The European Union and the Malawi Government today signed an agreement for future cooperation amounting to €560 million.
Under a so-called National Indicative Programme (NIP), financed from the 11th European Development Fund, the funding covers the period until 2020, said EU Commission in a statement.
EU-Malawi cooperation in the coming years will focus on three main sectors: governance, sustainable agriculture and secondary education and vocational training.
Commissioner for International Development and Cooperation Neven Mimica commented: “This signing is another milestone and an important step forward in the strong partnership between the EU and Malawi.”
“We will continue working closely with the Malawian government, the private sector and civil society to strengthen the country’s capacities and long term development. The substantial EU funding combined with necessary reforms and political dialogue will help Malawi to move towards sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction,” Mimica added.
The NIP signed today will fund governance to the tune €120 million, sustainable Agriculture will get €250 million while secondary education and vocational training gets €160 million.
As a joint framework between the government of Malawi and the EU, the NIP will guide the formulation and implementation of projects financed by the 11th European Development Fund.
The European Development Fund (EDF) is the main instrument for EU aid for development cooperation with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries (ACP) and is funded with contributions from the EU Member States.
The National Indicative Programmes represent an important step in the programming of EU aid under the EDF. Preparations are done in close cooperation with the partner countries so as to ensure that NIPs support national priorities where the EU has a value added.
