Report on impact of EU funding to stop torture and the death penalty

SUMMARY OF:

European Court of Auditors’ Special report No 9/2015 — EU support for the fight against torture and the abolition of the death penalty — 24 September 2015

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS REPORT DO?

• It assesses the effectiveness of EU funding allocated for eliminating torture and the death penalty throughout the world.
• It reaches the conclusion that funds should be better targeted.
• It provides recommendations to improve the support for the fight against torture and the death penalty.

KEY POINTS

This report by the European Court of Auditors examines 31 projects undertaken over the 2007-2013 period and addresses the following 2 main questions:

• Was the funding well allocated?
  • The report says that although funding has been generally well allocated, the European Commission has not taken sufficient account of the human rights priorities for each recipient country. Therefore, funding has been stretched too thinly across a wide range of projects.
  • Funded projects were often not well coordinated with other EU actions and their selection lacked rigour.
• Did the grants to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) aimed at fighting torture and abolishing the death penalty achieve sustainable results?
  • Although the funded projects have been generally cost-effective and sustainable, the report says that the systems for measuring impacts are weak.
  • Projects providing direct assistance to victims had tangible impacts, but their target groups were relatively small.

Recommendations

The report offers 6 recommendations to the Commission to improve the effectiveness of EU funding for combating torture and the death penalty.

• 1.

  To better target modest resources: funding should concentrate on the most relevant issues, on the countries with the greatest needs and on where greatest impact can be expected.

• 2.

  To improve coordination with other EU actions: the Commission should openly state the EU’s human rights priorities and better coordinate project selection, development support and political dialogue around those priorities.

• 3.

  To improve project selection: evaluation methods and guidelines for assessments should be more standardised so as to ensure coherence and consistency in project selection.

• 4.

  To take advantage of the possibilities for improving project proposals where assessors have identified design weaknesses: the Commission should more systematically invite applicants to adjust their project proposals to ensure that weaknesses identified by the assessors are better taken into account, while ensuring fair and equal treatment.

• 5.

  To further develop the performance measurement framework: the Commission should make the links between objectives, activities and impacts clearer and harmonise the approach to project evaluations.

• 6.

  To focus more on improving the sustainability of beneficiary organisations: the Commission should promote measures to make NGOs more self-sustainable and find ways to promote support for NGOs that are performing well.

BACKGROUND

The EU is strongly committed to preventing and eradicating all forms of torture and other ill treatment as well as to abolishing the death penalty throughout the world. It works through diplomatic channels and provides grants to NGOs through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). In the 2007-2013 period, there were approximately 180 EIDHR grants aimed at stopping torture and the death penalty totalling over €100 million.

ACT

European Court of Auditors Special report No 9/2015: EU support for the fight against torture and the abolition of the death penalty — 24 September 2015

last update 15.02.2016