4 EU-ACP development co-operation
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8005/04
COM(04) 208
| Draft Council Decision on the position to be adopted by the Community within the ACP-EC Council of Ministers regarding a decision on the use of the reserve of the long-term development envelope of the ninth European Development Fund
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| Legal base | Article 310 in conjunction with the second sub paragraph of Article 300(2) EC; unanimity
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| Document originated | 29 March 2004
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| Deposited in Parliament | 5 April 2004
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| Department | International Development
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 17 April 2004 and Minister's letter of 17 May 2004
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | To be decided
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; revised proposal awaited
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Background
4.1 Poverty reduction is the main objective both of the ACP[7]-EC
Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and of
Community development policy generally. Since the initial programming
of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) regional funding (or
"envelope"), new initiatives have emerged that address
both specific needs within the ACP countries and EU development
policy priorities. However, the £300 million initially earmarked
for intra-ACP co-operation under the 9th EDF has proved insufficient.
So 9th EDF reserves have accordingly been mobilised
already for new initiatives such as contributions to the Global
Fund to Fight HIV/Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis, debt reduction
and capacity building in various areas. Funds earmarked for the
Joint Parliamentary Assembly under the long-term development envelope
are also fully committed, and further support to reinforce its
role as a consultative body is proposed.
4.2 Against this background, with existing funds
fully committed and new intra-ACP co-operation initiatives needing
funding, the Commission proposed that the annual meeting of the
ACP-EU Joint Council of Ministers (held in Gabarone on 6-7 May)
should adopt a decision on the transfer of £172 million from
the reserve of the 9th EDF long-term development envelope, both
to support the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (€2 million/
£1.3 million) and to fund further new initiatives for intra-ACP
co-operation:
- Enhancing ACP countries' capacity
to negotiate and implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements;
and support for civil society and community-based organizations
(€30 million/ £20 million);
- Technical assistance programmes in several ACP
countries under the EU Initiative for Forest Law Enforcement,
Governance and Trade (FLEGT) (€10 million/£6.7 million);
- Additional support for the "Strengthening
Fisheries Management in ACP Countries (ACP Fish II)" programme
(€20 million/£13.3 million);
- Technical co-operation programmes to implement
the political commitments under the ACP-EU Action Plan on Agricultural
Commodities (€30 million/£20 million) and the EU-Africa
Cotton Partnership (€15 million/ £10 million);
- A new programme aimed to support development
of the African Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
industry, focusing on regulatory reform, training, support for
small and medium-size enterprises and e-Government activities
(€20 million/ £13.3 million);
- A new programme to support ACP countries' capacity
to manage migration flows and related issues (€25 million/£16.7
million);
- Strengthening the EC's role within the UN and
supporting closer co operation with UN organisations whose mandate
matches ACP-EC development priorities, particularly in the areas
of governance and post-conflict situations (€10 million/£6.7
million); and
- Support for the implementation and evaluation
of intra-ACP activities (€10 million/£6.7 million).
The Government's view
4.3 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 17 April, the
Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Hilary Benn)
says that "the UK is content with the intention to support
the following:
- Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
- Technical assistance programmes in several ACP
countries for forest law enforcement and management in line with
the EU FLEGT Action Plan, which the UK strongly supports.
- A programme to develop the Information and Communication
Technology industry in Africa, in particular for regulatory reform.
- Regional and cross-border programmes aimed at
enhancing ACP countries capacity to manage migration flows".
4.4 He adds:
"We will however be seeking more information
from the Commission about the proposed support for (i) capacity
building in environmental management and implementation of multilateral
environmental agreements; (ii) fisheries management programme
(ACP Fish II); (iii) agricultural commodities and cotton; (iv)
developing the ACP-EC relationship with the United Nations; and
(v) the implementation and evaluation of intra-ACP programmes
through the EDF. In finalising the Decision in the Council Working
Group, we shall seek to address any outstanding issues. We shall
evaluate closely the subsequent financing proposals as they are
submitted to the EDF Committee".
4.5 As he explains in his letter of 14 May, continuing
discussion about these initiatives made it clear that the additional
information that the UK and other Member States were seeking from
the Commission could not be provided and discussed in the Council
Working Group within this timeframe. At its May meeting, the ACP-EU
Council of Ministers was therefore in a position only to delegate
responsibility for further action to the Committee of Ambassadors,[8]
with a view to being able at their autumn meeting to reach a decision
on the basis of a fully developed position agreed by the Council.
Conclusion
4.6 The various initiatives proposed by the Commission
appear to be more of a work in progress than a fully thought-out
package. To what extent they may be changed in the Council Working
Group in the weeks ahead is uncertain. We are therefore not in
a position to clear this proposal until the Secretary of State
is able to send us a revised proposal. We look forward to hearing
further from the Secretary of State when that happens.
7 African, Caribbean and Pacific. Back
8
The Committee of Ambassadors of EU Member States and ACP countries
in Brussels, which meets twice a year. Back
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