Brussels, 15/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - European development cooperation ministers are endorsing the “Agenda for Change”, the name given to the new guidelines recommended by the European Commission for post-2013 development policy centred on EU partner countries that are in most need of aid and on priority sectors ensuring increased aid effectiveness. Conclusions adopted unanimously on Tuesday 15 May delighted Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs but disappointed NGOs that bemoan the fact that the poor populations of emerging countries are to be excluded from EU development aid in future.
The Council conclusions will “enable the Commission to move ahead in its objective of making EU aid more strategic, targeted and results-oriented. (…) The promotion of human rights, democracy, good governance and of inclusive and sustainable growth will be the two pillars of our policy”, Piebalgs said. On the other hand, development NGOs within the European NGO confederation for relief and development (CONCORD) deplore the fact that EU member states have taken this new plan on board, aimed at diverting bilateral aid from many moderate income countries and at allowing the private sector to gain access to development aid funding.
In the text adopted, ministers agree that a globalised environment in the midst of change and the new international architecture requires a more comprehensive, more responsive and more effective approach for the EU's external action and development policy. This policy needs to deliver clearer results and exercise greater impact on the ground in order to help developing partner countries to eradicate poverty.
The Council above all reaffirms its commitment towards achieving this aim, which is the main objective of development policy. It also confirms its determined commitment to collectively increase the level of EU public development aid to 0.7% of GNI by 2015, the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The Council approves the EU's intention to focus its development policy on good governance, on respect of human rights, democracy and rule of law and on inclusive and sustainable growth. It also endorses the idea of focusing EU bilateral aid on a maximum three sectors per country, further to consultation and depending on the priorities of the country in question. The principles set out by the Council will steer the development and implementation of external action instruments in the EU financial perspectives for the period 2014-2020. The Council underlines that the private sector and the development of trade are key media for development. It takes the view that an environment that fosters enterprise and more effective ways to mobilise private sector involvement will be decisive when it comes to developing a competitive private sector, which should go hand in hand with the promotion of workers' rights, decent work and corporate social responsibility. (AN/transl.jl)