European Commission announces creation of new Commission Directorate for Development
On 27 October 2010, the European Commission announced the establishment of the ‘EuropeAid Development and Co-operation Directorate-General' (DG DevCo), which will unite the DG Development and the EuropeAid Co-operation Office. To date, the former has been responsible for setting development policy and programming, while the latter has, with the EU delegations abroad, implemented the programmes and distributed the money. The merger followed the final votes on the European External Action Service (EEAS) at the European Parliament’s plenary session last week, which paved the way for the launch of the EEAS on 1 December.
In preparation for the actual beginning of work in the EEAS, scheduled for 1 January 2011, around 100 officials currently working at the country desks of the DG Development will be transferred to the EU’s new diplomatic body. DG DevCo will include a staff of about 800 people, out of which 600 will be from the current EuropeAid Co-operation Office and around 200 from the DG development office.
The Commission also announced the establishment of a ‘Foreign Policy Instruments Service', which will be staffed by Commission officials but housed alongside the EEAS. Its task will be to manage programmes, such as the Instrument for Stability – a crisis response facility that was set up in 2007 and comprising a budget of €2 billion until 2013.
The merger was generally welcomed by European Development NGOs. Eurostep’s Director Simon Stocker stated: “The EU needs a strong guardian for its cooperation with developing countries. We have long argued that the Commission needs a single dedicated service for development that unites all of its capacities for implementing development policy. Today’s decision is a start in the right direction.”
According to Olive Towey, Chair of Eurostep, “the establishment of the External Action Service should increase the EU’s ability to shape global policies and practices. As long as this is clearly driven by the principles and values that are set out in the Treaty, this would make a substantial contribution towards Europe taking on its global responsibilities”.
Stocker added: “The interests of people living in poverty within developing countries are central to the EU’s development policies. The Treaty requires that all of the EU’s activities that impact on those countries, including foreign policy and trade, clearly reflect this in their implementation. The new Commission development service must help ensure that this becomes reality”.
"We have been fighting for an administration that is consistent with the EU Treaties for two decades" says Mirjam van Reisen, director of the research office EEPA. "After the fall of the Berlin Wall EU aid got diversified in all kinds of directions. Now this window is finally closing and EU development cooperation can find its unique role within the new context of the EU with 27 member states. We now need the Budget Review to follow and to create one heading for EU international assistance in the EU budget that includes cooperation with all developing countries, including the European Development Fund, the Development Cooperation Instrument and the European neighbourhood Policy Instrument. Eurostep and its members should be congratulated for the consistent and well-argued approach that has led to this important result."
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Click here for the eurostep's press release: "The new Commission Directorate for Development must deliver on the EU’s Commitments".
Click here to read the European Commission's press release.
