Brussels, 09/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has begun the year 2006 with a new framework for a more coherent, more coordinated and more effective development policy whose values, objectives, principles and pooled means are, for the first time in 50 years, spelled out in a joint declaration by the institutional triangle. On 20 December 2005, Josep Borell, President of the European Parliament, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and Tony Blair, as well as the outgoing President of the European Council, signed the first joint Development Policy Statement (DPS) known as the “European consensus” that the European Council on 16 and 17 December had endorsed just a few days earlier (EUROPE 9092 and EUROPE/Documents 2427-2428). The previous policy statement, adopted in 2000 for five years, concerned only Commission and Council commitment.
Development Commissioner Louis Michel was the instigator and experienced craftsman of this initiative that he initially hoped would transform 26 development policies (those of the twenty-five Member Sates and that of the European Commission) into a joint development strategy, in a field of competence shared under the current Treaty. The European consensus is more like a common vision than a joint development strategy. Member States keep their prerogatives, but the Commission has extended its traditional sphere of intervention (to training, education and the environment: EUROPE 9073). By taking on this new framework agreement, the EU, which is already the first world provider of official development aid (ODA) with 55% of development assistance, should have the means to raise the challenge of “doing more, better and faster”, in line with objectives.
During the signing of the statement, José Manuel Barroso, said “2005 has been a year for development and Africa, and Europe has led the way in the UN and G8, doubling aid (Ed.: 0.56% of Community GNP in 2010 to reach 0.7% in 2015), increasing aid for trade and security agreement on the development package for trade at Hong Kong”. Louis Michel went on to add: “This is the most important political advance in the field of development policy. This Commission, under the leadership of President Barroso, has clearly indicated that it wants to make development a priority. It is a small step for each one of us, but a big step for Europe and especially for developing countries”.