Delegated Co-Operation is part of the Aid Effectiveness Agenda and is stipulated under the EU Code of Conduct on the division of labour in development policy. It is a management strategy which allows, for example, the European Commission to delegate funds to a Member State for the implementation of co-operation programmes (through "delegation agreements") and for Member States to transfer their resources to the Commission itself (through "transfer agreements"). This option is intended to encourage greater concentration of aid in partner countries or sectors where the added value of a specific donor is greater.
The "Delegated Co-Operation" condition is activated through the signature of a delegation agreement with the local EU Delegation on behalf of the European Commission and is based on specific financing decisions taken by the Commission to identify the body responsible for managing the funds on a case-by-case basis.
The certification of Camões, I.P. is important for Portugal as it allows administering additional resources for development co-operation initiatives in strategic partner countries and in important sectors.