Brussels, 07/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - The response to the migration crisis, the world humanitarian summit in Istanbul, the future modalities of the partnership between the EU and the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) group of countries after 2020, and synergies between trade and development will dominate the work programme of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU with regard to development cooperation.
All these priorities for development cooperation policy (“a central element of the EU's external action”) will be guided by the imperatives of the new global framework of sustainable development goals approved by the UN in New York in September. Under the banner of “the EU as a leading global actor”, the trio of presidencies (Dutch, Slovak and Maltese) state that “the policies of the EU will have to be assessed with regard to the new development goals via an approach bringing the different participants together” and that “strengthening the coherence of policies serving development remains an important element for making the EU's ambitions concrete as part of the sustainable development programme for 2030”.
For the first time, the development and trade ministers of the 28 EU member states will reflect together at an informal Council meeting organised by the Presidency in early February.
The Foreign Affairs Council, in its Development format, will be held in Brussels on 12 May 2016. Its agenda will include: the world programme for sustainable development; post-Cotonou; gender equality; trade and development; and strengthening capacities for security and development (the latter subject will be addressed by the Foreign Affairs Council in its Defence format a few days earlier).
Sustainable development. The Presidency intends to act swiftly to anchor implementation of the global sustainable development goals in the EU's internal and external policy.
Humanitarian summit/migration crisis. In an environment of multiple long-lasting crises, with an unprecedented number of people displaced, the Presidency will work on preparing the world humanitarian summit (Istanbul, 23-24 May) which is due to lead to innovative approaches for a more effective channelling of aid to the victims of conflict, instability and natural disasters (see EUROPE 11419). The Presidency believes that this summit will be able to play a significant role in the response to the current migration crisis.
Future of ACP-EU partnership. The Dutch Presidency wants to make progress in the preparatory work for the formal launch of negotiations (planned for September 2018 at the latest) on the post-2020 relationship between the EU and the 78 ACP countries linked by the Cotonou Agreement (the development partnership agreement concluded for 20 years in 2000). The Presidency states that it “will stimulate an open and enlightened debate”, ensuring that the ACP partners are included in it in good time, and that it will “contribute to a solid internal assessment of the Cotonou acquis”.
The modalities and future content of the post-Cotonou partnership to be adapted to the new world challenges are the subject of an in-depth reflection that has been going on for months in the ACP Group (see EUROPE 11442). The reflection was launched more recently in the EU, with the two initial debates led respectively by the European foreign affairs ministers and those for development, on the basis of the consultation document published by the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) (see EUROPE 11419 and 11409).
Trade and development. The Dutch Presidency intends to work on the synergy between aid and trade by better using all the instruments of development cooperation policy and those of trade policy. An informal meeting of development ministers, followed by an informal meeting of trade ministers, will take place in Amsterdam on 2 February, with a part in common, in order to enable the Presidency to pave the way for the future trade and development agenda.
Africa. In close cooperation with the African countries, the EU will continue to work on implementing the roadmap adopted at the EU-Africa summit in April 2014 (see EUROPE 11053), the trio of Presidencies states. Priorities will remain warning about crisis situations, bringing solutions for them, contributing to peace and stability, containing the growing flows of illegal migrants, and fighting against terrorism in close cooperation with the EU, regional organisations and international partners. It is therefore important to implement regional strategies and action plans in order to contribute to the security and development of the Sahel, Gulf of Guinea and Horn of Africa regions. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)