Enlargement and European Neighborhood Regional Office

Direction régionale Élargissement et Voisinage européen — © AFD

The Enlargement and European Neighborhood Regional Office covers a vast area extending from the Adriatic Sea to the Caspian Sea, characterized by socio-economic diversity and close geographical proximity to the European Union. Among the twelve countries it covers are all those currently candidates for EU membership.
These countries also share common challenges, including managing risks related to climate change (floods, droughts, heatwaves), energy transition issues, and demographic and migration challenges. Some younger states must also strengthen their governance to successfully achieve democratic transitions. AFD Group is committed to supporting these countries on their path towards European convergence by backing public policies, reforms, and broader transformations for a just and sustainable transition.

Strategy

AFD Group operates in the region according to four main areas, addressing the region’s common challenges, its intervention mandates, and the needs expressed by its partners. In all its operations, AFD Group is committed to maximizing climate co-benefits and reducing social inequalities and gender disparities through a cross-cutting approach that links environmental, social, and economic dimensions. By providing continuous support to public institutions, private sector actors, and civil society organizations, depending of the cases, AFD Group engages in the following areas:

Territorial Resilience and Climate Adaptation

We support the development of sustainable urban infrastructures, thus strengthening the resilience of cities and territories to climate challenges while ensuring efficient and sustainable territorial management.

Sustainable Natural Resource Management

The conservation and sustainable management of forests, water, and soils are priorities for AFD Group in this region. We support the preservation of agricultural systems and marine and coastal ecosystems as global public goods.

Energy Transition

AFD Group promotes the diversification of energy mixes in the region, still largely dominated by fossil fuels. We encourage energy transition through investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, while supporting legislative reforms to align with Europe’s low-carbon trajectory.

Support for Public Policy Reforms

We advocate for reforms that strengthen public policies for an inclusive economic and social transition, aligning with both European ambitions and sustainable development goals. We focus on reducing social inequalities, gender disparities, and the inclusion of vulnerable populations.

A partnership driven approach:

The geographical and cultural proximity of these countries to the European Union reinforces the relevance of our interventions. Present on the ground through our teams from AFD, Proparco, and Expertise France, AFD Group offers tailored financing and support solutions, combining financial instruments and expertise to ensure the successful implementation of projects. As a bilateral actor, it also provides the expertise of a EU member state. Finally, AFD Group developed a partnership approach, encouraging joint ventures with other actors, notably the European Commission and other institutions in the European ecosystem that are particularly committed to supporting convergence.