Instrument for Stability

Legal basis: Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 November 2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability. It replaces the Regulation creating a rapid-reaction mechanism and the Regulations concerning action against anti-personnel mines (1724/2001 and 1725/2001).

Objectives: The Instrument for Stability (IfS) aims to contribute to a comprehensive prevention approach to state fragility, conflict, natural disasters and other types of crises. It is intended to provide an adequate response to instability and crises and to longer term challenges with a stability or security aspect. The overall objectives of the IfS are:

• To respond to a situation of urgency, crisis or emerging crisis, a situation posing a threat to democracy, law and order, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms or to the security and safety of individuals, or a situation threatening to escalate into armed conflict or to severely destabilize the third country or countries concerned;
• In the context of stable conditions, to help build capacity both to address specific global and trans-regional threats with a destabilizing effect and to ensure preparedness to address pre- and post-crisis situations.

The IfS's total budget for the period 2007-2013 is € 2.062 billion.

Activities covered by the IfS are:

1. In response to situations of crisis or emerging crisis, the IfS gives support for:
   • Measures to ensure that the specific needs of women and children in crisis and conflict situations, including their exposure to gender-based violence, are adequately met;
   • The rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of armed conflict, including measures to address the specific needs of women and children;
   • Measures to promote and defend respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, and the related international instruments;
   • Socio-economic measures to address the impact of sudden population movements, including measures addressing the needs of host communities in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis;
   • Measures to support the development and organisation of civil society and its participation in the political process, including measures to enhance the role of women in such processes and measures to promote independent, pluralist and professional media;
   • Measures in response to natural or man-made disasters and threats to public health in the absence of, or to complement, Union humanitarian assistance.
2. In the context of stable conditions for co-operation, the IfS gives assistance for:
   • Managing threats to law and order, the security and safety of individuals, critical infrastructure and to public health (as regards to health, this means contributing to ensuring an adequate response to sudden major threats to public health, such as epidemics with a potential trans-national impact;
   • Pre- and post-crisis capacity building: support for long-term measures aimed at building and strengthening the capacity of international, regional and sub-regional organisations, state and non-state actors;
   • Promoting early warning, confidence-building, mediation and reconciliation, and addressing emerging inter-Union tensions;
   • Improving post-conflict and post-disaster recovery.

Eligible partners:

• Local citizens' groups and traders' associations, co-operatives, trade unions, and organizations representing economic and social interests;
• Organizations representing indigenous peoples;
• Local organizations (including networks) involved in de-centralized regional co-operation and integration;
• Consumer organizations, women's and youth organizations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organizations, universities, churches and religious associations and communities;
• The media;
• Any non-governmental associations and private and public foundations likely to contribute to development or the external dimension of internal policies.

Applications may be made by any national or resident of an EU Member State, acceding country or member of the European Economic Area. In the case of measures taken in any third country considered a Least Developed Country according to the criteria laid down by the OECD, calls are open on a global basis. In the case of support provided in crises situations, calls are open on a global basis. In the case of support provided in stable conditions, the calls are open to any natural or legal person of a developing country or of a country in transition, as defined by the OECD.



Sources and useful links:

• Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability