Aid to education
The European Commission, is the body with direct responsibility for the European Union’s aid programs. It is divided into Directorates-General.
The European Commission’s strategic priorities in education are:
- Quality of education
- Vocational training
- Addressing inequalities
In 2017, the European Commission launched the “European Consensus on Development”, a shared vision and framework for action for development cooperation for the European Union (EU) and its member states. This blueprint reiterates the EU’s commitment to education for all as a prerequisite for youth employability and long-lasting development.
In 2017, the top recipients of basic education ODA disbursement were: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Lao PDR, Syrian Arab Republic.
The share of the European Commission’s humanitarian aid budget allocated to education in emergencies has increased from 1% in 2015 to 10% in 2019, with an unprecedented funding target of €164 million for 2019 alone.
*This pledge covers the period 2021-2027.
The European Union and GPE
The European Commission sits on the Executive Committee of the GPE Board.
European Union donors and the European Commission are represented on 4 of the 6 donor seats on the Board of Directors. Taken together, their combined contributions to GPE represent 53% of total donor contributions.
The European Commission hosted the second GPE replenishment conference in Brussels in 2014.