04-12-2013Development policy news

Vote on compromise for 2014-2020 Development Cooperation Instrument 

• The Committee on Development on 4 December voted in favour of the compromise text of the EU's Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) for the next seven years;
• The compromise text ensures increased oversight for Parliament on how and where EU development aid under DCI, amounting to € 19.622 billion for the period 2014-2020, will be spent;
• The plenary session in December, is set to adopt several reports prepared by the Development committee, including the:

o   Regulation on the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) which sets the rules for development aid from the EU budget;

o   A legislative initiative report on better donor coordination of development aid.

• The draft Regulation outlines the objectives and principles for the allocation of funds to:

o   geographical programmes;

o   thematic programs;

o   actions to strengthen global public goods: climate change, human rights, nutrition and food security, sustainable energy, asylum policy ...

o   strengthening civil society;

o   Pan-Africa programme.

• Financial envelope: in accordance with the agreement on the Financial Framework, the financial envelope for the implementation of the DCI II Regulation is set at € 19.622 billion.

Key events

• 04/12/2013         Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading                     
• 06/12/2013         Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
• 10/12/2013         Debate in plenary scheduled
• 12/12/2013         Vote in plenary scheduled

 

EU confirms its support for development and integration in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean

• The EU made public its 2013 programme (€130 million) to enhance regional integration and cooperation in the East and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region which falls under the current financial period (2007-2013) of the European Development Fund (EDF);
• Concrete activities will support trade, regional integration, infrastructure, sustainable fisheries and the resilience of islands;
• As a result, international and intra-regional trade is expected to improve, while safeguarding crucial natural resources; 
• The region of East and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean includes the combined membership of 5 regional organisations:

o   Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa – COMESA;

o   East African Community – EAC;

o   Intergovernmental Authority on Development – IGAD;

o   Indian Ocean Commission – IOC; and

o   Southern African Development Community – SADC.

o   The region includes the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

• On 3 December, EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, also announced new financial support for countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean for the period 2014-2020;
• The new EU support for the coming seven years will amount to cca € 7.5 billion (subject to confirmation by the EU Member States) and is expected to support investments that generate growth and job creation for the almost 400 million citizens in the region.

 

Outcomes of European Development Days (26-27 November 2013)

• EDD13 has presented a panorama of issues that demand global engagement, a forward-looking development agenda and true international cooperation;
• There was general agreement that there should be a comprehensive and universal framework bringing together developed and developing countries;
• The implementation of MDGs - particularly on issues such as sanitation, needs to speed up;
• It was emphasised that the focus should be on combating poverty, education, but also protecting the planet, sustainability, youth unemployment, empowerment of women, infrastructure development;
• There is a need for new instruments for financing development - with more involvement of the private sector;
• Two years remain until the deadline for completing the Millennium Development Goals.

 

Erasmus +

• New EU programme for education, training, youth and sport;
• A single integrated programme covering all education, training and youth sectors in a holistic manner, and adding sport;
• It brings 7 existing programmes into a single coherent framework, seeking to achieve greater systemic impact;
• Approved on 20 November 2013 by the European Parliament;
• Due to begin in January 2014 with a budget of € 14.7 billion;
• Cooperation and policy dialogue with Third countries will be one of the main components;
• Higher education mobility to and from Third countries and capacity building projects with higher education institutions in Third countries will become possible;
• Precise funding for activities with Third countries to be defined in 2014.