Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-11-30-Speech-3-178-000"
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"en.20111130.17.3-178-000"2
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"− Mr President, the debate today on the financing instruments for external actions comes at the end of a long and difficult process. It concerns a package of important legislative amendments.
The compromise text addresses Parliament’s request for more clarity on the financial allocations in broad terms. At the same time, the proposal respects the Council position that the legislation should not include specific financial allocations for individual countries and regions.
Turning specifically to the Banana Accompanying Measures: the compromise text includes additional information on the three criteria to be followed by the Commission in determining the financial allocations per country. It also includes an indication of how the criteria will be applied. It also adds an explicit reference to the Commission’s intention to come forward with a formal implementing Commission decision on the indicative country allocations. This will give Parliament and the Council the opportunity to express their views on the financial allocations.
The accompanying measures promised in the framework of the banana trade agreements are important for the ACP countries. The tariff cuts have already started kicking in, and the ACP countries have requested this additional support. Last but not least, I would like to the remind the House that the funds we promised to the ACP countries’ banana producers in Geneva must be additional and cannot be taken out of the European Development Fund. Moreover, as we are also at the end of the 10th European Development Fund Financial Protocol, there is no margin of manoeuvre left within this instrument.
A few words about ICI Plus: under ICI Plus, minimum percentage floors for the three priority areas (public diplomacy, economic partnership and people-to-people links) and a maximum percentage ceiling for administrative costs have been included in the text. The four percentages add up to less than 100%, leaving sufficient margin to decide on final allocations during programming. This gives the necessary flexibility to take account of developments and needs on the ground. At the same time, it provides for involvement of the co-legislators in overall priorities for ICI Plus.
Mr President, to conclude, the Commission therefore looks forward to the final approval of the package by Parliament.
The Commission made its first proposals in April 2009. These included proposals to add developing countries under the Industrialised Countries Instrument – creating ‘ICI Plus’. This will enable us to conduct cooperation activities with them which did not necessarily qualify as Official Development Assistance.
The Commission also made proposals for measures to accompany the deal in the Geneva WTO trade talks. These measures concern banana-producing countries – hence the Banana Accompanying Measures or ‘BAM’.
Tomorrow, after two years of negotiation, Parliament will vote on the package of amendments to the Development Cooperation Instrument, to the human rights instrument, and the ICI Plus. The Council has already approved the compromise agreed in conciliation.
The negotiations addressed complex issues concerning the EU’s functioning after the Lisbon Treaty. Despite differences of opinion between Parliament and the Council, the Commission considers that the institutions have achieved a balanced compromise. The Commission – and in particular my colleagues Cathy Ashton and Andris Piebalgs – would like to acknowledge the efforts of both sides in reaching this result.
Thanks are due also to Vice-President Vidal Quadras and the members of his team, as well as to the successive Council Presidencies, culminating in the agreement under the Polish Presidency.
Failure of this package is not an option. If we did not have this compromise, it would be a severe blow to the European Union’s reputation as a credible trade negotiator and as a trusted development partner. We would also be unable to pursue cooperation in some key areas with our strategic partners.
Therefore, the Commission welcomes the agreement covering the short period left between now and 2013. This compromise allows the Commission to immediately start implementing the budget for the ICI Plus initiatives and the Banana Accompanying Measures.
For this reason, the Commission is grateful for amending budget 6/2011, agreed on 18-19 November between Parliament and the Council. The additional EUR 13.4 million for the Banana Accompanying Measures means we can start implementation as soon as possible. The actions to be funded will improve the projection of the European Union’s interests at international level and comply with the development commitments made in Geneva to finally end the long-standing banana dispute in the WTO."@en1
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