Brussels, 20/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Let it not be said that, at the European Council of 19-20 June, the headache caused by the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty overshadowed EU commitments to developing countries in this crucial year for the mid-term assessment of progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Over and above the commitment to work for an international response on the impact of soaring food prices in the poorest countries (see related article), the European Council conclusions devote a page and a half to the MDGs. The EU shows itself to be determined and optimistic about reducing world poverty by a half by 2015, despite the fall in 2007 in Official Development Aid (ODA) in OECD countries, including, for the first time, the EU (see EUROPE 9639).
“Halfway to the 2015 deadline, much has been done, but more remains to be done,” was how out-going European Council President Janez Jansa summed up the situation. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, whose country is one of the top four ODA donors - told press he was delighted that the targets for increasing European aid, set in 2005 under the Luxembourg Presidency, had been “re-confirmed”. He also stressed that it would be useful for member states to “calculate the figures for their action programmes over several years” to achieve these targets. Juncker particularly welcomed the Commission proposal to increase aid to the agriculture sector in developing countries.
Just as the Development Council had done in May (see EUROPE 9669), EU heads of state and government said they were “seriously concerned” about how far sub-Saharan Africa is lagging behind, but said they were convinced that “all MDGs can still be attained in all regions of the world, provided that concerted action is taken immediately and in a sustained manner” and if every country plays its part in increasing efforts.
By way of a call to collective and concerted action to tackle a world challenge, the EU pointed out that it will continue to play a leading role as the world's largest donor (it provides over half the world's aid), both through its allocation of money and its active involvement in the forthcoming development conferences. These will be decisive for the effectiveness of aid, the mid-term review of progress towards the MDGs and the funding of development (High Level OECD Forum, Accra, 2-4 September, and UN conferences in New York, 25 September, and Doha, 29 November to 2 December).
To begin with, the EU reiterated its pledge collectively to double the annual level of EU ODA, taking it to more than €66 billion by 2010 (or 0.56 of GNI, compared with 0.38% in 2007, with the mythical 0.7% being reached in 2015), and to allocate at least half of this to Africa. Thus, the promises made by European leaders in 2005 will be kept.
Among other priorities for speeding up progress are radical reforms to improve the effectiveness of European aid, improved EU policy coherence (agriculture, fisheries, trade, environment, health, etc.) for development and the implementation of the Aid for Trade policy to reach the collective target of €2 billion (€1 billion from the European Community and the other €1 billion from member states) by 2010. Council conclusions state that the overall Aid for Trade should increase in line with increases in overall ODA. ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries will receive at least half, as is required by economic partnership agreements (EPAs).
To its development partners, the EU has offered to share its MDG agenda for action. This sets intermediate targets and precise measures, along with time frames, for the reduction of worldwide poverty and hunger, for education, health, the environment, gender equality and empowerment of women, water, agriculture, the private sector and infrastructure.
The European Council also reiterated its determination to provide “an effective collective response” to the new challenges to development posed by climate change and the high prices of foodstuffs. In addition to the aid it is ready to provide, “where relevant”, to help developing countries, particularly poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change, the EU “will work for the effective implementation of the 2007 'Global Climate Change Alliance'”. It will also explore ways to make available new financial resources to tackle climate change, inter alia, on the basis of the Commission proposal for a global financing mechanism. (A.N./transl.rt)