Strasbourg, 10/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the European Parliament approved in first reading, with many improvements, two of the external relations financial instruments for the period 2007-2013, namely the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (€11 billion according to the EP) and the Stability Instrument for coming to grips with crises in third countries (€2 billion). The result of the vote takes into account the agreement of 26 June between the institutions on the whole of the new instruments for EU external relations (EUROPE 9220 and 9222).
Neighbourliness and partnership: With the adoption of the report by Konrad Szymanski (UEN, Poland), the EP clarified the initial proposal, above all by specifying that the neighbourhood instrument also makes it possible to encourage the efforts of partner countries to promote good governance and equitable social and economic development and to support policies for fostering health, education and training, which covers not only measures to fight against the main transmissible diseases and non-transmissible diseases and problems but also access to health services and education, including reproductive health for young girls and women and the health of babies.
Stability: With the adoption of the report by Angelika Beer (Greens, Germany), the EP specifies the objectives of the instrument (to contribute to stability and create capacity allowing global and specific transregional threats to be countered) and the different measures that can be financed.
Furthermore, the EP adopted the report by István Szent-Iványi (ALDE, Hungarian), which completes the proposal on the pre-accession aid instrument (consultation procedure).