Brussels, 08/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Outlining the position of the European Union at the UN Conference on development funding (Monterrey, Mexico 18-22 March), will be a determining factor for reversing the alarming trend in the decline in public funding for development aid. This will constitute the most thorny issue to deal with at the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 11 March. External aspects of sustainable development strategy within the perspective of the European Summit of Barcelona on 15-16 March, as well as the Middle East crisis and the political situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa and Zimbabwe, will also be on the agenda of Foreign Affairs Ministers at the meeting presided over by Josep Piqué. President Prodi and Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielsen, will represent the Commission. On the fringes of the Council on Monday, a Co-operation Council with the Ukraine will be held (8.30), followed by a Troika dinner focusing on political dialogue with the country. On 12 March, a Troika dinner will be held with Albania, as well as the Association Councils with Romania and Slovenia and the European Economic Area Council (EEA). The agenda for the session is as follows:
Preparation for the Monterrey Conference - Based on a Presidency compromise, the Council will attempt to overcome the profound dissension that exists between those delegations seeking a maximum aid package. These countries include the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg and are the most generous in granting aid. They favour a timetable that would increase state development aid from Member States, with an intermediate stage worked out for achieving the objective of 0.7% of GDP to ADP, compared to those seeking the minimum and which are the most reluctant to commit themselves on providing figures or dated. These include Austria, Portugal, Spain and Germany: see EUROPE 7 March page 9). The Presidency aims to bring added value to Monterey in the form of a de minimis New York consensus (agreement of the examination of the methods and means to increase ADP without an exact timetable), which had received the support of Member States. It is improbable that individual and collective commitments from Member States to bring the current Community level of 0.33% to 0.39% by 2006 (which could constitute an average) would satisfy all parties. It is more probable that the issue will be needed to be referred to Heads of State and governments at Barcelona.
Preparation of European Council of Barcelona: The Council: 1) will finalise the agenda of the European Council and will put the final touches to organisating the work meetings with candidate countries; 2) will compile the conclusions of the various Council formations concerning the situation in the Union with regards the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic and social development, and the environmental dimension; 3) will define, as other Council meetings have done in their relevant spheres, its own strategy for integrating the environment in the Union's external policies, with a view to forwarding it to the European Council; 3) will hold a brief exchange of views on two documents: - the roadmap for sustainable development, an operational document prepared by the Spanish Presidency and the two following Presidencies (Denmark and Greece) for following the timetable for implementation of the Community strategy on sustainable development defined one year ago by the European Council of Gothenburg (breakdown of work between the different Council formations, timetable, identification of priorities, sustainable development indicators); - and a note from the Presidency addressed to candidate countries on the external dimension of the Lisbon Process, in the prospect of global partnership for sustainable development (implementation of the Doha development agenda, Monterrey conference, World Development Summit in Johannesburg).
Annual strategy 2003: The Council will hear Romano Prodi present the Commission's priorities, its main working directions and its additional requirements in human resources for the year 2003 - with a view to enlargement - which could mean the budget will not be sufficient (see EUROPE of 28 February, p.8, on the speech by Mr Prodi in Parliament).
During lunch, the Council will hold an exchange of views on: a) the situation in the Middle East, on the basis of a report by CFSP High Representative Javier Solana, who reports on his last missions in the region and in Washington (the adoption of conclusions is uncertain; the issue will be taken to Barcelona); East Timor (at the request of Portugal, which hopes to maintain the level of Union aid instead of the gradual decrease envisaged by the Commission); c) Kaliningrad (the Greek minister will report to the Council on his discussions with the Russian authorities, see EUROPE of 7 March, p.9, on the recent speech by Mr Patten).
Western Balkans: The Council will hold an exchange of views on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, on FRY/Kosovo, the Stability Pact for South East Europe, the police force in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the last donors' conference for Macedonia (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.14). It will also hear Javier Solana report on his recent meeting with President Trajkovski. Council conclusions are awaited.
African Great Lakes region: The Council is expected to adopt conclusions which: - will express its solidarity with the Congolese population following the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in the DRC; - urge participants at the inter-Congolese dialogue to show proof of determination to reach an agreement; - will invite all signatory parties of the Lusaka Agreement to strictly comply with the ceasefire; - will stress the importance of disarmament and reintegration of armed groups; - and will welcome the recent developments in Burundi.
Zimbabwe: The Council will take stock of the situation concerning the presidential elections in this country.
Human rights: The Council will adopt conclusions with a view to the next meeting of the United Nations Commission (19 March, Geneva).
Future trade agreements with ACP countries: At the request of Denmark, which is to hold the next EU Presidency, the Council will informally debate negotiating briefs for regional economic partnership agreements, that the Commission is to present to it before end March with a view to approval before send June.