MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

15.3.2006

further to Question for Oral Answer B6‑0006/2006
pursuant to Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by José Ribeiro e Castro
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
on the revision of the Cotonou Agreement and setting of the amount for the 10th EDF

B6‑0191/2006

European Parliament resolution on the revision of the Cotonou Agreement and setting of the amount for the 10th EDF

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the revised Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP countries), of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Luxembourg on 24 June 2005, in particular Annex Ia thereto concerning the 'multiannual financial framework for cooperation under the revised Cotonou Agreement',

–  having regard to the Commission communication entitled 'Towards the full integration of cooperation with ACP countries in the EU budget' (COM(2003)0590),

–  having regard to the European Council conclusions of 15 and 16 December 2005, in particular paragraph 70 thereof and Annex II thereto concerning Member States' respective contributions to ACP cooperation,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF), adopted on 1 April 2004, policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013, adopted on 8 June 2005, and on a development strategy for Africa, adopted on 17 November 2005,

–  having regard to the commitments to which Member States subscribed in 2005, in particular the following points:

• –the EU and its Member States will reach the UN target of 0.70% of EU/GNI by 2015 which would increase the EU’s contribution to the Millennium Development Goals from EUR 33 billion in 2003 to more than EUR 84 billion by 2015 (European Council, June 2005),
• –an intermediate EU target of 0.56% shall be reached by 2010 which would take EU ODA flows to EUR 67 billion (EU Council Summit, June 2005),
• –the EU and other donors will double aid to Africa and thus provide Africa with USD 25 billion in ODA by 2010 which compared to 2004 is a doubling (G8 Summit, July 2005),

–  having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas Annex Ia to the revised Cotonou Agreement contains the pledge that 'the European Union shall maintain its aid effort to ACP States at least at the same level as that of the 9th EDF, not including balances; to this shall be added, based on Community estimates, the effects of inflation, growth within the European Union and enlargement to 10 new Member States in 2004',

B.  whereas the Commission, choosing from several options, had initially calculated an average amount for the 10th EDF of EUR 24 948m for the 2008-2013 (six-year) period, while, at its meeting in Brussels on 15 and 16 December 2005, the European Council agreed on the sum of EUR 22 682m at current prices,

C.  whereas this reduction by EUR 2bn contradicts the Union's commitments under Annex Ia of the revised Cotonou Agreement and does not reflect the many political promises made in 2005 to increase public development aid (PDA) substantially,

D.  whereas the ACP countries would not have given their assent to the revised Cotonou Agreement without the inclusion of Annex Ia concerning financing and EU Member States should, therefore, keep the promise they made in good faith,

E.  whereas the enlargement of the European Union to include Bulgaria and Romania has not yet taken place,

F.  whereas East Timor acceded to the Cotonou Agreement on 15 December 2005,

G.  whereas the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) have voiced concern at their exclusion from the 10th EDF and uncertainty over the future financing of EU cooperation for their benefit,

1.  Regrets that the overall amount for the 10th EDF agreed by the European Council is lower than the Commission's initial calculation, following a series of downward 'corrections';

2.  Regrets that the many political promises made in 2005 to increase public development aid substantially have not been reflected in a substantial increase in Member States' EDF contributions;

3.   Notes with dismay that if, on the one hand, Member States fulfil their PDA commitments and, on the other hand, the sum of the 10th EDF is the one set by the European Council, the relative amount of PDA managed by the Commission will fall from the current level of 19% to 14% in 2015; notes that the consequence of this is the de facto renationalisation of development policy;

4.  Calls on Member States, therefore, to reconsider their contribution to the EDF with a view to increasing it;

5.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to clarify the financing of the development aspect of the economic partnership agreements currently being negotiated;

6.  Calls on the Council to ensure that Romania and Bulgaria's contribution to the 10th EDF is in addition to the overall amount agreed once they have joined the EU;

7.  Calls on the Council to take into account East Timor's accession to the group of ACP States and to ensure that aid to this country is clearly marked as supplementary to the arrangement under Annex Ia of the revised Cotonou Agreement;

8.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to clarify as quickly as possible the issue of the future financing of cooperation with the OCTs;

9.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to provide details of the future financing of the African Union, including the share of funding for the measures accompanying the reform of economic and social structures in third countries in the Mediterranean basin (MEDA programme);

10.  Stresses that all EDF spending should meet the PDA eligibility criteria approved by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development;

11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Member States.