Delegation of Parliament power and the Development Cooperation Instrument

The Chair Director of Eurostep, Olive Towey, and the Director of Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA), Professor Mirjam van Reisen, took the initiative to write a letter to the President of the European Parliament (EP), Jerzy Buzek, in order to emphasise the EP's role of scrutiny over EU external co-operation instruments.

With the Development Co-operation Instrument (DCI) currently undergoing its mid-term review, Ms Towey and Ms van Reisen raised some concerns about the possible EU provision for the delegation of power to the Commission in respect of the implementation of the DCI.

The amendments put in place by the Lisbon Treaty have the intention to re-enforce the legitimate democratic role of the Parliament, therefore it should be clear that the only directly elected institution of the EU must continue to exercise its proper democratic authority over EU’s development cooperation.

Click here to read the letter.