African, Caribbean and Pacific Region Countries Participate in the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation

Press release 42/2007
12 March 2007

The Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation is being held in Petersberg, Germany on 12–13 March. Finland is represented at the meeting by Marjatta Rasi, Under-Secretary of State (Development Policy) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The ministerial meeting will discuss the furthering of negotiations concerning Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Region (the ACP countries). This is the first time that the ACP ministers have been invited to an EU ministerial meeting to discuss EPAs. When they materialise, EPAs can bring significant support for economic development in ACPs.

Also being discussed are investments in Africa. In addition to the EU ministers, Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, will take part in the discussion. Also on the agenda is development of energy-sector cooperation with Africa. It’s important that the development policy angle is considered in EU climate and energy policy. Both in developing African countries’ investment climate and in energy questions, attention is being paid to developing cooperation between the World Bank Group and the European Union.

Alongside discussion of investment and energy issues, the EU ministers will discuss the principles for a division of tasks in development cooperation, the aim being to improve aid effectiveness. The work done thus far in the EU has clearly carried the theme forward. The meeting will also discuss reform of the United Nations, especially the UN development sector reform. The EU is currently preparing a common position in order to promote the UN reforms.

Additional information: Project Assistant Janna Heikkinen, Unit for General Development Policy and Planning, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6458