The European Union’s development policy should help to ensure that extractive activities in resource-rich developing countries involve indigenous communities and bring about sustainable development in these partner countries, stressed MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE), on Tuesday 24 October, when they adopted the amended report by Barry Andrews (Renew Europe, Irish) (13 votes in favour, 2 against and 7 abstentions) (see EUROPE 13237/9).
MEPs want the EU to set up a monitoring group for its Global Gateway investment strategy, made up of civil society groups, MEPs, Member State representatives and experts, to report on the impact of Global Gateway projects in third countries on human rights, the environment, civil liberties, peace, inequality and poverty reduction.
They call on the European Commission to formulate a voluntary Code of Conduct that would establish, with input from industry, trade unions, local and indigenous representatives, guiding principles for investment in developing countries, in line with the EU due diligence process and relevant international standards. According to MEPs, the Code should cover commitments to local involvement and transparency in financial reporting and transactions, as well as protection of the Rule of law and compliance with anti-corruption measures.
To see the text voted on: https://aeur.eu/f/987 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)