EU ministers discussed last week a new agenda for the coordination of international development aid. At the same time, at a meeting of the Foreign Council Affairs on development issues, they also adopted conclusions on migration in EU development cooperation. The main point on the agenda was the discussion about the UN synthesis report and the role of the EU as a “trend-setter” in global development goals such as poverty alleviation or the promotion of sustainability.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said that the principle of the next global framework was not to be left behind by anyone. “With the new Council conclusions, the EU will start to speak with one voice on post-2015 agenda,” she added. The new conclusions, which deal with the EU response to the Ebola crisis, migration, refugees, and development, EU’s action plan on nutrition, and with a more prominent role of the private sector in development, are expected to be adopted by the General Affairs Council tomorrow (16 December).
Among the most vivid discussions during the meeting were the fight against Ebola and migration. Christos Stylianides, EU Ebola Coordinator and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, briefed the ministers on the block’s medium and long-term projects to help reconstruct the West African region. So far, the EU member states have together pledged about 1.1 billion euros to help combat the disease. In addition to the EU’s role in fighting the Ebola crisis, EU ministers also emphasized the need for a different approach to migration not only as being a security challenge but also as a development opportunity. The ministers thus suggested including migration aspects in the EU’s dialogue with partner countries and in the EU development aid policies.
