Brussels, 15/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) has been formally adopted and will allow the EU to finance its development activities up to €40 billion for the period 2007-2013. By approving, on 12 December in Strasbourg, the provisional agreement reached earlier with the Council on the DCI regulation (EUROPE 9271), the European Parliament allowed this move which meets most of its demands. The regulation will replace thirteen existing regulations and will cover developing countries only. It makes health and education the priorities of Community aid (20% of aid earmarked for each geographical area), creates a specific tool for financing the promotion of human rights, provides for budgetary support to receive endorsement from the Court of Auditors, and safeguards the Parliament's power of codecision, that the European Commission had hoped to bring into question. Gay Mitchell (EPP-ED, Ireland), whose recommendations were taken on board, welcomes this success which closes two years of intense wrangling between Parliament and Council. (an)