11 Policy Coherence for Development:
a "Whole-of-Union Approach"
| (30918)
13323/09
COM(09) 458
| Commission Communication: Policy Coherence for Development — Establishing the Policy Framework for a Whole-of-the-Union Approach
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| Legal base | —
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| Department | International Development
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| Basis of consideration |
Minister's letter of 3 November 2009
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| Previous Committee Report
| HC 19-xxviii (2008-09), chapter 4 (21 October 2009); also see (30920) 13468/09: HC 19-xxviii (2008-09), chapter 9 (21 October 2009); (28929) 13135/07: HC 41-xxxv (2006-07), chapter 8 (17 October 2007); also see (26496) 8137/05; (26497) 8138/05; and (26498) 8139/05: HC 34-v (2005-06), chapter 4 (12 October 2005)
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| To be discussed in Council
| 17-18 November 2009 General Affairs and External Relations Council
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| Committee's assessment |
Politically important |
| Committee's decision |
Cleared |
Background
11.1 Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) recognises that aid
alone cannot address the needs of the developing world; that there
is an need for greater coherence in policies across sectors that
affect developing countries, with policy in areas like agriculture,
trade, investment, migration and others having a profound impact
on developing countries, yet often working at cross-purposes.[34]
11.2 The policy framework was set in 2005, as part
of the package of measures adopted to accelerate progress towards
the Millennium Development Goals — in particular Commission
Communication 8137/05: "Policy Coherence for Development:
accelerating progress towards attaining the Millennium Development
Goals" — and the European Consensus on Development.[35]
The 12 EU-recognised PCD areas: Trade, Environment, Climate change,
Security; Agriculture; Fisheries; Social Dimension of Globalisation,
Employment and Decent Work; Migration; Research; Information Society;
Transport; and Energy.
11.3 At its meeting on 21 October, the Committee
also considered the second biennial Report by the Commission on
its and Member States' performance so far. There, the Commission
said that reporting on PCD progress in the 12 policy areas had
been important as a way to raise awareness and to demonstrate
the importance of the broader EU policy agenda for development,
and strengthening the PCD instruments was necessary in order better
to harness the potential of EU policies for development: but to
make real progress, the EU needed a more focussed approach. The
EU should select some key development challenges, analyse how
it can contribute to achieving them through the broad array of
its policies and instruments, and ensure political mobilisation
around these challenges. [36]
The Commission Communication
11.4 Against this background, the Commission said
that diverging interests in Member States can often make it difficult
to ensure PCD is implemented fully; as a result of ever intensifying
globalisation the impact of other, non-development, EU policies
(e.g., regulations on environment or consumer protection, or decisions
on migration or security) had become much greater. The Commission
noted that total financial flows to developing countries are much
larger than Official Development Assistance (ODA) and said that
the impact of these financial flows on development depends on
the quality and "development-friendliness" of the policy
framework. The Commission accordingly proposed that the EU should
develop a "Whole-of-the-Union" approach, by "establishing
a policy framework to better harness other policies and non-ODA
financial flows to development objectives."
11.5 The Communication went on to propose a focus
on specific global challenges:
— combating
climate change;
— ensuring global food security;
— making migration work for development;
— seeking opportunities to use intellectual
property rights for development; and promoting security; and
— building peace for development.
11.6 The criteria for these choices should be that
the issue must be:
—
high on the EU's agenda;
— be important for developing countries
and the attainment of the MDGs;[37]
— present concrete opportunities for incorporating
development objectives; and
— be linked to a long term agenda.
The Government's view
11.7 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 7 October 2009,
the Minister of State at the Department for International Development
(Mr Gareth Thomas) said that although this Communication narrowed
the focus of PCD, it provided "little tangible detail on
how this will make PCD more effective or how the Commission will
concretely implement it", and that he would "push for
these details to be set out in the forthcoming Council Conclusions."
11.8 The Minister nonetheless welcomed "in broad
terms … the overhaul of the PCD framework and in particular
welcomes the recognition of the need for an increased voice for
developing countries in broader EU policies."
11.9 The Minister also professed himself "pleased
to see the Commission focus PCD on the major global challenges
to development such as climate change and growth and fragility,
which draw together many strands of PCD and help to give it a
practical application."
11.10 He also recognised the importance of non-ODA
financial flows for development, especially in middle-income countries.
But he was "concerned about any potential re-opening
of the ODA definition, which would distract attention from the
need for donors to meet their existing targets".
11.11 The Minister also wanted to see "more
information on how the 'whole of the union' approach proposed
by the Commission impacts on different developing countries (for
instance Middle Income Countries as opposed to Low Income Countries)",
and said that it was "a UK priority that the focus remains
on poverty reduction and on attainment of the Millennium Development
Goals."
11.12 Finally, the Minister said that the Communication
was currently under consideration by the Development Cooperation
working group, and that he expected Council Conclusions on this
Communication to be agreed at the 17th and 18th
November 2009 GAERC.
Our assessment
11.13 The Minister having made his concerns
clear, we asked him to write to us ahead of the GAERC meeting
with details of the Conclusions that he expected to be adopted,
which we hoped would meet them. In the meantime we retained the
document under scrutiny.[38]
The Minister's letter of 3 November 2009
11.14 In his letter, the Minister responds as follows:
"The draft Council Conclusions give no further
mandate to the Commission to pursue their work on the 'Whole-
of-the-Union' approach. This was a success for UK lobbying given
the fear that the 'Whole-of-the-Union' approach risks diluting
the focus on Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments.
The EU must deliver against its ODA pledges and this will be a
priority for the Government in the run up to the November GAERC.
"The UK will work closely with the Commission
on any future proposals for a 'Whole-of-the-Union' approach to
ensure that it is based on a full understanding of the potentially
different impact on Low and Middle income Countries and to ensure
that it reaffirms the primacy of ODA in the wider development
dialogue. We will resist any Commission proposal to
re-open the ODA definition.
"We also welcome the recognition in the draft
Conclusions that there must be more emphasis on gender disaggregated
results, and the need for a greater voice for partner countries
in Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) discussions.
"The draft Council Conclusions task the Commission
to prepare a more practical and focused PCD work programme. This
revised framework should allow the EU to promote coherence more
systematically across the many Commission Directorate Generals
and units as well as between and within Member States. The 2011
PCD Report will assess the progress made in setting up and implementing
this new framework. The UK is an active member of the PCD Expert
Group and we will continue to use this and other opportunities
to address concerns in taking forward work on PCD."
Conclusion
11.15 We are grateful to the Minister for this
further information, which suggests that the Conclusions will
now ensure that modifications of the PCD process will be both
sensible and avoid the potential pitfalls that the Minister identified
earlier in the Commission's proposed "Whole-of-the-Union"
approach.
11.16 This applies particularly to the development
of a more practical and focused PCD work programme. We look forward
to seeing the 2011 PCD Report, and especially to seeing if, as
a result, PCD has indeed been promoted more systematically across
the Commission as well as between and within Member States.
11.17 We now clear the document.
34 See http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_18532957_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
for further discussion of PCD. Back
35
Joint Statement by the Council and the representatives of the
governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the
European Parliament and the European Commission - 'The European
Consensus on Development', December 2005 (OJ 2006/C 46/01). Back
36
See headnote; (30920) 13468/09: Commission Communication: EU Report
on Policy Coherence for Development. Back
37
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be
achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development
challenges. The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets
that are measured by 60 indicators: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger; Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education;
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women; Goal 4: Reduce
child mortality; Goal 5: Improve maternal health; Goal 6: Combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Goal 7: Ensure environmental
sustainability ; Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development.
Back
38
See headnote: HC19-xxviii (2008-09), chapter 4 (21 October 2009). Back
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