The Courier: The Ljubljana 12

Round up

Issue Nr. III (N.S.) – November/December 2007

The Ljubljana 12

The Slovenian Presidency is to host a meeting of first-time contributors to the European Development Fund (EDF) in February 2008. All of the EU’s 12 newest Member States will be party to the €22.682 billion (2008–2013) 10th edition of the European Development Fund (EDF from 1 January 2008, along with the 15 other long-time EU members.

Individual contributions of all 27 EU Member States to the EDF are largely decided by a key based on a percentage of their national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, respectively, are the biggest contributors in monetary terms.

The Fund is for EU projects in African, Caribbean and Pacifc (ACP) nations and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). Since the EDF comes straight from the pockets of EU Member States, they each have a say on the approval of how the money is spent in ACP/OCT states. The Ljubljana meeting will be an opportunity to explain to the public in the newcomer states what EDF monies are for, and also look at how some of their own companies may benefit from future tenders under the Fund.

Few of the 12 have a legacy of projects in ACP States; many over the past years have focused assistance on their neighbours in South-east Europe. Trade flows between the EU newcomers and ACP States are also low.

A counselor at Slovenia’s delegation to the EU in Brussels confirmed that implementation of the European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) also due to come on stream from 1 January 2008, and the eradication of poverty in Africa were both high on the agenda for the Slovenian Presidency of the EU, January–June 2008.

Back to the Table of Contents.