WASHINGTON, April 15, 2016 – The European Commission and the World Bank Group signed a Framework Agreement on Friday, 15 April 2016, to further their cooperation on the implementation of development projects across the globe. This agreement sets the terms under which the World Bank will disburse EU budget money on development projects on the ground.
World Bank Vice President Axel van Trotsenburg said, "The challenges faced by our clients are increasingly complex and require innovative thinking and partnerships. This agreement with the European Commission reinforces the EC’s role as a key partner in our strategic, policy and operational efforts to reach the goal of ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity."
"With this agreement, we're upgrading the strategic partnership between the European Commission and the World Bank to fight poverty around the world. We can accelerate delivery of our funds and increase the transparency of our joint projects for the benefit of people in the developing countries," said European Commission Vice-President, Kristalina Georgieva, at the signing ceremony.
The European Commission and the World Bank first signed a cooperation agreement in 2001. The current document is a revision of an agreement dating from 2014. The revision of the agreement adjusts to the revised funding model of the World Bank, with clarified remuneration, accountability, simplification and increased transparency.
For the period 2010–2015, the European Commission has contributed over two billion euro to the World Bank Trust Funds, thus becoming the third biggest contributor.
The money has mainly gone to Africa (48%) and South Asia (26%), and has enabled the implementation of projects including in the areas of public administration and law (31%), health and social services (19%), and education (17%).
