APPENDIX 1
Memorandum from the Summer Institute of
Linguistics-UK (SIL-UK)
SIL-UK welcomes the initiative of the International
Development Committee in undertaking a short inquiry into the
future of the EC development budget. Our contribution to the inquiry
is as follows.
1. For individual countries the United Nations
has set a target figure for official development aid of 0.7 per
cent GNP. The establishment of a target figure enables countries
to monitor and evaluate their commitment to development and calls
for accountability. We suggest the EC:
— sets a target commensurate with that
of the UN;
— accounts publicly for the contribution
of each member country to the EC Development Budget, rather than
an overall EC amount;
— urges individual member countries
to work towards reaching the UN target figure of 0.7 per cent
of GNP.
2. Concerning the allocation of external assistance,
we recommend the EC:
— targets the poorest countries and
the poorest sectors of society in middle-income countries, and
more particularly those countries and groups not immediately attractive
to the international economic actors. The poor of Eastern Europe
and Asia are at present receiving considerable attention. However
in many cases this is because they are perceived as potential
future markets;
— gives attention to regions perceived
as having few potential benefits for the EU, i.e. not necessarily
former colonies (ACP) or emerging markets;
— pays greater attention to qualitative
and social development targets, not merely economic ones;
— increases aid to education as a way
of assuring human resource development and laying a strong foundation
for sustainable impacts and processes.
3. It is essential to maintain a focus on assisting
marginalised groups—minorities, women—in countries
which are considered less favoured, with the basic intention of
bringing about societal change from the grassroots. This means
direct funding to NGOs and implies changes in funding mechanisms
and possibly new kinds of relations (not simply those involving
funding) between the EU and civil society.
4. With regard to the decision-making process
within the Commission, greater transparency is essential; co-operation
between civil society and the European Commission would be greatly
enhanced if priority-setting and sectoral and geographical development
strategies are the subject of open dialogue. European NGO networks
are well placed to give input. This presupposes greater access
to sectoral departments (education, health).
Summer Institute of Linguistics
2 October 1998
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