The new Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation (DG DEVCO) formally began its work on 3 January 2011. Headed by Mr. Fokion Fotiadis, this new Directorate will be responsible for designing European development policy and for delivering aid throughout the world.

Directorate General for Development and Cooperation (DG DEVCO) - EuropeAid is aimed to reinforcing the ability of the European Union to design state-of-the-art development policy for all developing countries, and enhance policy coherence for development while further improving implementation and delivery mechanisms. This new department will also define the future development policy drawing from the objectives of the EU's Green Paper on development policy and contribute to global challenges ahead.

The new structure for DG DEVCO will be definitely in place by mid-April. It will bring together two former Directorates General, DG Development and DG EuropeAid, which will continue to work alongside for a short transitory period before they fully merge in a single structure.

Headed by Mr. Fokion Fotiadis, the new DG DEVCO will represent one single address for development policy and implementation, providing one single contact point for stakeholders both inside and outside the European Union. DG DEVCO-EuropeAid will keep on delivering EU external aid through a set of financial instruments, implementing programmes and projects around the world by means of grants and EuropeAid tenders, with a focus on ensuring the quality of EU aid and its effectiveness.

DG DEVCO will also be the single interlocutor for the European External Action Service (EEAS) where part of the staff of the former DG Development (DG DEV) has been integrated as part of the staff transfer completed in 1 January 2010. Furthermore, DG DEVCO will be one single interlocutor for all sectoral Directorates General, and will play a leading role in the international debate for development involving donors, international institutions, developing and emerging countries and non State actors.