Outline of Funding Opportunities

The European Commission channels an important part of its assistance to South Africa through the SA National Government, according to jointly established priorities. For more information, please contact the Delegation or visit the Government of South Africa National Treasury web-site http://www.dcis.gov.za . Alternatively, contact Mr. Robin Toli, Acting Chief Director, International Development Cooperation National Treasury, Pretoria. Tel: (012) 315 5479; E-mail: Robin.Toli@Treasury.gov.za .

In addition, the European Commission operates assistance programmes that have a global thematic reach. Such programmes help EuropeAid, the European Commission aid office, to distribute resources efficiently and effectively to tackle worldwide problems and universal issues in a number of sectors, including strengthening the capacity of civil society and non state actors, the promotion of good governance, human and social development including gender and health, security and migration as well as natural resources management. EuropeAid awards grants to implement projects or activities that relate to these themes. For further details see the Europe Aid website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid .

Supporting civil society and local authorities

Non state actors and local authorities are close to the grassroots and, hence, have extensive knowledge of local communities and broad networks to reach them. This know-how and infrastructure is very valuable when it comes to determining the development needs of local communities, allocating resources and overseeing projects.

In 2007, the Commission launched a new thematic programme called ‘Non-state actors and local authorities in development’. The objective is to help reduce poverty in the context of sustainable development, including the pursuit of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. It is an actor-oriented programme with a focus on capacity building, through the support of initiatives taken by non-state actors and local authorities from the EU and partner countries in the developing world.

Europe’s commitment to universal values: EIDHR

The European Union believes that democracy and human rights are universal values that should be vigorously promoted around the world. They are integral to effective work on poverty alleviation and conflict prevention and resolution, in addition to being valuable protection against terrorism. In 2006, the Community established the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). This financial instrument allows the EU to provide support for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide.

These two inextricably linked concepts are integral to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in poorer countries. Democratic processes of accountability are also vital in ensuring government transparency, and play a key role in combating corruption. Support is mainly provided through the co-financing of projects selected through calls for proposals published on EuropeAid's website.

Investing in People

This programme has a worldwide coverage and four specific objectives set out for 2008: Health, Education, Gender and Employment. The health component focuses on the critical lack of personnel in the healthcare systems of many developing countries, and pays particular attention to the leading poverty-related diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, which severely undermine human progress in the developing world. In addition, it also supports activities designed to encourage implementation of the so-called Cairo agenda on sexual and reproductive health rights. The Education and Employment component will respectively pursue projects linked to vocational education and training, and social protection and labour market information systems.

Migration and Asylum

A new programme entitled Thematic Cooperation Programme with Third Countries in the Development Aspects of Migration and Asylum has been set up within the framework of the 2007-2013 financial perspectives. The general objective of the new thematic programme is to assist third countries to improve the management of all aspects of their migratory flows.

While covering all essential facets of the migratory phenomenon (migration and development, labour migration, illegal migration and traffic in persons, migrants' rights, asylum and international protection), this programme does not directly address the deeply-rooted causes of migration. From a geographical point of view, all third countries covered by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI – which includes South Africa), and the European Development Fund (EDF – which includes Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean and Pacific), are eligible for the thematic programme. However, the focus of the programme is principally the phenomenon of migration towards the European Union.

Environment and natural resources

In the past, environmental issues were seen as a barrier to development. Today, they are an integral component of the sustainable model of development. The EU actively supports the preservation of the environment and natural resources. The EU’s previous environment and forests regulations both expired at the end of 2006. The new basic act setting the framework for activities in these two fields is the Development Co-operation Instrument, which entered into force on 1 January 2007.

EuropeAid’s work will be guided by the ‘Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy’ thematic programme (ENRTP). This four-year strategy addresses environmental challenges that have a profound effect on the lives of poor people: rapidly degrading key ecosystems, climate change, poor global environmental governance and inadequate access to and security of energy supplies. Through related calls for proposal, EuropeAid will fund actions contributing to the overall objectives of the ENRTP.

Funding opportunities

For more information concerning these programmes, and for those intending to apply for a grant, please see the EuropeAid web-site: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid.

By clicking on "Funding " the user is taken to:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/cgi/frame12.pl. The user can either click on the "Quick search" button to see all calls for proposals published during the last 10 (calendar) days, or select the appropriate search type from the drop-down menu at the top of the left hand frame.

The Calls for Proposals invite candidates to present, within a given deadline, a proposal for action that corresponds to stated objectives and fulfils the required conditions. All applications are examined and evaluated on the basis of criteria that have clearly been announced in the calls for proposals, while ensuring equal treatment. The Commission will contact all candidates to inform them of a final decision concerning their proposals.