1. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES INCREASE IN CO-FINANCING BUDGET
The European Parliament (EP) on 18 December 1997 approved of an increase for the B7-6000 line in the 1998 co-financing budget. A figure of 200 million ECU in commitments and 155 million ECU in payments (180 million at the EP’s first reading) was agreed to. In contrast to the 1997 budget, these sums are fully available - no part is to be held in reserve. Of the 36 million ECU held in reserve last year on top of the 160 million ECU agreeed for commitments, only 10 million ECU were added to NGO co-financing.
This increase, reflecting the EP’s confidence in the NGDO work, can be put down to effective lobbying by the Brussels networks and national platforms. This effort is all the more notable in the light of recent EU tight budgets. The European Commission and the Council of Ministers responsible for the budget earlier proposed only 160 million ECU in commitments.
The Liaison Committee is to put out an article highlighting the latest developments in all aspects of the 98 budget that have a bearing on NGO work in its January news letter.
2. UK PRESIDENCY PROGRAMME
The UK Presidency have a put out its programme for its presidency period. The programme details meetings, the work programme and priorities of the Presidency. It lists its priorities as: economic and monetary union, economic reform, enlargement of the EU and policy reform, crime and the environment and foreign policy. On foreign policy, the programme states one of the aims of the Presidency as to develop a more consistent approach to human rights.
In the part of the agenda for the work programme concerning the EU’s external affairs issues to be dealt with, are inter alia, : ACP/EU and development issues, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, arms exports, human rights, and UN reform. The Presidency’s aims concerning these issues are :
1) the ACP/EU : To agree to the EU mandate on negotiations with the ACP on a new Lomé Convention. The main emphasis will be on measurable progress on the elimination of poverty. The next EU/ACP Council will take place during the Presidency’s tenure in May.
2) Development in general: To move towards a commitment to international development targets with the aim of eliminating world poverty.
3) Africa : To promote coherent action on democracy and good government in Africa, particularly in the Great Lakes Region, Nigeria and Sierra Leone; to encourage co-operation on conflict prevention, particularly with the OAU and carry forward EU/OAU dialogue; to work for an agreement on the EU/South Africa Free Trade Agreement; and to arrange an EU/SADC seminar on trade liberalisation.
4) Latin America and the Caribbean: To focus on the Ministerial meetings between the EU and the San Jose and Rio Group countries in February; to agree on negotiating directives for trade liberalisation with Mexico and consider follow-ups with Mercorsur and Chile; and to prepare the EU/Latin America/Caribbean Summit for 1999. The evaluation of the EU Common Position on Cuba will take place during the Presidency.
5) Arms exports: To work on an EU code of conduct that sets high common standards governing arms exports from EU Member States.
6) Human rights: To adopt a practical approach towards human rights that involves helping countries implement universal standards through co-operation and support; and work on the new Development Regulations on Democracy and Human Rights and the new trade incentives under the GSP.
7) UN reform: To work for a solution for the UN’s financial crisis based on full payment of dues and reform of the scales of assessment based on capacity to pay. The EU will in this period continue to support particular early implementation of the secretary-general’s reform package.
The complete UK presidency programme can be found on the world wide web of the internet at http://presid.fco.gov.uk .
3. BRITISH PRESIDENCY WELCOMES ELECTIONS IN KENYA
The British Presidency on behalf of the EU has welcomed the unfolding of elections in Kenya despite the irregularities. In a Declaration, the Presidency pays tribute to the people of Kenya for the manner in which they exercised their right to vote. It commends the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group (IPPG) electoral reforms that were passed before the election, stating that they helped reduce tension and create a more level playing field for the official campaign period. The Declaration states that during the campaign, freedom of assembly was widely exercised and generally respected. The conduct of the security forces is also welcomed for maintaining neutrality.
It however concedes that the process fell short of normal democratic standards. Among the issues cited are bribery and intimidation of voters, incomplete voter registration and control over television and radio by the State. The Declaration calls for a prompt, independent and public investigation into these malpractises. A democratic culture is yet to take root in the country and poverty and illiteracy are major obstacles towards the achievement of this states the Declaration.
Nevertheless, the 1997 elections are described as a further step in Kenya’s development towards greater democracy. It calls for the further implementation of IPPG reforms, a consultative, inclusive and open appointment of commissioners so as to achieve the broadest consensus on the country’s future political institutions. The combat against corruption and poverty are also cited as serious issues that should be addressed.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU and the EFTA countries and the European Economic Area aligned themselves to the declaration.
4. NOTICE
At last month’s Eurostep General Assembly, member organisations expressed the wish to learn about the activities of each other. It was agreed that the PAF would be the medium to relay this information. Member organisations are thus invited to regularly report on their activities to the secretariat so that these can appear in subsequent PAFs.
5. IN BRIEF
The Ambassador of Jamaica to the US has stated that some Caribbean banana exporting countries are so concerned about the future of their banana industry, after losing the case for preferential treatment of Caribbean bananas to the EU before the WTO, that they are considering pulling out of the WTO.
The Council of the European Union has approved a EU Vietnam textile agreement. Under the agreement Vietnam agrees to a number of measures including the extension of the list of Community textile products exported to Vietnam that are subject to automatic reissue of import licences and the reduce custom duties. In exchange the EU agrees to inter alia abolish quotas for 25 products and improve the possibility for transferring quotas for one year to the next or from one category to another. Vietnam currently exports 70% of its textile and clothing products to the EU. The European Commission estimates that the new agreement will represent an annual increase of 200 million ECUs in Vietnam’s exports to the EU.
6. CORRIGENDA
In the last PAF (19 December (73)) it was mentioned in article (4), that the ASEM II Meeting was to take place on 2-4 April in Brussels. We have since learnt that this meeting will take place on 3-4 April in London.