Ahead of his confirmation hearing at the European Parliament, scheduled for Wednesday 6 November, the Commissioner-designate for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, set out his vision of a modernised and inclusive European development policy in his written answers to MEPs’ questions.
With the Global Gateway strategy at the heart of his approach, Mr Síkela proposes to position the European Union as a partner of choice in a competitive geopolitical environment, by focusing on sustainable investments, particularly in ‘green’ and digital infrastructures.
In addition, the Czech candidate provides assurances that the objective of eradicating poverty in developing countries, as enshrined in the founding treaties of the EU, and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 will provide the framework for his work.
“Over the past decades, the traditional donor-recipient model has showed its limitations. The countries that have most successfully reduced poverty are those that have invested in infrastructure development, domestic manufacturing, and education, thereby integrating their economies into world trade and investment circuits. This is where, today, Emerging Markets and Developing Economies seek support” argues Mr Síkela. Further adding: “In the 21st century, countries want partnerships, not dependencies”.
The Commissioner-designate is thus aligning himself with the strategy, already initiated by the outgoing Commissioner, Jutta Urpilainen, of an EU development cooperation model now based on greater mutual “resilience” within international partnerships (see EUROPE 13495/14).
He is calling for greater mobilisation of private investment, supported in particular by risk reduction instruments. “We should aim to establish mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with key partners, that can bolster competitiveness and diversify supply chains while enhancing sustainability and value addition, thus also boosting our partners’ economies and supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda”, says Síkela.
The Commissioner-designate also underlines his commitment to gender equality, young people and combatting inequality. “Gender equality is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic necessity”, he says.
See all the written responses from the Commissioner-designate: https://aeur.eu/f/e1y (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)