Brussels. 11 July 2007.  The country strategies for countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific regions currently being finalised must be subject to an effective democratic scrutiny.  A Eurostep briefing paper says that only the European Parliament can ensure such scrutiny of the Commission's preparations of these proposed strategies.  It notes that the European Commission is placing a strong emphasis on good governance in ACP countries.  The European institutions should therefore lead by example and ensure that there is parliamentary scrutiny over the long term multi-annual plans for use of EU development funds in ACP countries. Plans for involvement of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in which representatives from the European Parliament sit together with MPs from national ACP parliaments has an equally important role in assessing these national strategies, but ultimately the European Parliament must take responsibility for overseeing the Commission's role in the process.
See Eurostep Briefing No. 39

Brussels, 06/07/07: Halfway to the deadline for meeting the UN's Millennium Development Goals, the EU stands accused of promoting its own interests instead of eradicating poverty.

Click here to read the article "Failing the poor" which was published in European Voice Vol. 13 No. 26 on 5 July 2007.

Iasi (Romania), 29 June 2007. FDSC, ProWomen and FOND (Romanian development NGO platform) have organised a seminar on civil society and development co-operation in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy, in Iasi (Romania) on 27/28 June 2007. This seminar brought together around 20 NGOs from Moldova and 20 NGOs from Romania. While the European Commission keeps on claiming that the programming and implementation of the ENPI will be done in a transparent and participatory manner, it seems that none of the civil society participants to this event have been meaningfully involved in a consultation on the Moldovan Country Strategy Paper or on the Annual Action Programme.

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Brussels, 09/07/07: A roundtable meeting was held on 3 July 2007 to discuss a proposal by the European Commission on so-called "MDG contracting" with ACP countries. The European Commission presented this proposal to the EU Member States on Friday 29 June.

Wiesbaden, 27 June 2007. The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly has met from 23 to 27 June in Wiesbaden (Germany). The programming of European aid under the 10th EDF was at the heart of the discussions. ACP Parliamentarians and civil society seem to have been left out of this process, which is supposed to determine EC aid priorities for the coming years. This is leading to real frustration among parliamentarians, afraid to see the process determining key future EC aid spending, led by a limited number of civil servants in Europe. Many ACP parliamentarians have therefore raised criticisms at this process while insisting on the increasing presence of new donors in the ACPs.

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