A meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council with a focus on development policy is starting in Brussels today. Chaired by German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, EU development ministers will spend their two-day meeting discussing development issues and adopting conclusions. This Council of Ministers is the most important meeting on EU development policy taking place during Germany's EU Presidency.
Central development issues on the meeting's agenda are a comprehensive, long-term energy partnership with Africa as an essential element of the new EU Africa strategy; enhanced complementarity between member states and the EU Commission; implementation of the Monterrey decisions on financing for development; gender equality; the prevention of "poaching" of health sector personnel from developing countries; and HIV/AIDS control. Other agenda items are the timely conclusion of pro-development Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific region (ACP countries) as well as aid for trade.
The General Affairs and External Relations Council with a focus on development policy was prepared during the informal meeting of EU development ministers on 12 and 13 March 2007. At the time, intensive discussions took place on the positions of the European Union in the current process of negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements with the ACP countries.
The Council Conclusions (the final document of the Council of Ministers) will be presented at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, 15 May, at 3:30 p.m.
