MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

16.3.2006

further to Question for Oral Answer B6‑0006/2006
pursuant to Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Eoin Ryan and Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis
on behalf of the UEN Group
on the revision of the Cotonou Agreement and setting of the amount for the 10th EDF

B6‑0199/2006

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 modifications to the ACP-EU partnership agreement, signed in Luxembourg on 24 June 2005, and notably Annex Ia relating to 'the multiannual financial framework of cooperation of the revised Cotonou Agreement',

–  having regard to the Commission Communication entitled 'Towards the full integration of cooperation with the ACP countries in the EU budget', (COM (2003)590),

–  having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 15 and 16 December 2005, and in particular to point 70 of Annex II relating to the respective contributions by Member States to ACP cooperation,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on:

• •the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF), adopted on 1 April    2004;
• •the political challenges and the budgetary means for an enlarged Union 2007-2013,    adopted on 8 June 2005;
• •a development strategy for Africa, adopted on 17 November 2005,

–  having regard to the commitments which were subscribed to by the Member States in 2005, and in particular that:

• •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 € 33 billion in 2003 to more than € 84 bn by 2015 (European Council, June 2005);
• •an intermediate EU target of 0.56% will be reached by 2010, which would take EU    official development aid (ODA) flows to € 67 bn (European Council, June 2005);
• •the EU and other donors will double aid to Africa and thus provide Africa with USD    25 bn in ODA by 2010, double the 2004 figure (G8 Summit, July 2005),

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

A.  having regard to the commitment in Annex Ia to the revised Cotonou Agreement, which states that 'for this new period, 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 even though the Commission had initially calculated an average amount, among other options, of € 24 948 million for the EDF, for the period 2008-2013 (six years), at the meeting of 15 and 16 December 2005 in Brussels the European Council agreed on the sum of € 22 682 million at constant prices,

C.  whereas this reduction of € 2 bn stands in contradiction to the Union's commitments in the context of Annex Ia to the revised Cotonou Agreement and does not reflect the numerous political promises formulated in 2005 to substantially increase ODA,

D.  whereas the ACP States would not have given their assent to the Cotonou Agreement without the inclusion of Annex I relating to financing, and whereas it is up to the Member States to keep their promises,

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

F.  having regard to the accession of East Timor to the Cotonou Agreement on

   15 December 2005,

G.  having regard to the concerns expressed by the OCT (overseas countries and territories) regarding their exclusion from the 10th EDF and the uncertainty of future EU financing for them,

1.  Regrets that the global amount fixed by the Council for the 10^th EDF is less than the Commission's original calculations following the application of a whole series of 'corrections';

2.  Regrets that the numerous political promises formulated in 2005 for a substantial increase in public aid for development have not been translated into substantial increases in Member State contributions to the EDF;

3.  Deplores the fact that if, on the one hand, Member States meet their public aid for development (PAD) commitments, and, on the other, the amount for the 10^th EDF is that fixed by the European Council, the relative importance of PAD, which is managed by the Commission, will fall from 19% currently to 14% in 2015, the result being a de facto renationalisation of development policy;

4.  Calls on the Member States to reconsider their contributions to the 10th EDF;

5.  Invites the Commission and the Council to clarify the financing of the 'development' dimension of the Economic Partnership Agreement which is currently being negotiated;

6.  Urges the Council to regard Romania's and Bulgaria's contributions to the EDF as additional, once their membership of the EU takes effect;

7.  Invites the Council to take account of East Timor's accession to the partnership agreement, and urges that aid for the benefit of this new country should clearly appear as additional within the context of the formula in Annex Ia to the revised Cotonou Agreement;

8.  Invites the Council and Commission to clarify as soon as possible the question of future financing of cooperation with the OCT;

9.  Invites the Commission and Council to clarify future financing for the African Union, including the contribution that must come from the EMDP (Euro-Mediterranean Development Programme);

10.  Points out that all EDF expenditure must comply with the eligibility criteria for ODA as defined by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD;

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

   ACP-EU Council of Ministers and the governments of the ACP States.