EU AID FOR TRADE REPORT 2021
According to the newest EU Aid for Trade Progress Report 2021, released on 29 October, EU aid to improve partner countries' trading capacity increased and helped them tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Women's economic empowerment, environment and biodiversity protection, as well as digitalisation, have been the key areas of the EU Aid for Trade action.
The report confirms the EU and its Member States as the world's leading Aid for Trade provider with €17.9 billion in 2019, benefitting about 140 countries and territories. This represents about 38% of the global Aid for Trade funds and a 12% increase compared to 2018. Africa continued to receive the largest share with 43% of the total volume, followed by Asia (21%), Europe – the EU Neighbourhood and accession countries (13%) and America (8%).
This year, the report features a special chapter on Team Europe Aid for Trade response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall EU imports from developing countries declined by almost €100 billion between 2019 and 2020. Team Europe, meaning the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions, mobilised €46 billion between April 2020 to April 2021 to help the EU's partner countries mitigate the pandemic's socio-economic impact.
Source: European Commission