This snapshot, taken on 22/04/2009, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search boxes may not work in archived websites.

Overview and policy priorities | Relevant documents | Links to other sites | Priority events/documents/statements


Summary of UK EU Presidency - Development

UK Presidency of the EU 2005

Our overarching aim was to take forward the development priorities in the 2004-2006 Multiannual Strategic Programme, with a particular focus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Africa and AIDS. More specifically, we wanted a successful UN World Summit; a comprehensive and long-term strategy for Africa; the main elements of the successor arrangement to 9th European Development Fund (EDF); further action on financing for poverty diseases; a revised Development Policy Statement; progress on the Development Cooperation Instrument; and further measures on aid effectiveness and policy coherence.

Millennium Development Goals

The 15-16 December European Council adopted the European Consensus on DevelopmentAdobe Acrobat PDF(142 kb). This updates the 2000 Development Policy Statement. The Consensus provides for the first time a common vision, objectives, values and principles for all EU development work, centred around poverty eradication and the achievement of the MDGs. The Prime Minister, European Commission President Barroso and European Parliament President Borrell jointly signed the document in Brussels on 20 December. Under the Consensus, poverty eradication and the pursuit of the MDGs are the primary and overarching objective for EC and EU Member States development cooperation and the poorest countries will be given priority in terms of overall aid resource allocations. The Consensus also emphasises the need for coherence among external EU policies that affect developing countries. The 21-22 November Development General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) agreed a series of supplementary measures to improve the effectiveness of EC and EU aid, including the adoption of the Regulation to untie EC aid.

Strategy for Africa

The December European Council also agreed a new EU Strategy for Africa. The Strategy sets out the steps the European Union will take with Africa between now and 2015 to support African efforts to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future. Its primary aims are the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the promotion of sustainable development, security and good governance. The document reflects discussions with African partners – including at the December EU-African Union meeting - and the Conclusions agreed at the 21-22 November GAERC. It includes specific commitments on peace and security, governance, sustainable economic growth and trade, investing in people and development assistance.

Financing

As part of the agreement on the 2007-2013 Financial Perspectives, the European Council agreed to establish a 10th EDF to provide development assistance to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) signatories to the ACP-EU Partnership (Cotonou) Agreement. The 10th EDF will provide 22.682 billion euros (approximately £15.5 billion) over the period 2008-13. This is a significant increase on the value of the 9th EDF and the EDF will remain as an EU intergovernmental fund. The agreement on the Financial Perspectives should accelerate the negotiation of the new Development Instrument. During our Presidency we helped unblock negotiations by tabling a redraft that was well received by the Council, Commission and European Parliament. The redraft gives more prominence to poverty reduction and best development practice.

The EU played a pivotal role in the negotiation of the reforms and commitments agreed at the UN Millennium Review Summit in September, including reaffirming the MDGs, recognising Africa’s special needs and strengthening the international community’s ability to respond to humanitarian crises. The EU presented a comprehensive development financing package, including the commitment to double EU aid from 2004 levels to around €66 billion per year by 2010 and agreement to move forward on innovative financing.

Health

A number of Member States were instrumental in launching in September the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) which is expected to prevent 5 million child deaths over the next ten years. Also in September, the EU provided 60% of the nearly $3.7 billion new money pledged at the replenishment conference for the Global Fund to tackle AIDS, TB and malaria. To mark World AIDS Day, the UK Presidency hosted a high level meeting on HIV and AIDS. The meeting adopted the first ever EU-wide consensus policy position on HIV prevention which provides a strong basis for EU engagement and support for comprehensive and effective HIV prevention measures at country and international levels.

Trade

An informal meeting of Member State Directors-General in Brussels on 12 October examined coherence between trade and development policies. This helped pave the way for agreement at the December GAERC to strive to increase EU trade related assistance to €2 billion per year by 2010. Transitional assistance in 2006 was agreed for ACP sugar producers and in December the GAERC adopted Conclusions on development and migration.

Environment

The EU-India and EU-China Summits in September agreed concrete measures on climate change. In December, the Council adopted a new Regulation allowing the EU to sign agreements with timber-producing countries in the developing world and ban the import of illegally logged timber from those countries. The Community and Member States responded quickly, generously and effectively to the October earthquake in South Asia. And the Presidency and the Commission organised an international event to evaluate the EU’s response to the 2004 Asian tsunami and discuss priority needs for 2006.