other measures for the re-starting of economic activity, the generation of employment and the establishment of the minimum conditions necessary for sustainable social development;

support for civilian measures related to the demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants and their families into civil society, and where appropriate their repatriation, as well as measures to address the situation of child soldiers and female combatants;

support for measures to mitigate the social effects of restructuring the armed forces;

support for measures to address, within the framework of Union cooperation policies and their objectives, the socio-economic impact on the civilian population of anti-personnel landmines, unexploded ordnance or explosive remnants of war. Activities financed under this Regulation may cover, inter alia, risk education, mine detection and clearance and, in conjunction therewith, stockpile destruction;

support for measures to combat, within the framework of Union cooperation policies and their objectives, the illicit use of and access to firearms, small arms and light weapons;

support for measures to ensure that the specific needs of women and children in crisis and conflict situations, including their exposure to gender-based violence, are adequately met;

support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of armed conflict, including measures to address the specific needs of women and children;

support for measures to promote and defend respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, and the related international instruments;

support for socio-economic measures to promote equitable access to, and transparent management of, natural resources in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis, including peace-building;

support for measures to address the potential impact of sudden population movements with relevance to the political and security situation, including measures addressing the needs of host communities in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis, including peace-building;

support for measures to promote the development and organisation of civil society and its participation in the political process, including measures to enhance the role of women in such processes and measures to promote independent, pluralist and professional media;

support for measures in response to natural or man-made disasters which pose a threat to stability, and to threats to public health linked to pandemics, in the absence of, or by way of complement to, Union humanitarian and civil protection assistance.

they fall within both the general scope of this Regulation and the specific objectives set out in point (a) of Article 1(4);

they are limited in duration to the period laid down in Article 7(2);

they would normally be eligible under other Union instruments for external assistance or the other components of this Regulation but, because of the need to respond rapidly to the situation, they should be addressed through crisis or emerging crisis measures.

promoting early warning and conflict-sensitive risk analysis in the policy-making and the implementation of policy;

facilitating and building capacity in confidence-building, mediation, dialogue and reconciliation, with particular regard to emerging inter-community tensions;

strengthening capacities for participation and deployment in civilian stabilisation missions;

improving post-conflict recovery as well as post-disaster recovery with relevance to the political and security situation;

curbing the use of natural resources to finance conflicts, and supporting compliance by stakeholders with initiatives such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, especially as regards the implementation of efficient domestic controls over the production of, and trade in, natural resources.

shall include know-how transfer, the exchange of information and best practices, risk or threat assessment, research and analysis, early warning systems, training and service delivery;

shall contribute to the further development of a structural dialogue on peace-building issues;

may include technical and financial assistance for the implementation of peace-building and State-building support actions.

threats to law and order, to the security and safety of individuals, to critical infrastructure and to public health;

mitigation of and preparedness against risks, whether of an intentional, accidental or natural origin, related to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials or agents.

strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and judicial and civil authorities involved in the fight against terrorism, organised crime, including cyber-crime, and all forms of illicit trafficking and in the effective control of illegal trade and transit;

addressing threats to critical infrastructure, which may include international transport, including passenger and freight traffic, energy operations and energy distribution, and electronic information and communication networks. Such measures shall place particular emphasis on trans-regional cooperation and the implementation of international standards in the fields of risk awareness, vulnerability analysis, emergency preparedness, alert and consequence management;

ensuring an adequate response to major threats to public health, including sudden epidemics with a potential trans-national impact;

addressing global and trans-regional effects of climate change having a potentially destabilising impact on peace and security.

priority shall be given to trans-regional cooperation involving two or more third countries which have demonstrated a clear political will to address the problems arising. Cooperation in the fight against terrorism may also be conducted with individual countries, regions or international, regional and sub-regional organisations;

they shall place particular emphasis on good governance and shall be in accordance with international law;

with regard to assistance to authorities involved in the fight against terrorism, priority shall be given to supporting measures concerning the development and strengthening of counter-terrorism legislation, the implementation and practice of financial law, of customs law and of immigration law, the development of law-enforcement procedures which are aligned with the highest international standards and which comply with international law, the strengthening of democratic control and institutional oversight mechanisms, and the prevention of violent radicalism;

with regard to assistance relating to the problem of drugs, due attention shall be given to international cooperation aimed at promoting best practices relating to the reduction of demand, production and harm.

promoting civilian research activities as an alternative to defence-related research;

enhancing safety practices related to civilian facilities where sensitive chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials or agents are stored or are handled in the context of civilian research programmes;

supporting, within the framework of Union cooperation policies and their objectives, the establishment of civil infrastructure and relevant civilian studies necessary for the dismantlement, remediation or conversion of weapons-related facilities and sites where these are declared to be no longer part of a defence programme;

strengthening the capacity of the competent civilian authorities involved in the development and enforcement of effective control of illicit trafficking in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials or agents (including the equipment for their production or delivery);

developing the legal framework and institutional capacities for the establishment and enforcement of effective export controls on dual-use goods, including regional cooperation measures;

developing effective civilian disaster-preparedness, emergency planning, crisis response, and capabilities for clean-up measures.

exceptional assistance measures and interim response programmes as referred to in Article 7;

thematic strategy papers and multiannual indicative programmes as referred to in Article 8;

annual action programmes, individual measures and special measures;

support measures.

at least 70 percentage points of the financial envelope shall be allocated to measures falling under Article 3; and

nine percentage points of the financial envelope shall be allocated to measures falling under Article 4.