Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-20-Speech-3-128"
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"en.20000920.11.3-128"2
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". – I believe that complementarity and EU coordination are among our most important tools for increasing the effectiveness and impact of EU development cooperation on the ground. I therefore welcome Mrs Ferrer’s report.
Secondly, I welcome your wish to strengthen coordination between the Community and the Member States in international forums and at international conferences. We, in the Commission, share your concern. It is paramount that we improve the effectiveness and visibility of the EU at international level. This has been demonstrated at several conferences: we work well together and we represent a constructive progressive force at global level.
I have been invited to participate in the development committee in the World Bank. No Commissioner has tried that before. Next May we are organising a conference with Unctad, in this Chamber, on the least developed countries and we are also organising a conference with WHO and UNAIDS on 28 September concerning malaria, HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis, the three major communicable diseases. We also work well with our partners at multilateral level.
Thirdly, specifically relating to the recommendations of the motion for a resolution, I welcome your support especially on two essential issues: firstly, human resources and, secondly, the role of management committees in development cooperation.
The lack of human resources is a serious and real problem that for too long has been ignored. It has come back to haunt us and now requires action. We are continuing our efforts at the Commission to improve the effectiveness of our services. We are radically changing how we do things but this is not enough. We also need the human resources to match our programme resources and ambitions. Your support here will be crucial when the budgetary decisions have to be taken.
As regards the Member State committees that work in parallel with the Commission in the management and implementation of the development programmes, we believe that their key role should be to discuss political priorities and overall strategy with us. It should not be to micromanage the process or examine individual projects as is, unfortunately, still the case. We need to find more effective ways of working together. The support of Parliament is also vital.
It was said in the discussion here that some Member States want to dismantle what we do collectively. I do not think this is the case. In any case, Member States warmly welcomed the overall policy statement which is the basis for what we do. We also have a clear commitment on the ninth EDF and the financial perspective.
Compared with any other major worldwide donors, the Commission – and what we do together in Europe – is backed financially in a much more predictable and solid way. This also puts a heavy responsibility on our shoulders but, the basis is that we are not only the biggest but also the most predictable and stable donor to work with.
In conclusion, I should like to thank the rapporteur again for her excellent work. This is a very useful report and I am determined to move forward on complementarity and will use the new tools available: the country strategy papers, the new and improved programming systems and a more effective management of external assistance, which also includes greater responsibility for our delegations in third countries.
I am confident that the European Parliament will provide us with the necessary support in these endeavours. I look forward to continuing to work with you in an open and constructive manner. The reform process is now moving. We know what kind of battles to fight and, with your support, we are also going to win them.
Today we can be proud that we are doing all this and, hopefully, tomorrow we will also have reason to be proud of how we are doing it.
Parliament and the Commission share the same considerations and agree on the approach. We agree that we now need to see results. We need to increase internal EU coordination, country by country and sector by sector, following the 1998 guidelines on operational coordination.
We should help partner countries in their efforts and reinforce the role of EU coordination as regards wider global coordination between donors, whether they be the World Bank, United Nations organisations or bilateral governmental or non-governmental organisations.
The Commission has already taken the first step. We have adopted a harmonised framework for the elaboration of the country strategy papers. We will use this framework in future programming exercises. The country strategy papers will guide us when reviewing our assistance programmes. They will indicate how Community assistance fits in with what other donors are doing.
These country strategy papers are the first practical tool, not only for improved donor coordination and complementarity, but also for overall coherence of development cooperation policy with other EU policies. The country strategy papers should also steer us in the right direction for achieving an optimum division of labour between the Commission and Member States. Collectively, we should be able to respond to most of the essential needs of partners in the developing countries. The move towards sector-wide programmes will greatly facilitate this process. I also hope it will produce greater cost effectiveness.
However, if we are to succeed in this, our Member States must join forces and participate in this exercise. The quantitative aspect of how much each and every Member State is mobilising and putting into this effort is also part of our collective success or collective failure.
Let me comment on some details of your report. Firstly, I note that at several points in the resolution, the issue of complementarity is placed within a broader framework connected with a need for greater consistency between the various policies of the EU. I agree.
This is the reason we speak about the policy of the three Cs: complementarity, coherence and coordination. On coherence – which we have often discussed – we have now established the coherence focal point in the Directorate General for Development. It has been operational since the start of this month and we are using it and we would like others to do the same whenever a problem seems to exist concerning coherence.
I should also mention that today is a big day for coherence in our development policy and trade policy. The Commission, having talked about quota-free or duty-free access for essentially all products from least developed countries; has decided to drop the word “essentially”. From today the Commission has a clear policy. It is now up to the Member States. We are offering, for all products, quota-free, tariff-free access for the least developed countries. This is a very good decision."@en1
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