Country strategy papers launch 10th edition of development budget
Drawn up by The EC Directorate-General for Development in consultation with numerous stakeholders, the individual strategy papers for the 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States map out €22,682* billion of development spending over five years under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) (2008–2013).
Bruno Bozzetto, Liberi di incontrare gli amici per costruire, 2007, Manifesta!
© Africa e Mediterraneo
At the time of going to press, 43 of the individual papers had been signed with African and Pacific countries, bringing annual commitments from the 10th EDF to sub-Saharan Africa alone to €3.3 billion.
Respective individual spending plans for the next five years are known as National Indicative Programmes (NIPs), with ACP regions benefiting from Regional Indicative Programmes (RIPs). These regional funds specifically target the integration of regional groupings. The 10th EDF’s RIPs highlight the fact that the regional integration of ACP groupings has doubled, if not tripled, under the 10th EDF. Projects which underpin the new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are particularly targeted.
The strategy papers are much more than budgets. Each contains a diagnosis of an ACP State. The idea is for each paper to explain why funds are earmarked to any one focal sector in the recipient ACP State or regional grouping. There are policy commitments to make on the part of the ACP State and national goals to be achieved by the end of the EDF in 2013.
The EC Development Directorate compiles the papers alongside its delegations in ACP States and in concert with domestic authorities. Consultation with non-state actors is a priority. Each paper is tailor-made to an ACP State and region, reflecting an ACP State’s own domestic development priorities.
Good governance incentive
Of major importance under the 10th EDF in ACP states are projects to promote Cotonou’s ‘essential elements’: the democratic rule of law and human rights, and the ‘fundamental element’ of good governance. The 10th EDF will for the first time see a €2.7 billion ‘incentive tranche’ to assist countries with good governance, which also encompasses the good management of financial, tax and legal systems.
“You will not catch me moralising you,” said EU Commissioner for Development, Louis Michel. “What I am interested in is supporting what is or what has the potential to come good. What really matters are your commitments, your ambitions in terms of governance, in terms of increasing your capacity to deliver services to your people.” He was speaking at the Pacific Forum meeting in Tonga in October 2007 where 13 Pacific States signed NIPs totalling €276 million and an RIP of €95 million.
Aiming to excel at what it does best and to avoid duplicating the initiatives of other donors, the10th EDF limits its range of sectors for focal spending essentially to trade and regional integration; the environment and sustainable management of resources; infrastructure, communication and transport; water and energy; territorial planning, agriculture and food security; governance, democracy and human rights; support for economic and institutional reform; conflict prevention and fragile states; and human development, social cohesion and employment. Non-focal spending may include such things as funding for non-state actors or culture.
“In signing these papers we are moving into an ambitious partnership. Africa and Europe now share the same vision of the future and have agreed on practical steps to be taken,” said Commissioner Michel at the signing of 31 papers for Africa at the Africa-EU Heads of State Summit on 6 December, which amounted to €8 billion. He added, “The strategy papers are a guarantee of results. They set out clearly, country by country, the priorities and results expected in 2013.”
* This figure includes €286 million for OCTs
10th EDF breakdown
Of the €22,682 million in the 10th EDF (2008–2013), €21,966 million will go to ACP countries, €286 million to Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) and €430 million to the Commission as support for programming and implementation of the EDF. The overall amount for the ACP countries includes €17,766 million to the national and regional indicative programmes, €2,700 million to intra-ACP and intra-regional cooperation, and €1,500 million to investment facilities. The EDF will see more focus on regional programmes to underpin the implementation of the European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and also ‘incentive amounts’ for good governance.
