Support to elections takes the form of electoral assistance projects. These are independent but complementary activities implemented through different financial instruments.
Election assistance is the technical or material support given to the electoral process. It imply to support various activities such as the establishment of a legal framework for elections, the provision for the national electoral body of voting material and equipment, or helping in the registration of political parties and the registration of voters. It may also consist in supporting Civil Society in areas such as voter and civic education, or support to the media monitoring and training of journalists.
Since 2000, more than €300 million of EU electoral assistance has funded 75 direct projects in 40 countries. The EU is also a core founder of most of the UN funds dedicated to election support. Thus, in April 2006, the Commission and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) signed Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of Electoral Assistance (
827Kb) and have developed a formal partnership on electoral assistance.
Election observation is the political complement to election assistance. EU election observation involves the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of an electoral process and the presentation of recommendations that will provide an important basis for deciding on further assistance after the elections.
