Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 27 March 2019 - Strasbourg

11.3. Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (A8-0173/2019 - Pier Antonio Panzeri, Cristian Dan Preda, Frank Engel, Charles Goerens)

Dichiarazioni di voto orali

  Charles Tannock (ECR). – Mr President, on behalf of the ECR I would like to thank the co-rapporteurs and my fellow shadows for the positive and productive way in which we have worked together to agree on a compromise text on this very wide-ranging and challenging file.

I very much welcome the consolidated instrument now as proposed by the Commission and believe that it will contribute to allowing the EU to act in a more effective, cohesive and cost-efficient manner in the areas concerned. At a time when political transition continues to destabilise the south as Russia seeks to undermine those countries in the Eastern Partnership and as the enlargement agenda faces challenges in moving forward, the Neighbourhood has never been so important as it is today to the European Union.

Whilst I personally welcome the fully-consolidated instrument, I note that there are significant misgivings in this Chamber, including within my own Group, concerning certain aspects, and these discussions will now need to continue into the next parliament.

Given the very strict geographic ring-fencing included within the instrument, however, I do not believe the consolidation will see funds diverted to one part of the Neighbourhood to the detriment of others.

As to the concerns that some had regarding the bringing together of development funds with more explicit foreign-policy tools, the requirement for 95% of funding to meet OECD official development aid benchmarks should reassure all of us. This is an increase on the 92% as proposed originally by the Commission.

I also welcome the development of EFSD into the much more ambitious EFSD+ and a renewed external action guarantee. These proposals will see changes to the current relationship between the Commission and the European Investment Bank, but I am reassured by the commitment to a minimum level of allocation to the EIB, as is provided for in Amendment 52. Ultimately, as an outgoing British MEP due to Brexit, I’m sorry that I will not be here to be part of the ultimate negotiations for this instrument in the next parliament. Most of all, I’m sad that the UK will not be able to participate in something that is yet another reminder of the way that Europe’s voice and economy of scale is magnified when we are all working together.