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The European Commission's Director for Policy at its DG VIII (Development Directorate) told participants at the European Parliament's Green Group P7 Summit for alternative development that the Commission and the Community were committed to achieving the goals of the OECD DAC Development Strategy for the 21st Century. Mr Hamburger said that the DAC strategy was vital in that it was designed to mobilise public awareness on aid and increase and sustain official development assistance as well as focus policy on poverty reduction.
He said that the last EU Council for Development on 18 May had produced a progress report on poverty following the 1993 EU Council Resolution on the reduction of poverty. Council Ministers had approved three principles on which poverty reduction should be based, i.e., local ownership of the strategy on poverty by partner governments; partnership with all stake-holders in the development process; and complimentarity of all policies and actions concerning poverty amongst all donors. To this end the Community is involved in an enhanced dialogue with the World Bank and other prominent multilateral organisations. Mr Hamburger said there was a collective intention amongst EU Member States to achieve DAC targets by 2015. The Commission is also embarking on its own initiative to determine the likely impact of its projects on poverty. The Commission's main steps at reducing poverty were listed as: economic and social integration of the poor; working towards sustained and equitable growth in developing countries; providing access to economic resources for all; providing efficient basic social services; and protecting the poor and the most marginalised. The activities designed to achieve the above mentioned steps were listed as: a) joint poverty assessments with EU Member States; b) mainstreaming of poverty objectives in position papers, policy documents, et al.; c) developing mechanisms for monitoring the achievement of poverty reduction targets; d) and carrying out operational studies on poverty.
Referring to the current debate on the future of the Lomé process, the Commission Director said the debate on the Commission's Green Paper on Lomé had helped contribute to the development of the Commission's strategy against poverty. He said that though the fight against poverty was at the centre of the relations with the ACP, it should also be married with the desire to integrate ACP States into the world economy.
2. EUROPEAN COMMISSION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS CERTAIN BUDGET LINES IN RESPONSE TO COURT OF JUSTICE RULING ON EU SPENDING - NGO BUDGET LINE TO BE RESTORED IN THREE WEEKS
Following the EU Court of Justice ruling of 12 May that clarified the legal requirements for the execution of the EU budget, the Commission has launched a review of a number of budget lines without a legal basis and decided to suspend their execution temporarily. This means new commitments from these budget lines will be suspended but the payment of moneys already committed will be made as usual. Once the budget lines meet the criteria of the Court, they should be un-blocked.
The Court of Justice ruling came about as a result of a complaint lodged by the UK supported by Denmark and Germany and the Council against the Commission's funding of projects combating poverty and social exclusion in 1995. In its ruling the Court stated that only non-significant EU actions can be executed without prior adoption of a legal base. Though the Court did not provide a definition of 'non-significant', it insisted that a small amount of money or short duration of budget lines are sufficient criteria.
Thus the Commission's review concerns small budget lines without a legal base as well as other budget lines that have not yet been granted a legal base. It is thought that the NGO budget line will be granted a legal base within the coming three weeks. The Commission is set to discuss the whole affair with forthcoming Austrian Presidency of the EU in the month of June or July and it is expected that a solution to the issue should be found in the next two months.
3. GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL FAILS TO DEFINE EU POSITION ON TRADE SYSTEM WITH ACP COUNTRIES
EU Ministers at last Monday's EU General Affairs Council failed to reach an agreement on the trade section of the future partnership agreement with the ACP. The proposal to maintain the current access to the EU market for ACP countries was the main stumbling block. The Council therefore has now entrusted the EU Permanent Representatives in Brussels (COREPER) with pursuing an agreement and reporting to the Council by 29 June. It is hoped that that this will then be incorporated in the EU negotiating brief with the ACP.
4. EU HUMANITARIAN COMMISSIONER EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR NGOs/PRESSURE GROUPs
At a conference on pressure politics held last week in Brussels EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Emma Bonino, expressed support for the thousands of lobby groups/NGOs based in Brussels that try to influence the way Union's laws are made. While supporting the principle of enabling all those who could be affected by proposed new laws to put their points of views across to the lawmakers, she emphasised that pressure groups themselves should be more open about who their real paymasters are. She said lobbyists do not always identify the group for which they are lobbying.
5. IN BRIEF
UK Socialist MEP Ms Glenys Kinnock has been appointed as the EU's special envoy to Cambodia for the country's upcoming elections. Her appointment was approved by all 15 EU Member States and marks the first time an MEP has been granted such a role.
The EU General Affairs Council has expressed its dismay over the hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Council called on the two countries to resume peaceful negotiations and put itself forward as a third party to provide assistance if the two warring parties so wished.
The UK EU Presidency published a statement calling for a speedy return to democracy in Nigeria following the sudden death of Nigerian Head of State, General Abacha and the appointment of fellow soldier General Abdusalam Abukabar as head of state.
6. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
12 June Cardiff, Wales EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Emma Bonino, participates in ECHO/ UK Red Cross Conference on Artists in Arms 15-16 June, Cardiff, Wales UK Presidency hosts EU Summit 22-23 June EU Agricultural Ministers meet. Provisional agenda includes discussion on banana regime Brussels 22 June EU Development Commissioner, Joao de Deus Pinheiro, receives the prime minister of Cape Verde Brussels 23 June CEPS lunch-time meeting of the Austrian Presidency of the EU (contact: 32 2 295 39 71)
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