Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Group of Socialist and Democratic Parties in the European Parliament, in cooperation with the Italian think tank CeSPI, launched its report entitled “Shaping a progressive agenda for development cooperation in the European Union: a critical examination of the global NDICI-Europe implementation laws”. It is an external financing instrument. The report addresses the implementation of the European Union's largest external financial instrument, NDICI-Global Europe, and assesses the extent to which partner countries benefit from its goals and priorities.
According to a statement by the European Parliamentary Group, a copy of which we received and distributed in Brussels, “The adoption of the NDICI-Global Europe in June 2021 was a milestone in the European Union’s foreign policy, as it integrated most of the European Union’s external tools into one tool to ensure greater coherence and effectiveness in the European Union’s response to crises.” International. However, the European Parliament has little to say about the allocation of funds to specific countries, thematic areas, or the choice of priorities. Its role as inspector is crucial to allowing the democratic legitimacy of the instrument. Our cooperation with CeSPI, which began more than two years ago, aims to make The European Parliament's powers to scrutinize the Commission are a reality and not just a symbol.
The timing of the final report of the project, which analyzes 175 annual work plans of the European Commission, is of great importance. With the European Council's recent conclusions on the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework, there is an urgent need to translate them into specific allocations for the period 2025-2027 during the mid-term review of the National Infrastructure Investment Security Initiative. This report provides crucial insights that will enable a more comprehensive assessment of the current instrument and its practical application, thus guiding us towards more informed and effective progressive policy making.
Udo Polmann, MEP for the Socialists and Democrats and coordinator of the European Parliament's Development Committee, said:
“The outcome of the CeSPI study is clear: despite the alignment of the NDICI-Global Europe regulation with the 2030 Agenda and critical objectives, such as human development and the fight against poverty and inequality, a detailed review shows that these priorities need to be reflected in the actual initiatives pursued in the partner countries. The observed contradictions tend to undermine the effectiveness of the Commission's development programmes, particularly in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which should be the primary objective of any actions taken within this framework. “We must be guided by the impact of its work on human development on different segments of the population, especially the most vulnerable . If implemented correctly, the new methodology should also allow for new priorities that lead to sustained disruptions in our partner countries.”
NDICI is the EU's main financing instrument for external cooperation. It combines five tools from the previous program period. This instrument aims to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development, prosperity, peace and stability outside the European Union. Its general goal is to affirm and promote the Union's values and interests in the world with the aim of achieving the goals and applying the principles of the Union's external action.