On Sunday (22 June), the EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid and the EU's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy both issued statements on the situation in Zimbabwe.

• Click here to read the European Parliament's press release on the resolution 
• Click here to read the statement from Commissioner Louis Michel
  
• Click here to read the statement from High Representative Javier Solana
• Click here to read a briefing paper about the ongoing election crisis
  
• Click here to read a call to the international Community from Zimbabwean civil society

SAAPE calls on EU summit to guarantee food sovereignty and to support small-scale sustainable farming in the developing world

Brussels, 19/06/08: Against the backdrop of the global food crisis and in the aftermath of the FAO emergency session, the EU Summit will discuss today implications and challenges for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and development aid. SAAPE, the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication, calls on the EU to invest a greater percentage of their development assistance ODA (as opposed to the current 4%) in agriculture and rural development focusing on small-scale farming based on sustainable and local food production and to recognize countries' rights to food sovereignty.

The European Union should further promote fair trade rules that support small producers and guarantee, that high world market prices make also a difference on the ground and translate into fairer revenues for farmers. As the world has been witnessing in the last years liberalisation of agricultural markets in developing countries will only harm local producers. Therefore the ongoing CAP review must protect the interests of small farmers.

Brussels, 10/06/08: Eurostep and the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) today organised a roundtable meeting EU Budget Review: Consolidation of the Budget for Development Co-operation in the context of the ongoing EU Budget review and the Commission's call for submission of public inputs. The event was facilitated by Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA). 

The roundtable resulted in interactive deliberations between civil representatives from South Asia, Latin America and the European Neighbourhood Policy countries, and members from the Commission, the Parliament, Member States, African embassies and European NGOs.

• Click here to see the meeting programme.
• Click here to read Eurostep's briefing paper on the EU Budget review.
• Click here to read EEPA's briefing paper on the European External Action Service (EEAS).
• Click here to read the speech given by Neena Gill MEP.
• Click here to view the video message by Neena Gill MEP.
• Click here to see our Photo Library with the pictures from the roundtable.
  
• Click here to submit your contribution to the European Commission's consultation on the EU Budget review (Closing date: Sunday 15 June 2008).

Brussels, 09/06/08: The fate of the European Union – and the agenda of the European Council meeting taking place on 19-20 June in Brussels – hangs on the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty being held on 12 June. If Ireland votes ‘Yes’ , the summit will discuss how to put the Treaty of Lisbon into effect, including a debate on the future structure of the European External Action Service (EEAS). But if the Irish vote ‘No’,  the summit will become an exercise in crisis management.

Recent polls show that the number of people intending to vote 'No' has almost doubled to 35 per cent since the last poll, while the number of the 'Yes' side has declined to 30 per cent. The number of undecided voters is still a significant 28 per cent. The mood in the ‘Yes’ camp has lightened a bit following a Sunday Business Post poll which showed it being slightly ahead. Fianna Fáil party strategists believe that voters will accept the treaty by a margin of up to 10 points in a near 60 per cent turnout.

It is envisaged that the EEAS will start functioning as soon as the Lisbon Treaty enters into force and that it should be fully operational by the time the new European Commission takes office in late 2009.

• Click here to read an EEPA paper on the EU's external policies
• Click here to read an Eurostep paper on the EEAS 
• Click here to read an EEPA research paper on the Irish referendum

Brussels, 05/06/08: Yesterday, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested while campaigning in the southern parts of the country. Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, both condemned the arrest of the opposition leader and called for his immediate release. Tsvangirai was released several hours later.

"Less than a month before the second round of the presidential election and with the violence continuing, Mr Tsvangirai's arrest will heighten further the fears of the Zimbabwean people", Solana commented. Both of them also stated that the situation raises wider concerns that appropriate conditions be in place ahead of and during the second round of Presidential elections on 27th June.

Click here to read the statement of Javier Solana