100 posts
European think-tanks call for new beginning in EU development policy
Leading European think-tanks propose new approaches in development policy to cope with future challenges. While the new EU Commission in the process of constitution, the European Think-Tanks Group has presented a memorandum entitled "New Challenges,...
Romania doubled its ODA budget for 2010
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will allocate 3, 8 million euros in 2010 for the Official Development Assistance budget. In 2009 the ODA budget was less than 2 million euros. According to an interview given to Euractiv Romania, Mihaela Rutje...
OECD: France falls short on aid pledge
France’s draft finance bill gave the first indication and the OECD has now confirmed it: in times of crisis, France fails to honour its commitments towards developing countries. Overseas Development Aid (ODA) in France has become a variable cost in...
EU short $19bn on development pledges
Western European countries are skipping out to the tune of $19 billion (€14bn) on the aid pledges they made to developing countries five years ago at a landmark G8 meeting, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Ai...
A common EU position on the MDGs must focus on human rights
In a letter to the Spanish EU presidency, Amnesty International challenges the EU to adopt a common position ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, ensuring that human rights are at the core of any decision relating to the Millennium Developm...
2010: New focus for development policy
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel, who participated in the climate summit in Copenhagen, called the results "disappointing". Now it was time to secure the progress that had been made, he said. The BMZ has already decided what it will do: suppor...
Signing of the MoU between the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite and DFID
The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite and the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), this week entered into a co-operation agreement that will further deepen and strengthen the cooperation between them. DFID and the Tripartite ha...
Do we need another multilateral development bank controlled by Europe?
Reflections from Eurodad and Counter Balance to the Wise Persons Panel -With loans in 2008 outside the European Union (EU) of around EUR 6.1 billion, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is a leading financial powerhouse operating around the globe on b...
EU to invest 40 billion CFA F in Benin this year
The European Union (EU) will invest 41 billion CFA F in Benin in 2010, the organisation's head of delegation to the country, Mrs. Françiose Collet told the press here on Friday. The grant concerns only the 10th European Development Fund (FED), a pro...
Ashton under attack
Further to the post of 25 January, Baroness Ashton is still under attack for not going to Haiti, notwithstanding that the UN had requested that dignataries do not visit the island, so as not to disrupt the emergency aid activities. She stated t...
And Commissioner Piebalgs first met with...
...CONCORD, the "European NGO Confederation For Relief and Development". I think that it is quite important to see whom a new Commissioner meets during her/his first days, because one can assume that these are the partners that his/her administratio...
Apply for TH!NK3 – Millennium Development Goals
The third edition of Th!nk about it has been announced. It is a blogging competition run by the European Journalism Centre which will focus on on the developing world and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG): The competition will bring together jou...
Linking EU Trade and Development Policies
Lessons from the ACP-EU trade negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements.The present study is part of a more comprehensive research project on ‘European policy for global development’ funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation an...
Warning about adopting children from Haiti
I have recently received the statement set out below regarding inter-country adoption from Haiti. Sent from Andy Elvin, Chief Executive of CFAB (Children and families Across Borders), the UK branch of the international social service network, the s...
Our video guest: Mr. Mona Herbert, DSW
Our video guest this week is Mr. Mona Herbert, he works for the German foundation for World Population (DSW) in Uganda. On the occasion of his intervention at the Brussels Development Briefing on population growth and its implications for rural areas...
Rural development: €5 billion injected into rural development programmes
The Rural Development Committee has voted on the last proposals from Member States/regions for using EU Recovery Plan and CAP Health Check funding and other transfers within the CAP to address issues including the economic and dairy crisis, and clima...
Developing countries’ interests lie with the EU in achieving a solution to the threat of climate change
By Roland Rudd, Chairman, Business for New Europe As world leaders gathered in Copenhagen last December for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, President Sarkozy of France delivered a rallying call urging those gathered – including ov...
EU development funds to be used for fingerprinting refugees
Article from David Cronin for Inter Press Service published 13.11.2010, reproduced in full here: BRUSSELS: Aid traditionally reserved for keeping victims of war and disasters alive may now be used for security-related projects such as the fingerprint...
The ‘great feeling’ of helping third world countries
Some time ago, my university organized an international week. In the main hall, a short film was shown: African people were begging us for help. The film was made to promote an organization that helps students to go to third world countries and do
The Spanish EU presidency: Opportunities in development finance
The start of 2010 sees Spain take the EU presidency for the second time since it joined the EU in 1986. As presiding country, Spain is in a key position to push for stronger deals on development finance. Addressing issues such as aid, capital flight,...
Development: EU Aid to be Used for Fingerprinting
Aid traditionally reserved for keeping victims of war and disasters alive may now be used for security-related projects such as the fingerprinting of refugees, European Union officials have decided. Although the European Commission's humanitarian off...
Why Italy is giving priority to Africa’s development
Italy is paying closer attention to Africa in the conviction that there is a different continent from the one traditionally depicted as a land of poverty, disease and conflict. Africa is a young continent with enormous potential in terms of human cap...
Few products from developing countries make it to the EU markets
High import duties keep products from developing countries out of Europe. One particular problem is tariff escalation: Import tariffs increase the more processed a product becomes. This measure ensures that most imports to the EU are raw products l...
EU Law: Humanitarian aid and other thematic files
The European Union is one of the principal international actors trying to alleviate the suffering caused by the natural disaster in Haiti. Humanitarian aid and assistance for long term development are needed from the more fortunate parts of humanity.
EU resumes development cooperation with Mauritania
Today the EU has normalised its relationships and fully resumed development cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Following the elections and the appointment of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as president, the EU considers that a consensual s...
Time for a humanitarian NATO?
WASHINGTON — There are two sets of policy issues emanating from the rubble and horror of Port-au-Prince: “Whither Haiti?” and “Whither relief aid?” With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah visiting the...
Haiti: action before photo-ops
Criticism of Catherine Ashton not going to Haiti shows why a Commission not directly answerable to the electorate has its advantages. Most national politicians fly to disaster areas for domestic political reasons. The last thing Haiti wants is he...
Our video guest: Laura Sullivan, ActionAid International
Laura Sullivan is our guest this week. She is responsible for the European policy and Campaigns in Brussels for ActionAid International. On the occasion of her participation to the Brussels Development Briefing on food crisis in ACP countries, Ms S...
CTA Weblog/Newsletter survey
If you haven’t yet filled the questionnaire giving feedback on this news service, the Brussels Weblog team would be very grateful if you could spend a few minutes to reply to the questionnaire below on the quality of the Brussels ACP-EU News Servic...
Main ACP-EU events for the week 25-29 January 2010
European Parliament (Brussels):- 25th January: Subcommittee on Human Rights Hearing and Committee on Development: Humanitarian situation in Haiti.- 25-28th January: Spanish ministers address European Parliament committees - 26th-28th January: 19th...
27th January 2010 – Briefing on Population and Development
The 16th Brussels Development Briefing will be on "Population growth and its implications for ACP rural development" and will take place on Wednesday 27th January 2010 from 8h30 to 13h00 at European Commission, Building Borschette, - Rue Froissart, 3...
Our video guest: Laura Sullivan, ActionAid International
Laura Sullivan is our guest this week. She is responsible for the European policy and Campaigns in Brussels for ActionAid International. On the occasion of her participation to the Brussels Development Briefing on food crisis in ACP countries, Ms S...
Should Ashton be in Haiti? (supplemented)
Jean Quatremer has covered the fact that EU foreign minister* Ashton has not been in Haiti and that EPP and the Liberals complained about that today. I don't agree with these complaints, especially since her people have been working over the weekend...
Hearing of the Commisioner-designate for Humanitarian Aid
The Bulgarian Commissioner-designate, Rumiana Jeleva, faced a range of questions from MEPs in the Development Committee concerning issues surrounding the new International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response portfolio for which she has...
The end of an era? Challenges for ACP-EU relations in 2010
This Briefing paper previews some of the headline debates expected in 2010 and sketches the backdrop against which these will unfold. The aim is not so much to predict outcomes, but to situate and frame the EU debates on development cooperation so as...
Jamaica gets from Spain $35 million to construct greenhouses
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has received $35 million from the Government of Spain, to fund the construction of two greenhouses to promote protected agriculture, and to train extension officers and farmers from across the Caribbean regio...
Barbados and the EU review EDF portfolio
The Government of Barbados and officials of the Delegation of the European Commission to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean undertook a Mid-Term Review of the 10th European Development Fund Country Strategy agreed in December 2008. The Review was con...
Why aid isn’t working and how it should be changed?
Everyone knows that aid is not working as intended, and that something must change. The big question is how to change the status quo. The current international aid debate is characterized by dichotomies and over-simplified generalizations. In order t...
Hearing of the Commissioner-designate for Development
Andris Piebalgs, the Latvian Commissioner-designate for Development, fielded Development Committee questions on the key aim of development policy-fighting poverty-as well as aid effectiveness, the impact of climate change on developing countries and...
Our video guest: Dr. Hans Herren, IAASTD
Dr Hans Herren is our guest this week. Dr. Hans Herren, an internationally recognized scientist, is the President of the Millennium Institute since May 2005. On the occasion of his participation in the Brussels Development Briefing on food crisis in...
Jonathan White discusses Millennium Development Goals on Great Decisions 2010
Great Decisions 2010 Special: The World’s Bottom Billion hosts GMF Senior Program Officer Jonathan White to discuss the Millennium Development Goals and the impact of the financial crisis on the world’s poorest countries.
Cotonou Partnership Agreement: revision of article on Migration
Article 13 on ‘Migration’ is a priority issue for European Union member states in the revision of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA). However, the ongoing revision process scheduled to be finalised at the end of February 2010 does not seem t...
Tailored approaches to climate adaptation
Ranieri Sabatucci – who is in charge of the Pacific region at the European Commission’s Development Directorate-General – talks about how climate change will affect different parts of the developing world and the EU’s efforts to help them.
EU grants Mauritius aid to mitigate the effects of the financial crisis
According to information transmitted to APA in the Mauritian capital Port Louis, the European Union has decided to provide Mauritius with 16 million dollars in financial assistance to mitigate the effects of the world economic crisis. Sources close t...
Horn of Africa: EC allocates €50 million in humanitarian aid
The European Commission is providing €50 million in humanitarian aid to vulnerable drought-affected people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The funds are channelled through the Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the responsibility of C...
Barroso Team II: Towards new challenges
On the eve of the Christmas break, I want to come back on a number of major political events that occurred on the European stage over the last months. Irish people expressed a convincing “yes” in the referendum, allowing the Treaty of Lis...
Brussels Development Briefing: "From Global Food Crisis to Local Food Insecurity"
On 9th December 2009, more than 100 experts attended the 15th Brussels Development Briefing on "From Global Food Crisis to Local Food Insecurity" organised by the CTA and its partners. The Briefing examined the domino effects of increased speculation...
New Development Commissioner has his Work cut out
News of the appointments in the new European Commission has been dominated by the political struggles for the high-profile positions. The portfolio responsible for the Commission’s development program in poor countries is decidedly not one of them.
Fact sheet 'Tax and Development'
Taxes are central for the functioning of a state and for the provision of public goods. Many developing countries cannot finance their policies through taxes and rely on external revenues such as development assistance. Generally, developing countrie...
EC invites to comment on Issues Paper on Agriculture and Food Security
Food Security and Agriculture are very much back on the agenda. Building on its Food Security Thematic Strategy Paper 2007-2010, the European Commission is currently developing a new Policy Framework to assist developing countries addressing agricul...
Main ACP-EU events for next week (14-20 December)
European Parliament (Brussels):- 14 – 17 December: Plenary sessionEU Presidency (Brussels, Copenhagen):- 14 – 18 December: United Nations Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen)- 14 – 16 December: Agriculture and Fisheries Council; Integration o...
Our video guest: Mr. Eric Thys, expert at Be-troplive
Mr Eric Thys, expert at Be-troplive, is our special guest this week. Be-troplive is an informal and multidisciplinary Belgian platform on tropical animal health and production, which is open to institutional or individual members involved in tropical...
Kouchner: 'His' tax on financial transactions to be used to fight poverty
Would the tax on financial transactions advocated by Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Kouchner and appropriated by the G20 be used to help poor countries develop, to fight climate change or to make the international financial system sounder? The Fren...
Ratification of the revised Cotonou Agreement
The 2985th Council meeting on Foreign Affairs held in Brussels on 8 December 2009 approved a draft letter to be sent to the ACP group of states outlining the implications of non-ratification of the revised ACP-EU (Cotonou) partnership agreement. The...
Concrete measures for tax justice for development
Intermón’s policy paper outlines specific policy asks for the Spanish government to push at the EU level during its presidency, starting on January 2010. These include the following: - To support and defend within the G20 and prior to the IMF - Wo...
Spain Pledges €15 million for UN-REDD Programme
On the 4th December 2009 Spain has become the third donor to the UN-REDD Programme, following the Governments of Norway and Denmark, by pledging €15 million to the trust fund. Yemi Katerere, Head of UN-REDD, commented that “there is a growing int...
EU Development Council backtracks on development commitments
At their meeting in Brussels on 17th November, European development ministers displayed once again the double standards that all too often prevail when it comes to rich countries’ positions on development policies. On the table for discussion were...
Development more important than quick conclusion of Doha
Governments expressed the will at the seventh ministerial meeting of the WTO to finish the Doha Round of trade negotiations as soon as possible. But the Africa Group still deems development to be a more important priority than a speedy conclusion. De...
Reform of Spanish development finance mechanisms
At the end of 2009, the Spanish parliament will vote on reforming the main public mechanisms that generate external debt owed by Southern countries to the Spanish state. The mechanisms that will be affected by the reform are the Development Aid Fund...
Brussels Briefings live on the Internet
The Briefing “From Global Food Crisis to Local Food Insecurity” live on the Internet!. This way, you can easily follow the presentations and debates.WHEN: December, 9 – 8:30 – 13:00 (Brussels Time)This service (in English and French) is FREE...
Briefing “Food Insecurity” live on Internet!
CTA in partnership with the European Commission-DG Development and EuropeAid, the EU Presidency, the ACP Secretariat, Euforic, IPS Europe and Concord organizes bimonthly Development Briefings in Brussels to raise awareness on key rural development is...
World Food Day 2009 - Italy
Italy and UN to fight against hunger, Official Celebarations for the World Food Day 2009.Agriculture and Culture Italy, Benevento (Faicchio- Castelvenere) School “ISTITUTO SUPERIORE “ U. FRAGOLA”10 December 2009Seminar for Teachers, headmasters...
Copenhagen: is biggest taboo the cheapest solution?
According to the UK’s Optimum Population Trust, the cheapest solution to climate change is population control: “The cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the trust claims that family planning is the cheapest way to reduce carbon emissions. Every...
Main ACP-EU events for next week (7-13 December)
European Parliament (Brussels):- 7 and 10 December: Committee meetings - 8 – 10 December: Political groups meetingsEU Presidency (Brussels, Copenhagen):- 7 – 13 December: United Nations Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen)- 7 December: General...
9th December 2009 - 'From Global Food Crisis to Local Food Insecurity'
CTA in partnership with the European Commission-DG Development and EuropeAid, the EU Presidency, the ACP Secretariat, Euforic, IPS Europe and Concord organizes bimonthly Development Briefings in Brussels to raise awareness on key rural development is...
Briefing “ACP rural development: why Media matters?”: Report available
The Report prepared for the Briefing on “ACP rural development: why Media matters?”, held on 12th October 2009, is now available online. The report give a summary of discussions as well as resources and references related to the subject.
ACP-EU Assembly: financial crisis must not lead to development aid cuts
Official development aid must continue to grow and not suffer from the current economic and financial crisis, warned ACP-EU Co-President Louis Michel at the inaugural session of the 18th ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on Monday in Luanda. "Addit...
Comesa countries get $946 million for trade
The European Union is giving a total of 653 million Euros to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) member countries to finance projects that will help them to develop capacity in trade with other countries.The funds are to benefi...
Members vote to dissolve the Euforic Cooperative
After nearly 15 years the Euforic Cooperative will disappear. Twenty-four members (out of 34) represented at the special general meeting of members, held on 26 November 2009 in Brussels, voted for the dissolution of the Cooperative. Fifteen years ag...
Fragile States: the Defining Challenge of Our Time
The recent launch of the first European Report on Development (ERD) ushered in a re-think in how the European Union (EU) should engage in fragile situations in Africa. The report focuses on the destabilizing effects of the global financial crisis on...
Poor countries call for foreign debt write-off
Experts from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries who met last Wednesday in Luanda to prepare for the 18th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly are calling on the member states of the European Union and other rich countries to write off po...
French support development aid despite crisis
The fourth AFD-IFOP poll on the French population’s attitude to development aid has revealed that French people consider their country’s public development aid spending to be justified. Six out of ten believe that France plays an important role i...
Malawi: When disaster strikes
A man desperately reaches for a river bank as flood water pushes him to a likely death in the Lingadzi river in Kasache village close to Lake Malawi. Four rescuers in bright orange life jackets throw him a line in a last frantic attempt to reach him,...
Bananas: fight against poverty still a priority of the EU strategy?
At a time when European leaders are gathering to welcome the dawn of a new era with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, this change may well prove to be more extensive than anticipated. The coming days could spell the end of the era when Euro...
Main ACP-EU events for next week (30 November – 6 December)
European Parliament (Brussels):- 30 November – 3 December: Committee meetings EU Presidency (Brussels):- 30 November: General Affairs and External Relations Council; Working Parties: Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX), Development Cooperation (C...
Our video guest: Mr Hegel Goutier, Editor in Chief, 'The Courier'
Mr. Hegel Goutier, editor of the magazine "The Courier - The Magazine of Africa-Caribbean-Pacific & European Union Relations" is our guest. Mr. Goutier, who has 22 years experience as a journalist specializing in ACP-EU cooperation, present the purpo...
9th December 2009 - 'From Global Food Crisis to Local Food Insecurity'
CTA in partnership with the European Commission-DG Development and EuropeAid, the EU Presidency, the ACP Secretariat, Euforic, IPS Europe and Concord organizes bimonthly Development Briefings in Brussels to raise awareness on key rural development is...
ACP experts work on 18th session of Joint Parliamentary Union
Experts from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific are meeting since Wednesday morning in Luanda, to prepare the documents that will be submitted to the 18th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, that will open on November 30 in the Angolan capita...
Global food security 'threatened by liberalisation'
Liberalising global agricultural trade without any regulation would threaten global food security as private investment funds would buy huge amounts of land in developing countries and produce for profit rather than to feed the poor, Jacques Carles,...
Nigeria signs €677 million EDF agreement
The European Commission has today signed a multi-million euro agreement that aims to help Nigeria tackle development challenges in the areas of governance, trade and peace. The agreement, signed in Brussels by European Commissioner for Development an...
Study of free trade agreements involving developing countries/LDCs
In the context of the EPA negotiations the purpose of the (October 2009) study by the GRET and the AFD is to help fuel the French authorities’ reflection on different interpretations of article XXIV by analysing examples of existing FTAs that have...
Mozambique: Fisheries cooperation renewed with Norway and Iceland
The governments of Mozambique, Norway and Iceland have pledged to renew their cooperation in fisheries for the period 2009-2013, seeking to improve and make sustainable the exploitation of Mozambican fisheries resources. The programme of fisheries as...
