Ensuring that the European Union - the world’s largest donor of development and humanitarian aid - demonstrates its ambition to maintain this position, as well as conveying this ambition, is of the utmost importance, stressed the French Minister Delegate to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, on Tuesday 1 February, before the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE).
“The EU is the world’s largest donor. We must continue to hammer this point home to partners who are subject to numerous offers from new donors with geostrategic or even predatory aims. We need to rethink our methods of action and our communication”, he said when presenting the French Presidency’s thematic priorities for EU support to developing third countries.
Africa. The European Union-African Union summit on 17 and 18 February in Brussels will allow “an in-depth renewal of the partnership” based on the three themes of ‘Prosperity, Security, Mobility’ (see EUROPE 12880/2, 12866/2).
Preparatory work is underway “on economic investment, infrastructure, vaccine solidarity, the energy transition, reciprocal volunteering”. Mr Lemoyne said that economic prosperity depends in particular on “a new economic and financial climate” requiring a reallocation of special drawing rights in favour of developing countries severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, but also on “a visible European investment offer”.
‘An attractive offer’ of concrete projects. The French Presidency will also have to support the implementation of the NDICI-Global Europe financial instrument and the common approach between the EU, its Member States and its financial institutions (‘Team Europe’) for concrete projects on the ground.
“We fundamentally share the aim of strengthening the geopolitical steering of the European Union’s external action”, said Mr Lemoyne on behalf of the French Presidency.
He said that with €80 billion for 2021-2027 and the loans and guarantees of the European Fund for Sustainable Development EFSD+, “we have the assets to formulate an attractive offer which responds to the challenges of partner countries to help them achieve sustainable development goals in all areas”.
Among the 150 or so initiatives to be implemented and “which will enable the EU to gain visibility on the ground with large-scale concrete projects”, he cited the initiative to “strengthen local vaccine production in Africa” and the ‘Young business in Africa’ initiative “to help young entrepreneurs and start-ups”.
Global health. Detailing this priority, Mr Lemoyne stressed that at international level, the French Presidency will work “on global health governance, WHO reform, the Pandemic Treaty” (see EUROPE 12844/2).
Climate, biodiversity and the environment are also priorities, “with the intention for an ambitious implementation of the European Green Deal” in its external dimension.
Among other priorities, the Minister cited: - education and gender equality; - the renewal of the partnership with the least developed countries, in view of the fifth UN conference, which was to be held at the end of January and whose date has not yet been decided after its postponement.
The European Humanitarian Forum, to be held under the French Presidency, will focus on the growing needs in the world - a priority welcomed by committee chair Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden).
What about the post-Cotonou Agreement? Regarding the finalisation of the updated post-2020 agreement between the EU and the ACP countries - a priority for MEPs who are losing patience (see EUROPE 12859/26) - the Minister, when asked about this, expressed the hope that it could be finalised under the French Presidency.
“We are keen to facilitate the conclusion. It is important, after reaching an agreement with the partners, that this can also be achieved within the European Union”, he said. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)