Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-16-Speech-2-181"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000516.8.2-181"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Firstly, ECHO is not affected by this reform of development assistance. ECHO is going to continue. This is clearly part of what we have decided. The only issue is to create a better link or bridge between the phase of humanitarian assistance and the more forward-oriented, long-term development assistance. This is a well established discussion. We want to keep ECHO more or less the way it is. I have confidence that with the new director of ECHO we are on track.
To Mrs Haug I should like to make it clear that Commissioner Patten was saying that we will have to propose deep cuts in the level of activity if we do not get a positive response from the budget authorities concerning the staff issue.
Why are we saying this as clearly as we are, even running the risk of being interpreted as if issuing a threat? I noticed your choice of word there. We think it is necessary to make it clear that we seriously think it is problematic to continue without the resources and the manpower that we need.
It is not possible to do this well without being more or less organised like other well-performing donors. This is the message. It may very well be the case that we are being misunderstood in this Parliament because, on this matter, we are definitely among friends. So saying it as clearly as we do here may sound wrong. I realise that. But there are other elements around. We have to say it
It is absolutely necessary to make these measures clear. I do not mean to be negative about ministers of finance, but sometimes they can be quite demanding partners in discussion. Development ministers are not that unproblematic either.
The biggest problem is actually the lack of consistency between the level of ambition defined in this field and the resources and tools that we have available to carry out the job. This is our biggest problem. We will be making a positive effort to get a solution that makes it possible to continue at least at the level of activity that we have now.
I should like to add that, though it is right to point out the backlog, the problems and the embarrassment, it should not be forgotten that we are building roads out there, thousands of kilometres in length; we are drilling bore-holes for clean, safe water, giving millions of people access to safe drinking water every year. We are investing in people in primary education in a large number of countries. We are making a contribution to the debt initiative second to none, even comparing ourselves with the biggest countries in the world. We would welcome a little more competition as far as that is concerned.
I warn against giving the impression our development cooperation activities have all but stopped. That is not the case. We have to be realistic, clear and demanding in order to enter the primary league amongst donors and not to remain where we are right now. This is the goal.
Mr Deva, we will, as part of the new Suva Agreement – the successor to the Lomé Convention – be including in our activities a EUR 2.2 billion private investment facility which will be administered by the European Investment Bank at arm's length. It will deal with private partners, inspiring and helping the creation of business activities between European companies and business in the developing ACP countries. This major innovation is being prepared right now on the same basis as you were talking about. Micro-credit is a big thing but it is not the only answer to all problems. However, we are quite active in this field also.
I thank Parliament for what I sense to be a more than positive reception because the critical notes that I have heard are of a kind that I would tend to interpret as enthusiastic support. We should be careful not to end up facing a situation where there is a real threat of having to set our sights lower."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
"à tous azimuts."1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples