MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
13.2.2007
by the Committee on Development
on the draft Commission decisions establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan
(CMT-2007-0001, CMT-2006-3525 and CMT-2006-3021)
B6‑0067/2007
European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission decision establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan
(CMT-2007-0001, CMT-2006-3525 and CMT-2006-3021)
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation,[1]
– having regard to the draft Commission decisions establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan (CMT-2007-0001, CMT-2006-3525 and CMT-2006-3021),
– having regard to the opinions delivered on 25 January 2007 by the committee referred to in Article 35(1) of the above regulation,
– having regard to Article 8 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission,[2]
– having regard to Rule 81 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, on 25 January 2007, the committee established under Article 35(1) of Regulation No 1905/2006 voted in favour of the draft Commission Decisions establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan (CMT‑2007-0001, CMT-2006-3525, CMT-2006-3021),
B. whereas, pursuant to Article 7(3) of the Comitology Decision and Article 1 of the Agreement between the European Parliament and the Commission on procedures for implementing Council Decision 1999/468/EC,[3] the European Parliament received the draft implementing measures submitted to the DCI management committee and the results of voting,
C. whereas Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 stipulates that ‘the primary and overarching objective of cooperation under this Regulation shall be the eradication of poverty in partner countries and regions in the context of sustainable development’,
D. whereas Article 2(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 stipulates that ‘measures referred to in Article 1(1)[4] shall be designed so as to fulfil the criteria for Official Development Assistance (ODA) established by the OECD/DAC’,
E. whereas the OECD/DAC defines Official Development Assistance (ODA) as financial flows to countries on the DAC List of ODA Recipients for which, inter alia ‘each transaction is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective’,[5]
F. whereas Article 19(3) and (8) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 stipulate that ‘strategy papers shall, in principle, be based on a dialogue with the partner country or region which involves civil society and regional and local authorities’ and that ‘the Commission and the Member States shall consult each other, as well as other donors and development actors including representatives of civil society and regional and local authorities, at an early stage of the programming process in order to promote complementarity among their cooperation activities’,
1. Takes the view that in most draft Strategy Papers and draft Indicative Programmes the MDGs do not come across in a clear manner as a main priority; considers that this is not in compliance with Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 as the MDGs are established there as the overarching principle of cooperation under DCI;
Malaysia
2. Takes the view that in its draft Strategy Paper and draft Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 2007-2010 for Malaysia the European Commission exceeds its implementing powers laid down in the basic act by selecting as the only focal sector (for which 100% of the funds are earmarked) ‘EU-Malaysia Policy Dialogue Facility on Trade and Investment’, ‘the overall objective of which is to facilitate trade and investment relations between the EU and Malaysia’ and by including two specific objectives for the actions, namely ‘to increase EU market knowledge for the Malaysian business community and vice versa’ and ‘to raise the EU visibility in Malaysia through joint initiatives’; considers that these elements are not in compliance with Article 2(1) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006, as the primary objective of the Country Strategy Paper is not the eradication of poverty, and as these elements do not fulfil the criteria for ODA established by the OECD/DAC;
Brazil
3. Takes the view that in its draft Strategy Paper and draft National Indicative Programme 2007-2010 for Brazil the European Commission exceeds its implementing powers laid down in the basic act by earmarking 70 % of the National Indicative Programme for Priority I ‘Enhancing Bilateral Relations’, which has as specific objectives: ‘i) improve the sectoral dialogues between the EU and Brazil on themes of mutual interest; ii) expand cooperation and exchanges between relevant European and Brazilian institutions and civil society organisations; iii) strengthen links between EU and Brazilian academia; iv) enhance mutual awareness between EU and Brazilian institutions and societies’, and under which a facility ‘to promote and support sectoral dialogues on themes of common interest’ will be financed, as well as the establishment of a European Studies Institute, with the main purpose of ‘raising the EU’s profile’ and ‘strengthening higher education links’; considers that these elements are not in compliance with Article 2(1) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006, as the primary objective of the Country Strategy Paper is not the eradication of poverty, and as these elements do not fulfil the criteria for ODA established by the OECD/DAC;
Pakistan
4. Takes the view that in its draft Strategy Paper and draft National Indicative Programme 2007-2010 for Pakistan the European Commission exceeds its implementing powers laid down in the basic act by including in Non-focal area 3 of the NIP ‘Anti-money laundering’[6] activities with the overall objective of ‘contributing to the efforts of the Pakistani authorities to implement UNSCR 1373’;[7] considers that this element is not in compliance with Article 2(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 as it does not fulfil the criteria for ODA established by the OECD/DAC;
5. Calls on the Commission to withdraw or amend its draft decisions establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan, and to submit to the committee new draft decisions fully respecting the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006;
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.
- [1] OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 41.
- [2] OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
- [3] OJ L 256,10.10.2000, p. 19.
- [4] Article 1(1): ‘The Community shall finance measures aimed at supporting cooperation with developing countries, territories and regions (...).’
- [5] DCD/DAC (2002)21: ‘Reporting Directives for the Creditor Reporting System’.
- [6] In the CSP’s table of contents, this area is referred to as ‘Counter-terrorism and Security’.
- [7] United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, adopted after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in the USA, imposes wide-ranging obligations on all States to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, to establish adequate penalties for terrorist offences, to deny safe haven to terrorists and to cooperate with other States in criminal proceedings or investigations relating to terrorist acts.