The Committee on Development adopted the report by Gay Mitchell (EPP, IE) amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation and Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006 on establishing a financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide.
The committee made the following amendments:
Split the proposal: Members note that the proposal relates both to Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 (DCI Regulation) and Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006 (EIDHR Regulation. Members want the proposal be split into two different legislative proposals, one for each financing instrument, and accordingly, they propose three amendments deleting references to Regulation (EC) No 1889/2006.
Implementing powers and comitology: the committee wants to strengthen Parliament’s right of scrutiny. It specifies in the amended text that the regulatory procedure with scrutiny should apply to strategy papers and multiannual indicative programmes, as well as accompanying measures. Members also state that fixing the maximum amount available to each Sugar Protocol country will be done through the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.
The Commission will be assisted by a management committee. An observer from the EIB shall take part in the committee's proceedings, with regard to questions concerning the Bank.
Monitoring: Members specify that the Commission must regularly monitor and review its programmes, and evaluate the results of the implementation of geographical and thematic policies and programmes, and of sectoral policies and the effectiveness of programming, where appropriate by means of independent external evaluations. Proposals by national parliaments as well as the European Parliament or the Council for independent external evaluations will be taken into due account. Particular attention shall be given to social sectors and to progress made towards achieving the MDGs.
Report: the Commission must examine the progress made in implementing the measures taken under this Regulation and shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an annual report on the implementation and the results and, as far as possible, on the main outcomes and impacts of the assistance. This report shall also be submitted to the national parliaments, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions.