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Parliamentary question - E-007021/2014Parliamentary question
E-007021/2014

Scope of EU development instruments as regards middle-income countries

Question for written answer E-007021-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Nirj Deva (ECR) , Jan Zahradil (ECR)

The World Bank estimates that 73% of the world’s poor live in countries classed as ‘middle‐income’, which are thereby ineligible to receive bilateral Official Development Assistance. We are seeking clarification of the scope of EU development instruments as regards middle-income countries, and note that Recital 15 of Regulation (EU) No 233/2014 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020 states that:

‘The Union should engage in new partnerships with countries that graduate from bilateral aid programmes, notably on the basis of regional and thematic programmes under this instrument and other thematic Union instruments for external action, in particular the Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries […].’

We are aware of the 2012 DG EXPO study regarding the differentiation criteria for middle‐income countries, which proposes a strategic adaptation period. Given the non-poverty focus of the Partnership Instrument, will the Commission describe and explain its strategy for reaching poverty pockets and addressing other issues of concern in middle-income countries through the Development Cooperation Instrument?