100 posts
Amid Food Crisis, Caribbean Agriculture Going to Seed
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With the average age of a farmer in the Caribbean now 62 years old, there is growing concern that commercial agriculture is on a path to extinction – a dire scenario for a region already shouldering a massive food import bill.
FAO, Haiti Government seek $74 million for Haiti's farm sector
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FAO and the Government of Haiti are seeking $74 million (EUR 58 million) over the next year to help rehabilitate the country's agricultural sector in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The "Superstorm" caused colossal damage to Haiti's crops, land, livesto...
EU to inject €158 million into Somali development efforts
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In the next few years, the European Union will focus its aid to Somalia on strengthening the country’s education, judicial and security sectors. This was outlined on 3 November by Michele Cervone d’Urso, the EU’s new special envoy to Soma...
Women are main guardians of crucial livestock diversity
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Women livestock keepers worldwide must be recognised as the major actors in efforts to arrest the decline of indigenous breeds, crucial for rural food security and animal genetics, a new FAO study argues. Yet women's contribution to indigenous livest...
Cooperatives are crucial allies in the fight against hunger
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One of the only chances small-scale food producers have to gain competitive access to local and global markets is by banding together in cooperatives, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told a meeting of the World Cooperatives Congress in M...
Mixed progress for ACP-EU trade agreements
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Long-running talks on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between some members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group and the European Union move ahead at a mired pace, despite best efforts on both sides. At the last joint ministerial t...
Main ACP-EU Events for the week of 5/11/2012 to 11/11/2012
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European Parliament- 5 November: Committee on Development- 5-7 November: Committee on Foreign Affairs- 6 November: Committee on International Trade- 6 November: Committee on Fish...
EC Publication of revised regulation on the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)
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On 31 October 2012, the European Commission issued a revised regulation on the GSP for developing countries most in need that will take effect from 1 January 2014, thus giving time for economic operators to adapt to the revised regime. The revised re...
Emerging emergencies
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By Aris KokkinosWhat answer to bring to the overall impact of humanitarian disasters, environmental catastrophes, terrorist activities? On 22 and 23 October the conference EU governance of global emergencies focused on the question, with answers from...
Main ACP-EU Events for the week of 29/10/2012 to 04/09/2012
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ACP Group- 29 – 31 October: ACP Global Debate of Commodities including Mineral Resources- 31 October – 2 November: Building resilience to climate change in the Pacific islands You can also read our newspaper “CTA Brussels Daily”...
FAO Director-General calls for "next big step" in hunger fight
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On 24 October 2012, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva called on international food communities and all players in the global food system to join together in eradicating hunger from the earth "within our lifetimes". Opening the...
European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs: Baltic countries should give more in development aid
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EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs says that the Baltic states should be referred to as a success story in the European Union, as their policies led to considerable improvement of the economic situation in the wake of the economic crisis...
EU development policy needs joined-up thinking
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The EU must ensure its development policy transcends its current structural weaknesses, is clearly prioritized and not undermined by inconsistencies between trade, agriculture, fisheries and other policies, MEPs said in two resolutions adopted this w...
2015 to be designated European Year of Development
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A report by ALDE MEP Charles Goerens (Democratic Party, Luxembourg) addressing the future of EU development policy was agreed on 23 October 2012 by the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. This report is the European Parliament's...
Austerity no Excuse to Reduce EU Sustainable Development Programs
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As member states enter EU budget negotiations and consider cuts to their own bilateral programs, they should think hard about the consequences of abdicating their legacy.
European development aid at a crossroads?
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By Elena FanettiOn October 16th and 17th, Brussels hosted this year’s edition of the European Development Days. This event is organized by the European Commission and aims to promote dialogue between the European Union and its partners in the so-ca...
Climate change and the green growth agenda in the Pacific
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Most Pacific islands are experiencing impacts on community livelihoods, infrastructure, water supply, coastal and forest ecosystems, fisheries, agriculture, and human health. The consequences of sea level rise, sea temperature increases, ocean acidif...
Spotlight on trade agendas in lead up to ACP-EU Joint Trade meeting
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Senior officials and Ministers for Trade from ACP governments convene in Brussels this week to tackle crucial issues regarding trade relations between their countries and the European Union. The series of high level meetings culminates with the annua...
New EU funded project to help develop aquaculture against hunger
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A new 3-year project, 'Aquaculture for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Nutrition' (AFSPAN), funded by the EU and managed by the FAO, in collaboration with an alliance composed of 20 development agencies, governments and universities, aims to p...
Nigeria remains EU’s key partner in Africa
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Ambassador David MacRae, Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, recently described the direction of existing and future frameworks of partnerships with Nigeria and ECOWAS. MacRae and his team explained and defended the strategies behind the EU
EU and Malawi to work together to improve agricultural production
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On 17 October 2012, EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, and the President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, signed two agreements that will help Malawi reach the Millennium Development Goals. The EU will contribute to a new government programme d...
Ecological foundations that support food security are being undermined
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The aim of achieving food security across the globe will become increasingly elusive unless countries factor the planet's nature-based services into agricultural and related planning, a report released on 16 October by the UN Environment Programme (U...
Main ACP-EU Events for the week of 22/10/2012 to 28/10/2012
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European Council- 22-23 October: Agriculture and Fisheries Council [Luxembourg]- 25 October: Environment Council [Luxembourg]ACP Group- 24-25 October: ACP Ministerial Trade Committee- ...
Main ACP-EU Events for the week of 22/10/2012 to 28/10/2012
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European Council- 22-23 October: Agriculture and Fisheries Council [Luxembourg]- 25 October: Environment Council [Luxembourg]ACP Group- 24-25 October: ACP Ministerial Trade Committee- ...
Africa is growing, but how can more share the benefits?
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Across Africa economies are booming. From Angola to Ethiopia, Ghana to Mozambique the past few years have seen annual growth rates race along at over 6 percent. That success is bringing hope of a brighter future but huge problems remain …...
The differentiation debate: Does the EU have responsibility for helping to tackle poverty and inequality in middle-income countries?
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As part of events marking the 2012 European Development Days (EDDs) in Brussels on 16-17 October, researchers from the ETTG – the European Think Tanks Group (FRIDE, ODI, ECDPM and GDI) – write a series of blogs on the role of EU Development P...
Land security and property rights in developing countries
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Secure land rights are important for development and poverty reduction, this is a generally agreed point of view. There is also a need for appropriate policy instruments. This Keysource provides an overview on options for introducing property rights...
Are private owned charity agencies doing any good to the countries in need?
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When I was growing up as a kid in Greece, I remember that almost every year my mother was buying notepads of UNICEF for me to have at school. Just so that we did our little bit to help the poor kids of Africa. We were watching so many advertisements...
Development Aid – right of reply hampered.
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Number of View: 156The complex issues of Europe Aid and Development funding have come in for a lot of headlines recently, not least in a Sunday Telegraph article (September 22nd, 2012) which claimed that middle income countries were benefiting from E...
Can local businesses help fight global poverty?
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On 16-17 October, the European Commission will be hosting EU Development Days, a two-day forum on international affairs and development cooperation that will see Heads of State, Nobel Prize laureates, business leaders, and development professionals m...
8 facts you should know about EU development aid
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Number of Views :149There is no magic bullet to eradicate world’s poverty, that’s why we should talk about development to see what works and what doesn’t. But many aid sceptics often use arguments that have nothing to do with the fa...
How can we tackle global inequality?
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On 16-17 October, the European Commission will be hosting EU Development Days, a two-day forum on international affairs and development cooperation that will see Heads of State, Nobel Prize laureates, business leaders, and development professiona...
Brussels will see EDD12
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Brussels will see the European Development Days 2012 (EDD12) in October. Some of the focus areas of this two-day (October 16th and 17th) event will be sustainable agriculture, food security, resilience, inclusive growth and private sector engag...
MDG 5 implementation in Africa gaining ground
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According to an article by the Ghana News Agency, Nicholas Westcott, EEAS Managing Director for Africa, has stressed that poverty is decreasing in Africa and that the implementation of the Millennium Development Goal 5 approaching its targets. Speaki...
Mr. Chambas : “The EP has shown wise political judgment”
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As we reported last week, the EP’s vote on the proposed amendment to Council Regulation (EC) 1528/2007, in which the ACP Group negotiating EPAs with the EU would be required to conclude these before 1 January 2014, was a positive move for the...
Barbadian NGOs to benefit from an EU grant scheme
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Up to ten Barbadian non-governmental organisations (NGO) will have the chance to apply for grant funding aimed at strengthening human rights and human resource development. The Delegation of the European Union to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean wi...
EU to maintain support for Ghana
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The EU will continue its support to Ghana. Even if Ghana has assumed a middle income status, the Union will not hold back its development assistance to the country.
Book Review: Representations of Global Poverty: Aid, Development and International NGOs
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Through the efforts of increasingly media-aware NGOs, people in the west are bombarded with images of poverty and inequality in the developing world. Representations of Poverty is a comprehensive study of the communications and imagery used by intern...
How can we ensure global food security?
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Ultimately, what matters most is “bread and butter” politics. It’s easy to obsess about the current state of Europe’s economy, but there’s no shortage of other challenges facing the world right now; issues like energy s...
Opening the windows to knowledge
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Reblogged from European Union 2.0: More than half of international aid for developing countries comes from the European Union and its Member States. Implementing the EU’s development budget involves a … Continue reading →...
Main ACP-EU events for the week from 17/09 to 23/09/2012
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European Parliament-17/18 September : Committee on -17/18 September : Committee on International Trade -17/18 September : Development Committee-17/18 September : Committee on Industry, Research and Energy-17/18 September :&nbs...
Briefing on Climate change, agriculture and food security
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As we have been announcing, the next Brussels Development Briefing will focus on ‘Climate change, agriculture and food security: proven approaches and new investments’. It will address issues related to agriculture and food security i...
Saint Lucia hosts the 2012 Green Growth Investment Forum
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The 2012 Green Growth Investment Forum (GGIF) will finally take place on 20-21 September 2012 at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Saint Lucia. The meeting will be jointly hosted by the ECS Mission and the OECS Secretariat.Building on the last year’s GGIF and...
EU Budget Support to Anguilla
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The EU has allocated EC$38.5 million (11.7 million euros) to Anguilla, in the form of Budget Support, with the aim of helping the country in its efforts to boost economic growth and development. The overall objectives of the grant aid are to restore...
Opening the windows to knowledge
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More than half of international aid for developing countries comes from the European Union and its Member States. Implementing the EU’s development budget involves a wide range of partners across the world. These include staff working in the...
Funding for regional infrastructural projects: the EAC turns to Europe
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As infrastructural challenges in Eastern Africa have been a major obstacle to the process of integration, the EAC Secretariat appears to be counting on Europe to get funding for regional infrastructural projects. According to an article by All Africa...
EU-funded study to address gaps in existing financing methods
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With the aim of examining the feasibility of opening trade and investment bank to service its 79 members ('the ACP Bank for International Trade and Investment', BITI), the ACP Secretariat has launched an extensive study. The project is intended to ad...
Caribbean Region: Concerns over EC differentiated approach
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Sir Ronald Sanders, consultant and former diplomat raises awareness of likely aid cuts to all the Caribbean countries that are members of the ACP group, with the exception of Haiti. In line with the concerns of the ACP Group, which have been raised i...
Study to draft an aquaculture development plan for St Kitts and Nevis
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According to recent updates by ZIZ , in view of the large demand for seafood in St Kitts and Nevis and the stagnant output from capture fisheries, the Department of Marine Resources (St Kitts and Nevis) has initiated a study to reveal the potential a...
FAO: 15th ‘Working with the EU’ training
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According to an article by FAO press service, last month the Resource Mobilization and Operations Support Service of the organisation prepared a 2-day training on working with the EU, which is one of FAO’s most important resource partners. It has b...
Main ACP-EU events for the week from 10/09 to 16/09/2012
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European Parliament- 10/13 September : European Parliament Plenary Meeting (Strasboug) Council of Ministers- 9/11 September: Informal Agriculture and Fisheries Council (Nicosia)- 12 and 14 September: COREPER I- 12 September: COREPER II- 13/16&n...
2012 Green Growth Investment Forum (GGIF)
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The 2012 Green Growth Investment Forum (GGIF) will finally take place on 20-21 September 2012 at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Saint Lucia. The meeting will be jointly hosted by the ECS Mission and the OECS Secretariat. Building on the last year’s GGIF an...
Successful conclusion for EAC EPA negotiations later this year?
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The General Secretary of the East Africa Community (EAC), Dr. Richard Sezibera, has stressed that despite progress made in the ongoing negotiations in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU, there remained a number of contentious issues...
Position paper re-emphasizes LRRD potential
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The NGO networks VOICE and CONCORD have recently released a joint position paper on the need to link humanitarian aid and development (LRRD). In light of the recent famine in the Horn of Africa and the EU’s corresponding humanitarian work in the sh...
VOICE releases its 2011 activity report
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VOICE, a network NGO which is active in humanitarian aid worldwide, has recently released its 2011 Activity Report. The report recalls the numerous operational challenges due to major crises in the Horn of Africa, Libya and Ivory Coast, as well as la...
Trilateral development cooperation in Africa: an alternative policy tool?
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The Center of Chinese Studies (CCS) has released a discussion paper delving into the debate surrounding trilateral development cooperation between the European Union (EU), China and Africa. Focusing in particular on the case study of South Africa, th...
Research material on Development Cooperation in 2020
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In February, the CTA Brussels Office was present at the University of Leuven where the 11.11.11 Research Chair on Development Cooperation of HIVA/KULeuven presented some of the key findings of a draft report covering three scenarios for development c...
Rewriting the future
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Number of Views :64This Saturday 8th September marks International Literacy day. As many of us sit down to read the papers this weekend, it’s easy to forget that around the world, 800 million people are still unable to read and write. As a form...
EIB President visits Cotonou partner countries
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According to recent updates by the EIB press service, the President of the EIB, Werner Hoyer, will travel this week to Pacific and Indian Ocean countries, on his first official visit to Cotonou partner countries outside of Europe.
Georgieva signs new the Food Assistance Convention on behalf of the EU
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Following the authorisation of the Council of the European Union, the Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, signed the new Food Assistance Convention, on behalf of the EU. "The ai...
Graduation, differentiation in EU aid policy: matters of concern for the ACP
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The ACP Group has voiced criticism over the inclusion of a differentiated approach towards aid in the so called European Commission’s Agenda for Change. The proposed policy seeks to deliver EU development assistance more efficiently by focusing...
A shock-absorbing mechanism to help low-income countries
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According to recent updates by Reuters, the European Commission has announced that the EU is to examine ways to create an aid buffer for poor countries.
EIB funding to Seychelles businesses
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide EUR 5m to the Development Bank of the Seychelles to increase funding available for small and medium sized businesses in the country. The loan from Europe’s long-term lending institution wil...
Support to ongoing steps towards democracy
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Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Commission Vice President, recently travelled to Nairobi and met Prime Minister Odinga, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ongeri, and other Kenyan leaders. As Kenya is...
Sweden to help improve poorest countries’ trading capacity
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According to recent updates by the WTO, Sweden has made a contribution of CHF 4.6 million to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) and CHF 107,000 to the Trade Facilitation Trust Fund. The main aim of these contributions is to...
New EC aid injection to Horn of Africa
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With the aim of helping the Horn of Africa recover from the destructive drought of 2011, overcome its chronic problems and set out on the path of development, the Commission adds €22 million to its humanitarian aid in the region. This allocation...
L’accès à l’eau: un droit humain sans lequel aucun autre n’est possible
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Number of Views :83Cela fait un peu plus de deux ans jour pour jour, le 28 juillet 2010, que l’Assemblée générale de l’ONU adoptait une résolution qui consacrait l’accès à l’eau comme un “droit fondamental, essen...
Social protection for all: a “must” to achieve sustainable development and eradication of poverty
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Number of Views :147To most European citizens having easy and immediate access to medical services, to education, and to other forms of social protection, such as pensions or unemployment support, may seem like obvious rights. They protect us against...
Tribute to humanitarian workers
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This Sunday we mark World Humanitarian Day. This annual day of remembrance came about as a result of the killings of 22 UN workers, including the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello, in the bo...
Nutrition and food security, Olympics’ icing on the cake
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Number of Views :159While millions were following the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, I want to draw their attention to the hundreds of millions of children who are unable to get through the day without food to eat. That was precisely t...
What did the EU aid achieve last year? New Annual Report reveals the results
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Number of Views :142People often ask me: “All right, the EU is the biggest donor, but did these funds make any difference for the poor?” Over the years I have given you many examples of successful EU aid projects and our new annual report...
South Sudan and Sudan: A looming humanitarian catastrophe?
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The EU boosts humanitarian aid for needs in Sudan and South Sudan by €40 million. Questions: 1. How necessary is the EU humanitarian aid from your point of view? 2. The organization United to End Genocide recently said that a man-made humanitarian...
Reallocation of funds to help meet Intra-ACP cooperation goals
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Following discussions on the ACP-EU cooperation framework, the Council on Foreign Affairs adopted the EU position within the ACP-EU Committee of Ambassadors in favour of a decision to transfer EUR 195 million from the unallocated resources of the...
Ministers adopt a decision to finance the EDF
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Ministers have adopted a decision on the financial contributions by the member states to finance the European Development Fund (EDF) in 2012. According to the decision, which has been adopted at the 3183rd Council meeting on Foreign Affairs, “the...
EU Ministers authorise the singing of the Food Assistance Convention
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During the course of the last Council meeting on Foreign Affairs, ministers authorised the signing on behalf of the EU of the food assistance convention, as the latter would help to achieve the humanitarian aid objectives referred to in article 214...
‘Joint Way Forward Angola – EU’
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The EU and Angola have recently signed a new cooperation agreement, entitled "Joint Way Forward Angola - European Union". This agreement, which was signed by Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-Pr...
EU leads development work in Tanzania
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According to the European Commission, although Tanzania averaged 6-7% GDP growth in the last decade, it remains one of the world's poorest countries in the world, with many people still living below the poverty line of $1.25/day.
Our video guest: Komla Prosper Bissi, AUC
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As we informed our readers, in June Brussels witnessed the preparation meeting of the next Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO) Continental Briefing, which will focus on defining the future of African agriculture and the renewed role of farmers’...
Main ACP-EU events for the week from 23/07 to 29/07/2012
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Council of Ministers -23 July: Foreign Affairs Council -23July: COREPER I -24: General Affairs Council -25 July: COREPER II ACP Group - 23 July: Management meeting - 24 July: Committee of Ambassadors You can also read our newspaper “CTA Brusse...
Famine no more
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Number of View: 206 A year ago, in July 2011, I travelled to Dollow, a Somali border town, the last stop for refugees from war and hunger before they crossed into neighbouring Ethiopia. The severe drought, combined with chronic abject poverty and con...
Aid donors to face difficult challenges by 2025
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According to a recent report entitled Horizon 2025, and published by the Overseas Development Institute, by 2025, most of the world's poorest people will live in conflict-affected states in Africa, presenting serious challenges for aid donors who...
Main ACP-EU events for the week from 16/07 to 22/07/2012
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Council of Ministers -16 July: Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRI-FISH)-18 July: COREPER I-18/19 July: COREPER IIACP Group- 16 July: Management meeting - 16/20 July: Regional meeting ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly You can also read our n...
DEVE Committee aims for responsibility in middle-income countries
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According to MEPs on the Development (DEVE) committee, emerging economies should be encouraged to allocate more of their revenues to social programmes through EU development aid, with an eye towards gradually reducing the latter.
