Instrument for Stability in 2007 Report

The report was submitted to the European Parliament and the Council in compliance with the reporting requirement set out in Article 23 of Regulation (EC) N°1717/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability (the IfS Regulation).

The launch of the Instrument for Stability programme (IfS) in 2007 enhanced considerably the Commission’s crisis response capacity, since the crisis response component constitutes the biggest part of this new instrument (more than one and a half billion euros out of the total of just over two billion over seven years) . Compared to the RRM, the crisis response component of the IfS represents a considerable increase in financial allocations (€93 million in 2007, and an average of €230 million per year for crisis responses during the period 2007-2013) and in the duration of programmes (18 months, with the possibility of extension under certain conditions).


EC external instruments have for a number of years been providing the Commission’s contribution to the Union’s overall crisis responses, be it in response to natural disasters or to political crises in third countries, in the latter case often alongside EU Joint Actions under Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) or European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Between 2000 and 2006, this role was notably played by the EC Rapid Reaction Mechanism (RRM) as regards non-humanitarian crisis responses. Despite modest financial envelopes (in the order of €30 million per year) and a tight limit on the duration of programmes (maximum six months), RRM-funded projects played an important role in a number of crisis response undertakings by the EU.

Aims for instrument Launch that were highlighted by the report included:

  • Capacity to respond to crisis situations in third countries.
  • Complementary and closely co-ordinated use of Community and CFSP instruments in response to political crises in third countries has become the rule.

There can be no automaticity in mobilising the IfS in response to any given crisis situation (judgement is made case by case whether or not a ‘crisis or emerging crisis’).

No major disaster response programmes were funded in the course of 2007, however the IfS was able to support several post-disaster needs assessments in late 2007 and early 2008, which are likely to materialise in disaster response programmes this year:

  • Geographically, the largest share of funds (€ 38.9 million, some 43% of the total) was allocated for measures in Sub-Saharan Africa, namely in Chad, Darfur, Somalia, DR Congo, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau and Zimbabwe (see annex for details).
  • In the Middle East, some €19.7 million or 22% of the funds were committed for programmes in Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territories, and in support of Iraqi refugees in Syria (see annex for details).
  • In the Western Balkans, €10 million were adopted to support the running costs of the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Kosovo (see annex for details).
  • In Latin America and the Caribbean, €9 million (some 10% of the funds) were used on programmes in Colombia, Haiti, and Bolivia (see annex for details).
  • Finally, in the Asia-Pacific region, €5.9 million, some 6% of the total, were made available for IfS programmes in Afghanistan, Southern Thailand, and Burma/Myanmar (see annex for details).

The official document contianing details of the report including The long-term part of the stability instrument, actions in the area of risk migration and post crisis aid, amongst other was published on the 11th April 2008.