Europe is the largest donor worldwideThe European Union is the largest donor in the sphere of international development policy. In 2005 it made available for development some five billion euro from the EU budget and 2.64 billion via the European Development Fund (EDF). Together with its Member States, it invested roughly 45 billion euro in 2005, which represents more than half (some 52%) of global official development assistance (ODA).
As the world's largest single market, the EU is the most important trading partner of many developing countries and exerts considerable influence on the world trade order. The intensive political dialogue between the EU and its partner countries is an integral part of global relations.
This combination of financial, economic and political clout makes the EU a key global player in international development policy. It therefore has a responsibility to assume a prominent role and to be a driving force in international development cooperation.
With the European Consensus on Development, the EU and its Member States agreed in 2005 on a common political framework with common development values and principles. This is the first joint EU-wide basic document on development policy which also has the support of the European Parliament.
The European Consensus on Development states that the EU has a responsibility for sustainable global development, global poverty eradication, making globalization a positive force for social equity, environmental protection and peacekeeping. It stresses the partnership with developing countries and the focus on human rights. It also regulates Europe's development priorities as well as the division of labour between the EU and its Member States.
In 2001, the international community adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which are to be achieved by 2015. The EU committed considerable financial means to this end and made far-reaching undertakings. European development cooperation is geared towards reaching the MDGs.
A framework for financing development cooperation was established in 2005 with the plan to raise levels of ODA. The Member States undertook to fulfil this plan in both quantitative and qualitative terms (rise in the share of development spending to 0.51% of GDP by 2010; 0.7% by 2015).
The EU made a considerable voluntary commitment in order to strengthen Aid for Trade (2 billion euro per year). This will be used to help developing countries make better use of the opportunities offered by globalized trade and the new world trade order.
The integration of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) into the global economy, with a view to fostering growth, via economic partnership agreements due to enter into force in early 2008, represents a key contribution on the part of the EU towards making globalization socially equitable.
The EU's Strategy for Africa is intended to strengthen the Union's partnership with its neighbouring continent, which has particularly pressing development problems and future challenges to master. Whether the Millennium Development Goals are met will be decided in Africa.
The EU fully supports the desire for enhanced cooperation among donors, as set forth in the harmonization arrangements referred to in the Declaration of Paris, in particular the obligation to adapt development cooperation to the strategies, institutions and structures of the partner countries.
As a key player in multilateral cooperation, it also has to help make the reform of United Nations development cooperation a success.
The EU is using the decisions on the Community budget for 2007-2013 (Financial Perspective), to continue striving for more efficiency and effectiveness in all areas of policy, not least external relations. For the benefit of its common development policy, the EU has therefore further fine-tuned its legal instruments and considerably reduced their number. The new legal instruments will come into force in 2007, while the 10th European Development Fund, as a second source of financing the common development policy, will come into effect in early 2008.
Further far-reaching reforms in the sphere of external relations have been initiated. On the agenda are improved coherence of development policy and other areas of policy, greater coordination of the relief programmes of the Union and of its Member States and greater harmonization of all political fields in an effective overall policy. The ongoing programme on the coherence of development policy with other Community policies must be updated and implemented, and the division of labour between the development cooperation of Europe and of its Member States must be spelled out. This will place the EU in a better position to master the development challenges of the future.
Germany will use its EU Presidency as a catalyst to bring Europe's development policy forward for the benefit of the Community and its partner countries. The resolute implementation of the decisions on development of the past years will be an important part of this. At the same time, the EU's reform projects to improve its development cooperation will be pursued with vigour.
Africa will be the regional focus of our development cooperation. This will enable us to support the reform momentum there in a targeted fashion.
The development issues to be addressed by the EU Presidency are determined by the EU Commission programme, the preceding Finnish EU Presidency and the international agenda. The key elements are:
The link between energy and development, as access to energy is of crucial importance to the economic and social development of partner countries. Renewable energies, energy efficiency and how energy resources are dealt with in Africa are the focus of attention.
Germany's EU Presidency and that of the succeeding countries Portugal and Slovenia cover a period of strategic importance to the EU's future development cooperation. Within the framework of a new team presidency (from January 2007 to June 2008), the three Member States will endeavour to advance medium and longer-term issues in close cooperation.
30. January 2007: Presentation of the Presidency programme in the European Parliament (Brussels)
14/15 May: General Affairs and External Relations Council focusing on development cooperation (Brussels)
Links:
BMZ website www.bmz.en with a special feature on the EU Presidency
Publication "Europe – a partner for sustainable global development"
Publication "Strengthening the European Union's Role as a Global Partner for Development"
