State Secretary Hans Winkler chaired a meeting of the European Development Cooperation Ministers on Tuesday in the context of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. The ministers’ discussions together with Commissioner Louis Michel centred on the challenges facing the European Union in the field of development cooperation, such as the negotiations on the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), enhanced complementarity of EU donors’ activities in the partner countries and the future financing of the African Peace Facility.
"European development policy pursues the goal of international cooperation and partnership between countries and regions for peace and to reduce poverty. The instruments of development cooperation range from financial assistance and improving local structures to cooperation between individuals", Winkler said, stressing in this connection that the EU is currently the world’s biggest aid donor.
Winkler recalled that the Heads of State and Government had agreed at the December 2005 European Council to make available around 22.682 billion euros for cooperation with the ACP countries in the framework of the existing European Development Fund for the period 2008-2013. "The European Council has thus honoured its pledge to continue the same level of financial cooperation with the ACP countries. The practical implementation of this decision is now the subject of intense negotiations, which we will speedily take forward in order to reach a conclusion by the end of the year", Winkler stressed.
"The EU has a pioneering role as regards both the quantity and the quality of its development assistance. In order to maintain this status and honour our commitments, we are currently drawing up an overall package designed to improve the complementarities of donor activities in the partner countries. Better coordination and closer cooperation in the field will make aid delivery more efficient", Winkler said, commenting on the creation of a common EU framework for the country programmes.
The ministers also agreed on the future financing of the African Peace Facility – an instrument to support the African Union and other regional organisations in Africa in the conduct of peacekeeping missions and the development of conflict prevention and conflict settlement capacities. “The African Peace Facility has proved to be a very significant, innovative instrument of the EU in supporting the African nations’ efforts to promote peace and security on their continent. The EU should therefore continue to support these efforts financially", Winker said, referring in this context to the observer mission in Dafur/Sudan. The aim of the mission is to have an increased presence on the ground to monitor the observance of a ceasefire between the conflicting parties, to contribute to stabilising the situation, to facilitate humanitarian assistance and to protect the civilian population.
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