Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-16-Speech-2-255"
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"en.20010116.11.2-255"2
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". – The Commission fully agrees with the honourable Member that NGOs as important actors in civil society are one of the pillars on which EC cooperation rests. The Cotonou Agreement specifically mentions the increasing role of non-State actors in the development process.
The Commission has elaborated specific programming guidelines on the role of actors such as NGOs in the EU partnership with the ACP countries. The Commission action plan also contains commitments to partnerships with the ACP. The Commission action plan also contains commitments to partnerships and consultation of civil society and non-State actors.
As far as the European NGO Liaison Committee (CLONG) is concerned, our relationship with it has always been active and fruitful. In addition to contributions to NGO projects, projects that actually reach people in the developing countries, the CLONG is also financially assisted by the Commission. In accordance with its financial rules the Commission received the preliminary results of an audit of the CLONG in December 2000, which shows poor financial management within the CLONG. The Commission will draw the consequences of this audit in order to put its relationship with the CLONG on a sound basis. However, it should be mentioned that the dialogue between the Commission and the CLONG is not and will not be interrupted.
The dialogue with a number of other NGOs and other NGO umbrella organisations – there is a number of them – also will be deepened over the next year as the new organisational structure decided in May 2000 comes into place.
On this matter it is important to ask you not to make the mistake of thinking that accepting a special lower standard of financial management for the CLONG is an adequate way by which the Commission should demonstrate its positive attitude towards the inclusion of civil society as such. This is not the problem, the problem we are facing here is simply one of financial management.
The Commission considers that NGOs have a distinct and crucial role, which is different from and not in competition with UN agencies.
ECHO's use of NGOs, the UN and other organisations reflects what is best in the situation. Situations change and so does the pattern of how we distribute through different partners.
Finally, many of the staff with experience of NGOs in the Development DG have now been transferred to the EuropAid Cooperation Office – our new implementing body. Therefore they will bring their knowledge to the new office and concentrate on how to handle the relationship better to reduce some of the problems we have had in the past with the not always very smooth dialogue between the different parties."@en1
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