| The Development Commissioner must have full responsibility and authority over development, urge NGOs |
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NGOs are concerned by Ashton’s proposal to integrate the two main funds for development financing, the European Development Fund and the Development Cooperation Instrument, within the EEAS under her responsibility. CAFOD, the Catholic Aid Agency for England and Wales, has pointed out that while the EEAS’ area of competence under the Lisbon Treaty, foreign and security policy, was allocated only 300m euro per year, the budget for development assistance is around 10bn euro. A legal opinion drafted for Eurostep by Daniel R. Mekonnen, Senior visiting researcher at the University of Tilburg says that Ashton’s proposal for the organisation of the EEAS is in breach of the EU treaties. The paper also argues that the Ashton proposal reflects “a misconception on effective development policy which unfortunately makes poverty objectives hostage to foreign policy goals. The Ashton Proposal desires to shift this responsibility to the newly formed EEAS where decisions will be made mainly on the basis of political and strategic priorities of the EU, rather than on poverty objectives”, it explains. The paper also argues for effective democratic mechanisms in EU development cooperation, particularly checks and balances on the part of the European Parliament that allow for effective democratic scrutiny. “The EU needs a system of development aid and cooperation that has these checks and balances in place. As a partner that manifests the criteria of good governance in its relationships with others, especially with weaker counterparts, the EU will be better positioned if it can advocate good governance not only in principle but also in practice,” it says. Read the legal brief in full at: http://www.eurostep.org/wcm/dmdocuments/Mekonnen_Legal_Opinion_100511.pdf Sources:
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No breakthrough has yet been made in the negotiations concerning the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS), with talks last week achieving no significant progress. Baroness Ashton’s proposal that the diplomatic service be independent from the Commission has been strongly opposed by Members of Parliament, who say the service must be attached to the Commission in order to ensure democratic scrutiny and to avoid areas that the EU treaties have declared to be under EC control from becoming intergovernmental.
