Brussels, 7 June 2007. The European Parliament rejected Commission proposals for a Regional Strategy Paper and Regional Indicative programme for Latin America on the grounds that one of the subsectors included did not conform to the objectives of the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) which governs the EU's cooperation with Latin America.  The subsector proposed support for 'support for projects by organisations working to promote mutual understanding between the EU and Latin America' which was not the eradication of poverty.

Similarly the Parliament rejected the draft strategy paper and indicative programme for the Mercosur region. The Commission was proposing some 20% of the available funding being used to 'efforts to strengthen and enhance civil society participation, knowledge of the regional integration process, mutual understanding and mutual visibility'.

The Commission has been asked to withdraw the proposals and submit new proposals to the DCI Committee.

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