The EU in 2010 and beyond - Delivering for development

BONB for international development

London, 25th October 2010Church House Conference Centre

The MDGs after the UN Summit and the Policy Coherence for Development EU agenda

CONCORD is the European confederation of relief and development NGOs

Its 25 national platforms and 18 networks represent over 1,600 NGOs which are supported by millions of citizens across Europe.Founded in 2003 - Secretariat based in Brussels.

What is our roleCONCORD leads reflection and political actions and engages in dialogue with the European institutions, the Member States, and other civil society organisations around development issues

The rights-based approach and women’s rights and gender are core principles in CONCORD’s approach to development.

The primary objectives of EU development cooperation are poverty eradication, sustainable development, and attaining the Millennium Development Goals

Achievement of the development objectives agreed at the major UN conferences and summits and bound by treaty law – this includes politically-binding commitments such as on ODA levels (Monterrey)

EU commitment to promoting policy coherence for development – Council of the EU (2005) and Art.208 in Lisbon Treaty

Prioritising support to the least developed and low-income countries

Women empowerment and gender equality should be a core part of all policy strategies

Promote and prioritize respect for human rights and sustainable development, good governance, gender equality, over short-term, elite and narrow interests

Objectives of EU development policy

Policy Coherence for Development, A practical guide, October 2007

CONCORD and Policy coherence for development

Finnish Presidency of the EU (2006)

Swedish Presidency of the EU (2009)

Political momentum…

Spotlight on Policy Coherence CONCORD report

Promote PCD on the EU’s agenda

React to the 2nd EU report

Market the concept within CONCORD / European civil society / Member States level

Highlight the most pressing incoherencies, linking with:

- the context of the report – conjunction of multiple crises

- the institutional processes: CAP reform, regulations on biofuels, Copenhagen, financial regulation, EU migration policy, CSR, domestic tax mobilization, etc.

How our approach differs

A Southern perspective and a rights-based approach

Looking at inter-linkages and interconnected impact of non-development (EU) policies on development

“Coherence is about ensuring that the external impacts of other EU policies – or national policies – do not undermine the aims and objectives of EU development cooperation.”

Facts and figures on incoherencies 200 million environmentally-induced migrants by 2050

the European Agency FRONTEX diverts back migration routes passing by Mauritania lack of EU ambition in Copenhagen

Hectares of fertile land grabbed for externally driven agrofuels production in Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique…

2008 EU Directive promoting the use of renewable energies in the transport sector put jeopardy on food production in food insecure countries and have social and environmental impacts

FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land

In 2006, Cameroon temporarily stopped imports of frozen chicken in the country to avoid the ruining of its domestic poultry sectorCameroon excluded poultry meat from the IEPA signed in 2008

the extended standstill clause that EU introduced into the signed EPA prohibits Cameroon from using any measures to protect its local markets effectively

Facts and figures on incoherencies

Illicit flows from developing countries – $1 trillion per year –dwarf the €50bn European ODA

permissive Transparency and Savings Tax (EU) Directives exacerbate tax evasion and tax avoidance

Some of the major infrastructure projects financed by the EIB in the name of development happen to have close links with tax havens, which is also the case with financial intermediaries benefiting via the EIB’s Global loans

Projects and beneficiaries funded by EIB money involve tax havens and transnational companies that use them for tax purposes.

2009 EU communication Supporting developing countries in coping with the (financial) crisis states: “Commission will promote good governance in the tax area on international, regional and domestic levels”

Renewed commitments by Member States

‘Operationalizing’ the conceptECDPM Evaluation Study on the EU Institutions & Member States’ Mechanisms for Promoting PCD (2007)Discussion Paper (2010)

OECD Peer Reviews: peer pressure, recommendations

Sharing experiences of frontrunners

Member States reaffirm their commitment to PCD Council Conclusions, Nov 2009

“The EC and the EU Member States should work together to raise awareness, strengthen their staff and organisational capacity and use more effective and ambitious PCD mechanisms.”

Presentations in National Parliaments

Increased awareness

Reinforced role of the European Parliament: Keller report (May 2010) & the new parliamentary tools Working towards: Standing Rapporteur and cross-

committee hearing on the CAP

Linking the EU level with the national frameworks

Encourage Member States to adopt a PCD-approach in their policy-making

Broadened EC work programme on PCD

Levies for a better involvement of partner countries

2nd EU progress report on PCD -2009

EC, DG Development, PCD Unit - assesses the progress made in advancing coherence in 12 policy areas which impact on development

trade

environment

climate change

security

agriculture

fisheries

social dimension, DC, Empl.

migration

R&I

information society

energy

transport

Development objectives and policies

Case study on MDG

1

Case study on MDG

6

Case

study on JAES

New EU approach – 2010-2013Focus on 5 “global

challenges”

PCD Work Programme: ‘Early-warning’ mechanism

List of policy initiatives in 2010-2011 relevant to PCD: - Step-up beyond 20% in the EU Climate change and Energy Package- Future of the CAP- CSR

Trade and finance

Tackling climate change

Global food securityMaking migration work for dev.

Security

PCD has a legal basis in the Lisbon Treaty

External impact of EU policies should not undermine / contradict EU development policies and objectives

External policies should also have an equal footing

• EU institutions have a different understanding; there are committed to ‘policy coherence’

• Narrowed list of priority issues • ’Whole-of-the-Union’ Approach and ODA+ concept

EC Communication (2009)

Setting the EU agenda, a challenge

New interlocutors and new structures:- European Parliament & European Commission (2009)- New institutional architecture: Lisbon Treaty, the set-up of the

External Action Service

An uncertain context: - ODA commitments vs. budgetary constraints- Towards a post-2015 Agenda

EU reforms and initiatives:- Revision of the EU trade policy (2010)- Review of the Common Agricultural Policy (2010)- Emerging political frameworks (Joint Africa-EU Strategy)- Cancun towards a post-2012 climate regime- Financial regulation (G8/G20)

A new environment

To what extent will the future EU external relations architecture and EU policy-making promote better

policy coherence for development?

An architecture that offers a consistent approach

Coherence of EU external action and instruments

Clear messages linking policy with actions

Voice and high political visibility for development

Monitor policy not damaging / hold the institutions to account

Transparency & accountability: towards a complaints procedure role of HR & VP Ashton and President Barroso

What is at stake?

Second Spotlight second semester 2011- Momentum and targets: CAP reform, EAS, 3rd EU progress report- Turning the spotlight on new issues

PCD-‘labeled’ case studies

A complaints mechanism permits CSOs to raise a case to a court (EUCJ? Ombudsman? Standing Rapporteur?)

What comes next in 2011?