Although still reluctant about the use of European development aid funding to slow migration flows to Europe, the NGOs Action Aid and Counter Balance hailed the European Parliament's vote, on Thursday 6 July, on the creation of the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) –a fund that is a pillar of the European External Investment Plan for tackling the root causes of migration from Africa and the EU's neighbouring countries (see EUROPE 11824).
Thanks to the Parliament, the regulation on creating the EFSD has the merit of incorporating the concerns expressed by several NGOs, particularly on sustainability, responsibility and the transparency of financing, Counter Balance states.
"We welcome the Parliament’s input to the negotiations, which resulted in a set of more stringent safeguards and eligibility criteria. For instance, key references to protection of human rights, gender equality and transparency requirements have been added", Xavier Sol, Director of the NGO coalition Counter Balance, stated.
Nevertheless, the NGOs' fears have not been assuaged as regards the possible pitfalls resulting from a mix of types that is judged inappropriate. "Portraying this investment plan as 'tackling the root causes of migration' is both dangerous and artificial. It is dangerous because the link between development and migration is much more complex than that. Assuming foreign direct investments will mean less poverty and fewer people on the move is not evidence-based", Isabelle Brachet from Action Aid states.
She adds: "the idea of using development assistance as a border management tool confuses two fundamentally separate things. The objective of development finance must be to contribute to the eradication of poverty and inequality, not achieving migration management for rich countries". (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)