Brussels, 18/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - Clearance for the creation of a EUR 250 million support Facility for African peace-keeping forces (see EUROPE of 15 November, p.11) was the most significant move forward in the Council's development chapter on Monday in Brussels. It will allow funds allocated to development cooperation to be mobilised to support peace-keeping operations conducted by African military forces from 2004 on, once the joint decision by ACP countries (African/Caribbean/Pacific) and the EU has been adopted, which is a precondition. We point out that these funds could finance the training of African forces, the development of capabilities, troop transport from one African country to another, etc., but that under no circumstances will it cover military spending or spending on armaments.
Speaking before the press, Frano Frattini welcomed this result. "This Facility for peace in Africa is a major result that places our African policy and EU/Africa dialogue in the forefront", he said, thanking the Commission for having proposed this response to a request by the African Union. Commissioner Poul Nielson, for his part, said that "without peace and stability, there cannot be development in Africa. The decision we have taken is based on this and adds a new dimension to our development cooperation with Africa". The Facility will be financed by European Development Fund (EDF) resources as an interim measure (and not during three years as the Commission had wanted), the time it takes to find alternative sources of financing in the Community budget, in order not to distract the EU from the Monterrey objective (increased state aid for development - a concern dear to Germany). Review of the method of funding will be carried out on the basis of an assessment report from the Commission after one trial year using this new instrument. Implementation of the Facility should be coherent with EU external policy.
The Council will discuss the goals, the implementation and the management of the Facility, especially in order to define activities eligible and ineligible for funding through the Facility, in order to make a clear distinction between those that can be considered as development spending (ODA) and those that cannot be considered as such (non-ODA). It will also discuss coordination between this Facility and UN activities and the sub-regional organisations of the African Union (coordination that France is particularly concerned about).
At procedural level, it is already an acquired fact that, for each operation envisaged, the Commission will seek a consensus of Member States as far upstream as possible on how far the operation is in keeping with the political goals pursued. Member State approval of the commitment of funds will then be simply requested within the EDF Committee (France is said to have called for a more binding wording, guaranteeing that the Council has greater power of control, but Mr Nielson was fiercely opposed to this).
The agreement, put down in a joint Council/Commission declaration, will allow the ACP/EU Council to adopt a formal decision by end November. The Commission will then be able to submit, by end December, a proposal to the EDF Committee which will take more precise Council guidelines into account.
Belgian Minister Louis Michel, who had urged in favour of an action plan for the Great Lakes Region in the debate on political dialogue with Africa, told reporters that this Facility was, in his eyes, "only one element" of such a plan, providing the possibility of being extended to other African countries.