Brussels, 14/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU27 ministers responsible for development cooperation took over from their foreign affairs colleagues on Monday 14 May to focus (under the guidance of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton) on new development prospects developing in Burma /Myanmar following the lifting of European sanctions on 23 April last. This Foreign Affairs Council development session is also expected to ratify new orientations in post-2013 development policy, as well as the new EU budget support policy for the post-2014 period. It is also expected to draw up an EU performance balance sheet in terms of the volume of public development aid awarded (see EUROPE 10589) and debate the UN sustainable development conference objectives RIO+20 (20-22 June in Rio de Janeiro) and the role of development ministers in the follow-up to this conference.
Burma/Myanmar. The aim of this debate was to work out how the EU 27 should channel aid (support for peace, economic and social development aid, support for the rule of law and human rights) and coordinate its intervention, together with respect for common principles applicable in their dialogue with the Burmese government.
Development policy. The Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the Agenda for Change and give its backing to increasing the impact on the ground of this policy, as well as achieve concrete results by focusing on countries that are in most need of assistance, in addition to a number of priorities: promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance and inclusive and sustainable growth for all (see EUROPE 10511 and 10473).
Budgetary support. The Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the new budgetary approach for providing budgetary support to developing countries.
Joint aid programming. The EU27 and the European Commission were due to examine this technically complex exercise because it is necessary to synchronise the EU's response with partner countries' development strategies. After the experience obtained in Haiti and Southern Sudan, the first list of countries in which it is possible to begin joint planning has been agreed.
EU/Pacific partnership. The Council adopted, without debate, conclusions on re-establishing the development partnership between the EU and the Pacific, one of the ACP group regions.
Horn of Africa. The Council adopted, without debate, conclusions subscribing to the EU's strategy seeking to enhance the resilience of countries in the Horn of Africa to food crises, as an important element in long-term European support to the region. (AN/transl.fl)