Minister Väyrynen to attend the Meeting of EU Development Ministers in Brussels
Press release 54/2010
21 February 2011
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will attend the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation in Brussels on 22 February. The agenda for the meeting includes debate on the future of the EU’s development policy, future financing of external relations, the connection between security and development particularly in the light of the situations in the Sahel and Sudan as well as the situation in Egypt, Tunisia and more widely in the region.
The ministers’ discussion on the future of the EU’s development policy is a part of preparation of the Commission’s Communiqué on European Union Development Policy, promised for June 2011. Finland supports the central position of development policy in the external relations of the European Union. The EU development policy needs a more strategic and policy-based approach, intensification of development cooperation, and strengthening of practical efficiency. From the perspective of promoting the coherence of EU policy, it is also important to update the EU’s sustainable development strategy as quickly as possible so that the European Union would have a strong basis in preparing for Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in 2012.
In connection with the discussion, the Commission is also expected to give an overview of the consultation on financing of the EU’s external relations. Finland considers it important that the European Union sticks to the objective of increasing development financing to 0.7 per cent of GNI by the year 2015. Finland also emphasizes, among others, the independence and non-political nature of humanitarian aid in future, too.
In the debate on the link between development and security, the intention is to discuss, in particular, the situations in the Sahel and Sudan. In the opinion of Finland, along with the European External Action Service the EU should aim for a more holistic approach in situations of conflict and fragile states.
The ministers will also discuss the situation in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries of the region. In the view of Finland, the EU should support the building of democracy and stabilization of the economy in the countries of the region.
Additional information: Petri Neittaanmäki, Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 553 8245, or Counsellor Sini Paukkunen, tel. +358 9 1605 6272