Last Council on Development
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Thursday, 9 December 2010 in Brussels
SESSION ON DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
In the separate session devoted to development cooperation, the Development Ministers exchanged views on the Commission Green Paper on EU development policy. They also reviewed the development situation in Afghanistan, in the presence of EU special representative Vygaudas Ušackas.
Moreover, the Council addressed recent developments in Haiti. Ministers discussed the elections, the cholera epidemic as well as the ongoing joint programming efforts for the reconstruction of the country.
In addition, the Council adopted Conclusions on mutual accountability and transparency between donors and partner countries, for better aid effectiveness (doc. 17769/10).
Finally, Ministers considered innovative financing mechanisms for development.
Green paper on EU development policy
The Council discussed how to ensure that EU development policy effectively achieves its objectives, namely the fight against poverty in developing countries and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The Council debate was based on the Commission Green Paper launching a consultation among stakeholders (doc. 16146/10).
Afghanistan
The Council exchanged views on the EU's development policy approach to Afghanistan and reviewed the current security-related and political constraints to development in this country. The EU is one of Afghanistan’s largest donors. The EU - Commission and Member States - channel on average 1 billion EUR into Afghanistan per year.
Haiti
Ahead of the first anniversary of the earthquake (12 January 2011), the Council took stock of the ongoing reconstruction efforts and assessed the current situation on the island, marked by the cholera epidemic and the recent elections. It also took note of the state of play of the joint Commission/Member States programming document.
Transparency and mutual accountability in development aid
The Council adopted Council Conclusions on mutual accountability and transparency between European donors and partner countries (doc. 17769/10) which will add a fourth chapter to the EU operational framework on aid effectiveness (doc. 18239/10).
Innovative financing mechanisms
The Council briefly discussed innovative financing sources and mechanisms for development.