Text tabled : A7-0165/2010

  Proinsias De Rossa (S&D), in writing. – I strongly support this report on progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The EU is 20 billion euro short of its funding commitments, at a time when states are cutting back their aid budgets. The EU Member States must not falter when it comes to fulfilling their commitments in the framework of the European Consensus on Development. Moreover, the MDGs have to be seen from a development-enabling perspective, while at the same time facing and tackling the root causes of poverty. Member States must commit 0.7% of GNI to aid by 2015, as promised, rather than decrease that share, which is doubly alarming in times of crisis, as GNI itself diminishes. Besides, it is not acceptable for the EU to broaden the definition of Official Development Aid to include other financial flows such as remittances or debt cancellation measures. To address underdevelopment, the developed world needs to vigorously fight tax havens and illicit capital flows which deprive developing countries of resources they desperately need. I believe that responsibility for development has to remain within the remit of the Development Commissioner, who needs to push for better policy coherence, especially as regards trade, common agriculture and fisheries policies.