Brussels, 03/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The inclusion of a differentiated approach in EU development aid, advocated by the Commission in the Agenda for Change which defines the broad guidelines of development policy after 2013, greatly concerns the group of ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) states as it is, in their opinion, against the spirit of the Cotonou agreement which links them to the EU. This agenda, ratified by the Council (see EUROPE 10615), should enable the EU to deliver development aid more efficiently by concentrating on key priority domains and targeting financial resources to least developed countries with, as a corollary, national envelopes being reduced that are allocated to high income and upper middle income countries. For the ACP, this is where the main point of friction lies.
“The inclusion of the element of graduation, linked to a differentiated approach with respect to access to resources, in our view is not within the spirit of the Second Revision of Cotonou. We believe that ACP countries that have achieved favourable economic performance should be supported to transition into a more stable and sustainable growth path. Countries should not be unduly punished because they have been able to ensure growth and prosperity through discipline, sound governance and prudent economic policies”, the secretary general of the ACP group, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, said, while addressing the Pacific ACP leaders in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) on Friday 31 August.
The ACP countries consider that the specific vulnerabilities faced by small island developing states are not reflected in the economic classification of countries. Caribbean countries are most likely to face exclusion from EU bilateral aid under the new policy, as well as several countries from Africa and the Pacific. The ACP Group therefore calls on the EU to reconsider all measures that might appear unilateral or that would modify the legal framework of the 2010 revised Cotonou agreement. “The dialogue on this issue is continuing in Brussels and we hope that a mutually acceptable solution can be found soon”, the secretary general said.
As the largest donor of development aid in the world, the EU has allocated more than €22 billion to the ACP states within the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) framework for the 2008-2013 period. It should be remembered that the Cotonou agreement, revised every five years, was concluded in 2000 for 20 years. (AN/transl.fl)