The European Union and UNDP

Our partners within the European Union

UNDP partners with the following institutions within the European Union:

• The European Commission
• The European Parliament
• The European Union Council
• The Audit Office of the European Union

The European Commission (EC) is the decision-making body representing the shared interest of all EU Member States on the international stage, e.g. by negotiating agreements between EU and other countries or multilateral institutions. It has two main cooperation instruments with different operational methods: the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) responsible for all emergency and humanitarian operations, and the Aid Cooperation Office (AIDCO or EuropeAid) which deals with reconstruction and development initiatives.

The European Parliament shares with the European Council the power to legislate and authority over the budget, and exercises democratic supervision over the EU. It is a source of political support for the work of UNDP and the UN. UNDP engages with the parliament on thematic and country-specific issues, both in Brussels and Strasbourg and during the field visits of MEPs to developing countries. Also see http://www.europarl.europa.eu.

The European Union Council is made up of the Member States, passes European laws, concludes international agreements and approves the EU budget with the Parliament. Similar to the Parliament, UNDP engages with the Council on thematic issues of shared interest, with a view to building awareness and sustaining political support for its work. Also see http://www.consilium.europa.eu.

While it has no direct relationship with the Audit Office of the European Union, UNDP is mindful of the critical role this office plays for the European Commission through its oversight function. This renders still more important the timeliness, accuracy and suitability of UNDP reporting to respond to the needs of the Commission with respect to its own oversight arrangements. Also see http://www.eca.eu.int/links_en.htm.