Future EU External Action Budget
Part I
Š Elise Vanormelingen
To further contribute to a debate that could result in an efficient EU development framework going resolutely beyond aid, it is important to seize opportunities to influence the next steps of the negotiation process leading to the adoption of the MFF. The Agenda for Change, the Communication on trade and development, the instruments’ regulations and the programming guidelines, are not yet cast in stone. An articulated voice of European CSOs can judicially influence decision making to defend the overarching objective of poverty reduction, while simultaneously seizing the opportunity to modernise EU development policy and gradually closing the gap between intentions and practice.
This first part looks at how the EU new policy orientations are translated into the MFF, and how they will impact on future instruments priorities.
1.1 Safeguard & prioritization of EU Development cooperation principles in the MFF Context/Rationale Four major references frame how EU development cooperation policy is placed within the EU external action context, and what its priorities are: the Lisbon Treaty (legal basis), The European Consen-
Introduction Part I
Policy Priority & Agenda for Change: how is it translated in the MFF proposal?
5